State-of-the-science reviews

The BLM will establish cooperative agreements with scientists with recognized expertise in the relevant field to conduct a “State-of-the science” review for selected major issues and questions. The purpose of these reviews is to assess the state of the knowledge and identify areas of agreement and areas of uncertainty for complex issues central to the RMP revisions. These reviews will include a survey and synthesis of the existing literature, identify questions that are the subject of ongoing scientific investigations, and suggest a range of reasonable assumptions and interpretations relevant for RMP revisions. Reports will be prepared in a format suitable for review and use by the RMP planning team, and, if suitable, may be further developed for publication. These reviews will help focus and support the analysis of planning team specialists, and identify potential tools to help conduct resource analyses. See attachment for a description of planned reviews.

Informal consultations

RMP IDT members face significant challenges analyzing the effects of alternatives. Informal consultations and small group meetings have been organized among IDT members and scientists to provide early and rapid feedback regarding proposed analysis methods. Draft descriptions of proposed analytical methods were shared with scientists, and the scientists responded with suggestions to improve methods. The following disciplines and scientists have assisted the BLM through informal consultations:

• Climate change - Ron Neilsen (PNW)


• Fish - Kelly Burnett (PNW), Jason Dunham (USGS), Gordie Reeves (PNW)


• Hydrology - Gordon Grant (PNW)


• Landscape ecology - Tom Spies (PNW)


• Social and economic - Richard Haynes (PNW)


• Soils - Paul Adams (OSU), Jim Boyle (OSU), Steve Perakis (USGS), Stephen Schoenholtz (OSU)


• Timber harvest systems - Loren Kellogg (OSU)


• Timber growth and yield modeling - David Hann (OSU)


• Wildlife - Joan Hagar (USGS)