Threatened and Endangered Species Program’s Strategic Plan for Special Status Species Conservation and Recovery

BLM-managed lands provide habitat and conservation opportunities for more than 2,700 special status species. BLM management of these species has already helped to achieve delisting and downlisting of federally listed threatened and endangered species and resulted in decisions by the USFWS that sensitive species are not warranted for listing. Increasing human uses of federal lands, coupled with climate change, provide significant challenges for the sustained conservation and recovery of special status species and their habitats. This strategic plan guides a sustained, proactive response to conservation and recovery challenges, emphasizing the value of partnerships and a need to manage at landscape and ecosystem levels. This strategic plan is meant to inspire and promote conservation and stewardship of the habitat upon which special status species depend, thereby ensuring the best outcomes for the benefit of current and future generations.