Assisting the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) with Sites for Assessment on Public Lands within California

March 22, 2018

In Reply Refer To:
7000 (CA930) P

EMS TRANSMISSION:  03/22/2018
Information Bulletin No. CA-2018-008

To:                   All CA Field Managers

From:               Deputy State Director, Natural Resources

Subject:           Assisting the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) with Sites for
                         Assessment on Public Lands within California

This Information Bulletin provides guidance for assistance to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the purpose of collecting data on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in California and northwestern Nevada.

The NRCS is mandated through several laws and supporting legislation to assess the status, condition, and trends of soil, water, and related resources on the Nation’s non-Federal lands.  Starting in 2011, the on-site framework was extended to lands managed by the Department of the Interior, BLM.  The BLM has partnered with the NRCS in implementing a National approach to monitoring rangeland resources, by expanding on-site data collection to BLM-administered lands.  The efforts of the NRCS will be enhanced through the adoption of the National Resources Inventory (NRI) on the BLM-managed landscapes.  The NRI Grazing Land On-Site Inventory Collection is conducted cooperatively with the Iowa State University Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology.

Funding to assist the NRCS with their data collection is contained in your base programs.  The NRCS may wish to dig soil pits or conduct additional small ground disturbing activities on lands administered by the BLM in California and northwestern Nevada.  Depending on the size of the ground disturbance (average hole size is about 20 inches deep and 12 inches across) and each Field Office’s Cultural Resource Specialist’s direction, Protocol Exemption 1A may apply to some, none, or all of these locations.

The files containing information about the site locations on BLM-administered lands where the NRCS would like to collect data will be available directly from NRCS.  You will need GIS assistance to open the zipped files.  NRCS will provide additional information about their data collection activities on BLM managed lands, and have conducted a review to eliminate any site locations that did not meet NRI rangeland definitions or were determined inaccessible due to slope, distance from roads, etc.

You may be requested to assist the NRCS by doing the following:

      •    Reviewing site locations to ensure those locations are on BLM-administered lands.
      •    Ensuring the NRCS can access those sites through locked gates, etc.
      •    Identify sites that have no access.
      •    Provide guidance to NRCS on best methods to access sites in Wilderness Study Areas to 
            assure these areas maintain their character.  NRCS is aware that they must not use
            motorized vehicles or equipment in Wilderness.
      •    Ensure compliance for cultural resources and special status plant and wildlife species. 

The NRCS is responsible for data collection and will report findings periodically to the BLM in preparation of a final annual report.

This activity has been reviewed and approved by the Washington D.C. Office of the BLM and will continue for an additional three years.

Any questions can be directed to James Barnes, Associate State Archaeologist, at (916) 978-4676, or via email at jjbarnes@blm.gov, and Jack Hamby, State Rangeland and Weeds Coordinator at (916) 978-4633, or via email at jhamby@blm.gov.

Signed by:      
Genivieve Rasmussen                                                
Acting Deputy State Director, Natural Resources     

Authenticated by:
Larry Weitzel
GIS/Applications Mgmt Branch, CA-946