Designation of Sensitive Species

                                                              December 16, 2019

In Reply Refer To:
6840 (CA-930) P

EMS TRANSMISSION 12/17/2019
Instruction Memorandum No. CA-2020-006
Expires: 9/30/2024

To:             All Field Managers and District Managers

From:        State Director

Subject:     Designation of Sensitive Species    

Program Area:   Natural Resource Management, Wildlife, Botany, Planning

Purpose:  This Instruction Memorandum provides the official sensitive species lists for lands under the jurisdiction of the California State Director. 

Policy/Action: Sensitive species are those species requiring special management consideration to promote their conservation and reduce the likelihood and need for future listing under the ESA.  Sensitive species are managed as special status species, along with Federally-listed and proposed species, which are automatically treated as special status species. Sensitive species should be included, as appropriate, in documents assessing environment impacts.

Field Managers are also reminded that they may request the State Director to add or remove plant or wildlife species from the sensitive species list.  Such requests must be in writing, include necessary documentation, and are submitted to the state leads for wildlife and botany for review.  Please refer to California BLM Manual Handbook 6840.1 for details.

Timeframe: Immediate and on-going

Budget Impact: The budget impact is minimal. This work is supported by funding distributed through the wildlife, plant, and listed species subactivities.

Background: The BLM Manual 6840, Special Status Species Management, requires State Directors to designate sensitive species within their respective jurisdictions and, at least once every 5 years, to review and update their sensitive species lists in coordination with State agencies responsible for managing fisheries, wildlife, and botanical resources. 

Sensitive species are those species requiring special management consideration to promote their conservation and reduce the likelihood and need for future listing under the ESA.  In addition to those species designated as sensitive by the State Director, all Federal candidate species and delisted species in the 5 years following delisting are to be conserved as Bureau sensitive species.  Sensitive species are managed as special status species, along with Federally listed and proposed species, which are automatically treated as special status species.

Attachments 1 and 2 are lists of all special status animals and plants; respectively, including those designated as sensitive by this instruction memorandum.  Attachment 2A lists the special status plants known to occur on BLM lands.  Attachment 2B lists the special status plants that are suspected to occur on BLM lands.  Individual Field Office special status species lists can be generated and provided to each field office electronically. 

Although the BLM sensitive species list will typically be updated once a year, California BLM policy on sensitive plants (California BLM Manual Supplement 6840.06 and Handbook 6840.1) automatically affords sensitive status to plants with a California Rare Plant Rank of 1B (Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California and Elsewhere) identified in the Special Vascular Plants, Bryophytes, and Lichens List (online at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Plants/Info), unless the State Director decides on a case-by-case basis that a particular List 1B species does not warrant sensitive status. 

The BLM sensitive plant list is therefore a dynamic list that may change more frequently than every year.  Accordingly, changes to CRPR List 1B that take place between the date of this IM and the issuance of the next IM designating sensitive species will be tracked by State Office staff, who will inform appropriate Field Office staff of any plants added or removed from the 1B list that affect BLM lands.  Plants on BLM lands added to List 1B between the dates of this IM and the next one are to be treated as sensitive species.  Plants on BLM lands that are removed from List 1B between the dates of this IM and the next one may continue to be treated as sensitive at the discretion of the Field Manager.

Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None

Coordination: Within CA-930 and State Resource Staff

Contact: For questions on designated sensitive species or on any special status species, please contact Amy Fesnock, State Wildlife Lead, at (916) 978-4646 or to Christina Lund, State Botanist, at (916) 978-4638.

Signed by:                                                                  
Joseph Stout                                                              
Acting State Director                                                 

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