Jonah Interagency Office Sunset Announcement
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PINEDALE – The Jonah Interagency Mitigation and Reclamation Office (JIO), created by the Jonah Infill Drilling Project Record of Decision and signed March 2006, provides overall management of monitoring and mitigation activities. The JIO managed a $24.6 million dollar monitoring and mitigation fund originally committed by EnCana Oil & Gas (USA), Inc. and BP America Production Company.
Since its implementation, the mitigation projects have included vegetative/invasive species treatments to improve habitat for wildlife, fence modification for wildlife migration and sage-grouse strikes, fencing for protection of riparian areas, river restoration projects, vegetation inventories, water source wells/guzzlers for sage-grouse, pronghorn and other wildlife, air quality monitoring, diesel emission reduction, and wood stove replacements, recreation projects including boat ramp and campground improvements; as well as cultural properties inventory, recording and interpretation sites.
At the December 2021 JIO Board meeting, the Board voted to expend much of the remainder of the mitigation funding to two major project categories. The allocated funding will provide a large input to wildlife-friendly fence conversions as well as water projects. As these projects are addressing wildlife migration and general water availability efforts, they are a fitting end to the mitigation efforts that the Jonah Interagency Office has conducted over more than a decade.
Administration of the final funded projects and related processes will be conducted during an administrative phase. Any remaining funding at the end of the administrative phase of the JIO sunsetting will be redirected to the same mitigation projects.
For more information, please contact Erica Husse at 307-352-0227 or ehusse@blm.gov or Doug Linn at 307‑367-5302 or dlinn@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.