930, 910, 912, COS & FOS
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
November 16, 2004
In Reply Refer To:
6500 (WO-230) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 11/16/2004
Instruction Memorandum No. 20054-024
Expires: 09/30/20065
To: AFO’
and WO Officials
From: Director
Subject: National Sage-Grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy
Program Areas: Multiple programs
Purposes: Issuance of Bureau of Land Management’s
(BLM) National Sage-grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy (National Sage-grouse Strategy)
and required action items: (1) guidance
for addressing sagebrush habitat conservation
in land-use plans under action
item 1.3.1 in the National Sage-grouse Strategy, and (2) guidance for the
management of sagebrush plant communities for sage-grouse conservation under
action item 1.4.1 in the National Sage-grouse Strategy.
Policy/Action: Issuance of BLM’s National Sage-grouse Strategy. As part of BLM’s ongoing commitment to
support cooperative conservation of sage-grouse and sagebrush habitats on
public lands under our administration, we have completed and are issuing for
immediate use, a comprehensive national strategy. BLM State Directors and associated Field Offices will immediately
implement the National Sage-grouse Strategy and actions described in this
memorandum according to the specified time frame. The National Sage-grouse Strategy is consistent with cooperative sage-grouse
conservation planning efforts led by the S states through their
respective state wildlife management agencies and fully recognizes state
leadership and responsibility in managing resident wildlife species.
Background: The BLM manages more sage-grouse habitat than any other entity and as a result has a key role in the conservation of the species and its habitat. Approximately half of all remaining sage-grouse habitat is under BLM administration. It is critical we continue with our ongoing conservation efforts. The BLM must also continue to implement new actions to reduce the risk to sage-grouse populations and to conserve sage-grouse habitat. One of BLM’s highest priorities is to implement the National Sage-
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grouse Strategy on BLM-managed lands andas well as
related conservation actions in a consistent and effective manner. All State Directors and Field Managers will note
their areas of responsibility in the National Sage-grouse Strategy,
and take appropriate actions to ensure immediate implementation.
National Sage-grouse Strategy: The National Sage-grouse Strategy is the framework
to address the conservation of sage-grouse and risk to sagebrush habitats on
lands and activitiesons
administered by the BLM. The document
identifies the resources and actions to be included in necessary for individual BBLM State Office State-level
strategies and/or plans and . The National Sage-grouse Strategy also outlines
methods to address the risk to sage-grouse and sagebrush habitats at various
scales. The StrategyIt provides for
a comprehensive national approach, while providing for local solutions to
address the range-wide variability and complexity
and
variability of managing sage-grouse and sagebrush habitatementover the range-widegeographic
area. The National Sage-grouse Strategy also addresses the
essential need toof
working
with state wildlife agencies, state governments, and local interests, while
achieving national level conservation goals.
BLM’s National Sage-grouse Strategy
is designed to deliver a substantial Federal contribution to cooperative
conservation efforts that are being led by state wildlife agencies throughout
the range of greater sage-grouse in the West.
The vision of the BLM’s National Sage-grouse Strategy is to
manage public lands to maintain, enhance, and restore sage-grouse habitats
while providing for other
appropriate uses multiple-usesof
BLM-administered public lands.
The following four-goals guide BLM’s
implementation of the National Sage-grouse Strategy:
1) improve the effectiveness of the management framework for addressing conservation needs of sage-grouse on lands administered by the BLM;
2) increase knowledge and understanding of resource conditions and priorities for habitat maintenance and restoration;
3) expand partnerships, available research, and information that support effective management of sage-grouse habitat, and;
4) ensure leadership and resources are adequate to implement national and state- level sage-grouse habitat conservation strategies and/or plans.
Guidance for Addressing Sagebrush Habitat Conservation in
Land Use Plans: This document is action 1.3.1 under the National
Sage-grouse Strategy and is mandatory
guidance to BLM planning teams. It
requires that impacts to sagebrush habitat and sagebrush-dependent wildlife
species (including sage-grouse) be analyzed and considered in BLM land use planning efforts for the public lands with
sage-grouse/sagebrush habitats located within the planning area. Planning teams will use this guidance in
planning areas with sage-grouse habitat for land use
planning efforts in progress (to the
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fullest extent practicable), new
planning starts, and plan amendments.
This land use plan guidance may be
supplemented, as appropriate, with additional information from completed state
or local-level sage-grouse strategies or plans.
Guidance for the Management of Sagebrush Plant
Communities for Sage-grouse Conservation:
This document is action 1.4.1 under the National Sage-grouse Strategy
and serves as guidance on managing, restoring and enhancing sagebrush habitat
on BLM-administered public lands. It
also describes management practices (Best Management Practices and Suggested
Management Practices) designed to support and promote the range-wide
conservation of sagebrush habitats for sage-grouse and other sagebrush-dependent
wildlife species on public lands administered by the BLM. BLM State Officess and associated
Field Offices are to use this guidance until the Bureau and its partners (1)
finalize and adopt the the BLM SStatetateOffice-level strategies
and/or state wildlife agency-led sage-grouse conservation
plans; and/or (2) incorporate specific sage-grouse habitat objectives and
conservation measures, developed collaboratively with local Western Association
of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) groups, into appropriate BLM planning
documents. This guidance may be
modified through the collaborative process in each state to best fit local and
regional conditions and to reflect ongoing efforts to complete state-level
strategies.
Actions:
1. In
cooperation with State Wildlife Agencies, review all existing lLand Uuse Pplans to determine the
adequacy in addressing the threats to sage-grouse and sagebrush habitat as
identified in the WAFWA Conservation Assessment. This will include land use
allocations, land health and condition objectives, and mitigations for all
program activities.
2.
Identify and prioritize llanduuse pplan amendments
or land use plan revisions based upon
the outcome of action item number 1 and the level of threats to sage-grouse. A report outlining which BLM plans and
programs within the state(s) need updating, and which plans are adequate must
be submitted to the Director by February 1, 20054.
Each State
Director must, by April 1, 2005, develop a process and schedule to update
deficient land use plans to adequately address sage-grouse and sagebrush
conservation needs. Schedules
developed Priorities submitted by the State Directors
will be incorporated into the BLM 10-year planning schedule by the end of April 2005
in order to emphasize and accelerate these plans as a Bureau-wide priority.
3.
Issues and alternatives evaluated in the NEPA process for land use plan updates, amendments or revisions must
analyze threats identified in the WAFWA Conservation Assessment (see the
attached Planning Guidance
1.3.1). . The goal iswill be to have
all plans updated by 2015.
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4.
Initiate collaborative discussions and dialogue with the local
WAFWA working groups and other partners to develop objectives, management
actions, and mitigation specific to the high priority planning area(s) in your
state(s). Include the best available
science (e.g. Miller and Eddleman, Connelly guidelines, Birds of the Sagebrush
Sea, etc.), BBest
Management Practices, locally available data, and other guidelines and
information appropriate to sage-grouse and its habitat.
5. An annual report detailing actions taken to implement the BLM National Sage-grouse Strategy shall be submitted to the Assistant Director (WO-200) by September 1 of 2005, 2006 and 2007. Most importantly, we want to know how the specific actions you are taking are improving sage-grouse habitat and/or sage-grouse populations.
Time Frame: This IM is in effect upon issuance.
Budget Impact: There will be a budget impact to most BLM
programs because of increased emphasis on the analysis of sage-grouse and sagebrush
habitat conservation in land use
plans, on-the-ground conservation initiated through plan implementation, and
higher priority project planning and implementation actions. Budget development issues for the budget
out-years will be assessed and developed.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None
Coordination: This IM reflects the input of individuals in different resource groups at all levels of the Bureau. The Fish, Wildlife and Botany Group (WO-230) has the lead for the effort.
Contact: E. Dwight Fielder, Group Manager, WO-230, at (202) 452-7761, Cal McCluskey, Wildlife Biologist, at (208) 373-4042, Eric Lawton, Wildlife Biologist, at (202) 452-7760, or Scott Florence, Senior Planner (for planning guidance only) at (202) 452-5151.
Signed by: Authenticated by:
Kathleen Clarke Barbara J. Brown
Director Policy & Records Group, WO-560
3 Attachments
1 - BLM National Sage-grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy (25 pp)
2 - Guidance for Addressing Sagebrush Habitat Conservation in Land Use Plans (10 pp)
3 - Guidance for the Management of Sagebrush Plant Communities for Sage- grouse Conservation (33 pp)