Idaho Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Special Status Species List Update
December 4, 2014
In Reply Refer To:
6840 (931) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 12/04/2014
Instruction Memorandum No. ID-2015-009
Expires: 09/30/2018
To: Idaho Leadership Team
From: State Director
Subject: Idaho Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Special Status Species List Update
Program Area: Special Status Species Management
Purpose: In accordance with national policy (BLM Manual 6840), the Idaho BLM Special Status Species (SSS) List has been updated to assist in addressing conservation management needs and help establish priorities. Due to the fluid nature of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listings, this SSS list can be updated as needed to reflect official status changes for species designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate, as well as for Experimental Populations and Proposed or designated Critical Habitat.
Policy/Action: This Instruction Memorandum (IM) transmits Idaho’s Special Status Animal and Plant Species list update. The Bureau’s national SSS policy (6840.04 sections D.4 and D.6, ), provide that State Directors are responsible for, “…ensuring that all actions comply with the Endangered Species Act…including compliance with Section 7 consultations and conferences with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service” and for “designating Bureau sensitive species within their respective jurisdictions, and at least once every five years, reviewing and updating the Bureau sensitive species list…”. On BLM-administered lands, all offices are to “…manage Bureau sensitive species and their habitats to minimize or eliminate threats affecting the status of the species or to improve the condition of the species habitat” (6840.2.C). BLM Manual 6840 further describes Bureau sensitive as species that require special management consideration to avoid potential future listing under the ESA.
Timeframe: Immediate.
Background: The 2003 Idaho BLM Special Status Species list has been in need of update, due to changes in status for certain species (e.g., gray wolf, bald eagle, yellow-billed cuckoo, additional concern for certain bat species, etc.) as well as the re-alignment of BLM administrative boundaries in Idaho following release of the 2003 list. Originally, all Idaho BLM Special Status plant, wildlife and fish species were classified using five categories (Types 1-5). In this present update, the Special Status Plant list retains four categories (Types 1-4). Plant rankings are vetted annually through the Idaho Rare Plant Working Groups and Idaho Native Plant Society bi-annual Rare Plant Conferences. However, for animals, the list has been consolidated and simplified into two types: Type 1 includes ESA-listed species, Essential Experimental populations and designated Critical Habitat, and Type 2 includes U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Candidate and Proposed species, Experimental Nonessential populations and Idaho BLM Sensitive species. Over the years, various Idaho BLM wildlife and fisheries biologists as well as contractors have expressed concerns as to the utility of the multiple categories, since, in terms of implementation, the 6840 manual does not differentiate between the various types. We anticipate re-evaluating the Idaho BLM sensitive animal list again in approximately 2016, following Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s update to species state ranks and the State Wildlife Action Plan that are currently underway.
Special Status Animal Categories:
Type 1. Federally listed Threatened or Endangered Species, Experimental Essential populations and designated Critical Habitat.
Type 2. Idaho BLM Sensitive Species, including USFWS Proposed and Candidate species, ESA species delisted during the past 5 years, and ESA Experimental Non-essential populations.
Special Status Plant Categories:
Type 1. Federally listed Threatened or Endangered Species and designated Critical Habitat.
Type 2. These are species that have a high likelihood of being listed in the foreseeable future due to their global rarity and significant endangerment factors. Species also include; USFWS Proposed and Candidate species, ESA species delisted during the past five years, ESA Experimental Non-essential species, and ESA Proposed Critical Habitat.
Type 3. Range-wide or State-wide Imperiled - Moderate Endangerment
These are species that are globally rare or very rare in Idaho, with moderate endangerment factors. Their global or state rarity and the inherent risks associated with rarity make them imperiled species.
Type 4. Species of Concern - These are species generally rare in Idaho with small populations or localized distribution and currently have low threat levels. However, due to the small populations and habitat area, certain future land uses in close proximity could significantly jeopardize these species.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: Policy action taken in accordance with national Special Status Species management policy (BLM Manual 6840).
Coordination: This action was coordinated between the Idaho State Office Branch of Resources and Science considering feedback from Districts and Field Offices. Review and input was also provided by other BLM states and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game State Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator. The USFWS Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office and the U.S. Forest Service were also contacted as appropriate, relative to the ESA or management status of selected species.
Contact: For questions or comments relating to wildlife, contact Paul Makela at
(208) 373-3809 or pmakela@blm.gov. For fish and aquatic invertebrates, contact Scott Hoefer at (208) 373-3819 or shoefer@blm.gov. For questions or comments concerning plants, contact Anne Halford at (208) 373-3940 or ahalford@blm.gov.
Boise District with Union: Management is reminded to notify and satisfy any bargaining requirements prior to implementation.
Signed by Authenticated by
Timothy M. Murphy Sylvia V. Graves
Administrative Specialist