OR/ID/NV Cooperative Shrub-Steppe Restoration Partnership - Healthy Lands Initiative
In Reply Refer To:
1740(NV 930) P
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Nevada State Office
P.O. Box 12000 (1340 Financial Blvd)
Reno, Nevada 89520-0006
May 3, 2007
EMS TRANSMISSION 05/03/2007
Instruction Memorandum NV 2007-031
Expires:9/30/2008
To: Field Managers, Elko and Winnemucca, Nevada
From: Ron Wenker State Director, Nevada
Subject: OR/ID/NV Cooperative Shrub-Steppe Restoration Partnership - Healthy Lands Initiative
Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum (IM) provides information and direction on the Oregon/Idaho/Nevada (OR/ID/NV) Cooperative Shrub-Steppe Restoration Partnership that is one of the six Healthy Lands Initiative (HLI) priority areas and the process for allocating HLI funds. The primary purposes of HLI are to enable Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to set land treatment priorities across a broader scale, mitigate impacts to an array of resources in ways not previously available and unite land management agencies, private landowners and other partners in an effort to protect, enhance and restore sagebrush habitats on a landscape scale. Approximately $15 million dollars nationally and 1.9 million dollars for OR/ID/NV has been requested in President’s Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008.
Policy/Action: The guiding criteria and considerations for OR/ID/NV Cooperative Shrub-Steppe Restoration Partnership projects are:
1. Projects must focus on sagebrush and associated riparian habitats that support sage-grouse.
2. Primary goals are first protecting and enhancing existing sagebrush habitat followed by strategically restoring connectivity within occupied sage-grouse habitats.
3. Projects that address multiple habitat issues or augment previous habitat improvement projects to achieve a landscape effect will receive priority.
4. Projects within the focus area must have affiliated partners.
5. Projects containing short-term, quantifiable objectives that serve as benchmarks for judging project success will receive priority consideration.
Attachment 1 provides further definitions of the above the above criteria.
The following HLI project submission and approval process will be used.
1. The Budget Planning System (BPS) will be used to apply for HLI funding under the 1776 subactivity and projects are to be prioritized and submitted by District. A project template is attached (Attachment 2) and can be found in BPS.
2. Projects must be on-the-ground work – no monitoring or funding of studies.
3. Projects must have well defined accomplishment targets.
4. Projects must list the partners in the treatment area and the value of their contribution (funding, in-kind, and/or volunteer).
5. Projects will be ranked according to the above criteria by the OR/ID/NV HLI Regional Support team and forwarded to Project Leaders for approval and submission to the Washington Office. The Regional Support Team consists of:
George Buckner, Oregon State Office
Christian Hagen, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Paul Makela, Idaho State Office
Tom Henker, Idaho Fish and Game
Elroy Masters, Nevada State Office
Shawn Espinosa, Nevada Department of Wildlife
Mike Pellant, Great Basin Restoration Initiative Coordinator
Project Leaders include the following State Office Branch Chiefs:
Miles Brown, Oregon State Office
Jon Foster, Idaho State Office
Joe Tague, Nevada State Office
Timeframe: The deadline for submission of FY08 projects into the BPS system is July 13, 2007. It is anticipated that there could be additional project calls at mid-year and for FY 2009. Districts and Field Offices are encouraged to begin developing projects in BPS immediately as many deadlines will be short.
Budget Impact: This IM establishes procedures for submitting for funding under the subactivity 1776 and as such, has potential impacts on the ability of states to secure funding under the HLI.
Background: The Healthy Lands Initiative represents a new concept for meeting emerging challenges in managing natural resources for continued multiple use with flexible, landscapelevel approaches. The HLI designated six priority areas that include a joint, OR/ID/NV Cooperative Shrub-Steppe Restoration Partnership that represents one of the largest contiguous sagebrush habitats in the region. Within the OR/ID/NV HLI area, a focus area has been designated for the purpose of concentrating funding available for FY 2008. The focus area is subject to revision or elimination in future years.
A detailed map of the OR/ID/NV Cooperative Shrub-Steppe Restoration Partnership area and focus area is available at: ftp://ftp.blm.gov/blmshare/ID/ID956/Owyhee_Basemap_HLI_34x44.pdf
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None
Coordination: HLI efforts should emphasize coordination with other renewable resource programs and fire/fuels to accelerate treatments, avoid duplication of effort and improve cost effectiveness to better accomplish mutual and complimentary management objectives. Project planning should include coordination with state Sage-grouse Working Groups and Implementation Teams, private land owners, state and local agencies and other non government organizations with similar or overlapping goals and objectives.
Contact: The following Wildlife Program Leader can provide details: Elroy Masters, Nevada State Office (775-861-6626).
Signed By:
Ron Wenker
State Director, NV
Authenticated By:
Ellyn Darrah
Administrative Assistant
Attachment(s)
1 – Criteria for Healthy Lands Initiative proposals (2pp)
2 – HLI BPS Project template (2pp)