BLM and IWJV Provide Capacity for Sagebrush Conservation

The following story originally appeared in the BLM Daily, an internal Bureau of Land Management publication, and was written by Megan McLachlan, Wildlife Biologist (on detail), BLM Washington, D.C. Office.

Less than three years ago, the BLM entered into a partnership with the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV) called Partnering to Conserve Sagebrush Rangelands.  This unique partnership is helping public land managers, private landowners, and non-governmental organizations get the capacity they need to scale-up implementation of proven conservation techniques for sagebrush habitats.  

Check out this short video for an introduction to this partnership.

To date, our focus has been on implementing wet meadow and riparian restoration treatments, invasive conifer removal, invasive weed management and post-fire restoration.  By bringing people together, investing in science and communications, and leveraging resources with field-based capacity positions to work across boundaries on public and private land projects, we are promoting durable conservation across the West. 

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Nine community-based field capacity positions in California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming are offering a helping hand to get BLM field projects off the drawing board and onto the ground (see map of positions below).  Durable and lasting conservation comes from developing collaboration in local communities by investing time in trust and relationship building among public and private partners. Click here to read about the individuals providing community-based conservation capacity by helping break through bottlenecks and challenges, track projects and success, and facilitate forums that bring partners together.

This map shows the locations of field delivery capacity positions created through the BLM-IWJV partnership called Partnering to Conserve Sagebrush Rangelands.  (Acronyms: LIT – Local Implementation Team; NCCN – Nevada Collaborative Conservation Network;  SGI SWAT – Sage-Grouse Initiative Strategic Watershed Action Team.)

Within the last 3 years, the accomplishments of this partnership between the BLM and IWJV are laudable:

  • 102 completed field projects

  • 63,479 acres impacted with a diversity of conservation treatments

  • $3.2 million leveraged in project funding

  • 387 partners engaged

  • 116 landowner visits

  • 72 forums created for public and partners to work together through meetings, field tours, outreach, and educational events.

2018 was an important year to hit our partnership stride with accomplishments and impacts that will form the bedrock for collaboration at multiple scales across the West.  For more details, the IWJV is pleased to share this second annual report with the BLM and other partners here. 

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the partnership, please contact the BLM-IWJV Liaison, Megan McLachlan (mmcalchlan@blm.gov), or the BLM-IWJV Science Liaison, John Carlson (jcarlson@blm.gov).

 

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