A Healthy Landscape Is a Productive One
BLM Colorado Public Land Health Standards require that the UFO manage for land health, as measured by a landscape’s productivity, diversity, number of native and desirable plant and animal species, absence of weeds, functional use of sunlight and water, and ability to cycle nutrients. The UFO manages for the health of the land, while supporting a variety of human uses and natural values.
The BLM pursues land health through:
Implementing protective and mitigation measures identified through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process in response to potentially harmful activities and developments.
Targeting carefully designed fuel reduction and wildlife habitat improvement projects.
Restoring communities through activities such as weed management, native species seeding in burned or disturbed areas, and re-treating former chaining areas.
Leaving communities alone to function as naturally as possible.
In turn, a healthy landscape can provide:
Forage for grazing animals.
Products for harvest, such as firewood, pinyon nuts, and Christmas trees.
Values that benefit people, such as clean water, wildlife habitat, ecosystem resilience, and beautiful vistas.
Standards for Public Land Health
The UFO is mandated to manage public lands in accordance with five BLM Colorado Standards for Public Land Health:
· Standard 1 - Upland soils are healthy with respect to water absorption, erosion, organic matter, and groundcover.
· Standard 2 - Riparian systems and wetlands function properly and can recover from disturbance.
· Standard 3 - Plant and animal communities are healthy, made up of native and desirable species, sustain viable populations in suitable habitat, and are resilient to disturbances.
· Standard 4 - Threatened, endangered, and sensitive species are maintained and enhanced by healthy native plant and animal communities.
· Standard 5 - Water quality on BLM lands meets or exceeds Colorado Water Quality Standards.
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