Bureau of Land Management : FY 1996 fisheries and wildlife assessment

116 Pages·1994·42.7 MB·English

by  Chipley, Abigail

Bureau of
Land
Mangement
FY
996
1
and
Fisheries
Wildlife
Assessment

1120 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, NW
SUITE 900
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20036
[phone] FAX [phone]
March 31,1995
Dear Reader:
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the
conservation offish, wildlife, and plant resources. The Foundation pursues this singular goal
through two major efforts: providing matching grants to catalyze public-private partnerships, and
producing annual Fisheries and Wildlife Assessments ofthe budgets and policies ofour Nation’s
major federal natural resource management agencies: the Bureau ofLand Management and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (Department ofthe Interior); the USDA Forest Service (Department of
Agriculture), and the NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service (Department ofCommerce).
In preparation for each year’s Fisheries and Wildlife Assessment, stafffrom the Foundation’s Con-
servation Policy Group (CPG) visit every region ofthe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National
Marine Fisheries Service, as well as approximately halfofthe USDA Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management regions or state offices. CPG staffinterview Regional/State Directors and pro-
gram managers, as well as visit field stations and/or Resource Management Areas. Through this
CPG
process, staffcollect information which has direct and timely relevance to on-the-ground
accomplishments, budgetary needs, and resource issues. The Fisheries and Wildlife Assessments are
our vehicle to provide that information in an easily readable format, organized around agency budget
structures.
Each year, we strive to make the Assessments the most useful documents they can be to address the
informational needs and concerns ofCongress, Executive Branch decision-makers, and others
interested in our Nation’s natural resources programs. This year, in light ofthe serious concern
about the Federal deficit, we are making deficit neutral funding recommendations. We are always
looking for feedback from our readers as to how we can make the Assessment better. Please do not
hesitate to contact us with your ideas.
Sincerely,
BLM
Library
Amos S. Eno Denver Federal Center
Bldg. 50,OC-521
Executive Director
P.O. Box 25047
CO
Denver, 80225
Foundation Board of Directors
Maggie O. Bryant, Chairperson Patsy Ishiyama
John H. Adams Paul ludorJones,
II
Helen CampbellAlexander Neil L. Oldridge
Kay K. Arnold J.C. Perkins
Max C. Chapman, Jr. (effective July 1995) RebeccaW. Rimel
William B. Dunavant, Jr. David B. Rockland, Ph.D.
Noel L. Dunn LindsayThomas
Caroline Getty Mollie H. Beattie (ex officio)
Kenneth H. Hofmann Brig. Gen. Charles E. Yeager (ex officio)
Foundation Staff
Amos S. Eno Executive Director
Mary Alford Executive Assistant
William C. Ashe Special Projects
Charles Batchelder Coordinator, Fisheries Conservation &• Management
Ona Bolton Assistant, Finance & Administration
Richard A. Bosl Systems Administrator
Rebecca Brown Coordinator, Conservation Education
Barbara Cairns Deputy Director
Scott Cameron Director, Conservation Policy
Abigail Chipley Analyst, Conservation Policy
Jerry Clark Deputy Director, Fisheries Conservation &- Management
Alison Dalsimer Coordinator, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation
Stephanie Darby Office Manager
Jonathan Davis Project Assistant, Wildlife and Habitat Initiative
P. Whitney Fosburgh Director, Fisheries Conservation and Management Initiative
Katharine E. Frohardt Assistant Director, Conservation Programs
Eric Hammerling Assistant Director, Conservation Policy
Darv Johnson Coordinator, Development and Marketing
Patrick Joos Analyst, Conservation Policy
Sara Nicholas Director, North American Wetlands Partnership
Holly Quirk Project Assistant, North American Wetlands Partnership
Andrew Romero Project Assistant/AID Coordinator, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation
Krishna K. Roy Director of Development &- Marketing
Peter Stangel Director, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation initiaitve
Andrea Shorter Grants &- Contracts Coordinator
Constance Singleton Assistant Director, Finance &- Administration
Whitney C. Tilt Director of Conservation Programs
Kathleen Pickering Director, Conservation Education Initiative
Lucy Wallace Program Coordinator, North American Wetlands Partnership
Jessica McKelvey Williams Coordinator, Development and Marketing
Lynn Yeager Acting Director, Finance &• Administration
Dioma Nwosu Intern, Finance &- Administration
Acknowledgments
TheNationalFish and Wildlife Foundation wouldliketo offera specialandsincere thanksto thosein theBureau ofLandManage>
ment whoprovidedinformation criticalto thisyear'sFisheriesand WildlifeAssessment. In particular, we wouldliketo commend
ActingDirectorMike Dombeck andhissupportin Washington, as wellas each StateDirectorandtheirstaffsfortheircontinued
dedication to this effort. Theirmanyideasandwork trulyprovide the foundation, mortar, andmanybricksforourannual, ground-up
building effort.
This document was written byAbigailChipley, EricHammerling, andPatrickJoos, with editing byScott Cameron.
1
Table of Contents
Introduction
. 1
Executive Summary of Recommendations 5
Free Market Solutions: Providing Incentives and Cutting Subsidies 7
Appropriation: Management of Lands and Resources
Activity: Land Resources 9
Subactivity: Rangeland Management 10
Subactivity: Forestry Management
1
Subactivity: Riparian Management 13
Subactivity: Wild Horse and Burro Management 15
NFWF
Recommendations 16
Activity: Wildlife and Fisheries Management 17
Subactivity: Wildlife Management 18
Subactivity: Fisheries Management 24
NFWF
Recommendations 28
Activity: Threatened and Endangered Species 29
NFWF
Recommendations 37
Appropriation: Land Acquisition
Activity: Land Acquisition 39
NFWF
Recommendations 43
Appropriation: Oregon and California Grant Lands
Activity: Western Oregon Resources Management 45
Subactivity: Other Forest Resources 45
Special Topics
The Roots of Conservation: Federal Native Plant Conservation Initiative 49
Bats: Masters of the Night Skies 57
Accomplishments and Needs by State
Alaska 61
Arizona 63
California 66
Colorado 69
Eastern States 71
Idaho 73
Montana 76
New Mexico 78
Nevada 80
Oregon/Washington 82
Utah 85
Wyoming 87
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*
Summary
Introduction/Executive
Introduction
.
Summary
Executive of
•
Recommendations
Free Market Solutions:
.
Providing Incentives and
Cutting Subsidies

Introduction/Executive Summary
Itis the mission ofthe Bureau ofLand Management to sustain the health, diversityand
productivityofthe public lands forthe use and enjoymentofpresentand future generations.
- BlueprintfortheFuture,April, 1994
Over this past year, Foundation staffvisited more than 10 ATreasure Trove ofEcological Diversity
Bureau ofLand Management (BLM) State Offices and BLM’s 272 million acres are the most ecologically diverse
Districts to get a more concrete sense ofthe Bureau’s needs at lands managed by any Federal agency, with representative
the field level. The bulk ofthis Assessment’s observations and plant and animal communities ranging from common to
recommendations are based on the insights gained from these endangered found from the Arctic Ocean to the arid South-
visits, in particular, the themes that we experienced over and west. Over 150,000 miles offishable streams, 4 million acres
over again. Without question, this yearwas one ofwrenching oflakes, and nearly 24 million acres ofriparian wetlands
transition for the Bureau in many ways. Reorganization, create a diverse landscape that supports nearly 3,000 species
downsizing, shrinking overall budgets, and the adoption ofan ofwildlife including every native North American big game
“ecological approach to management” (January, 1994) were animal, 23 species ofupland game birds, nationally recog-
some ofthis year’s boldest highlights, and some ofBLM's nized raptor habitats, and over 100 species ofnative fish that
most contentious actions. These issues and more will be are eitherfederally listed or candidates for listing, alongwith
BLM
discussed on the following pages. over 1,300 special status plants. lands attract nearly
500 million wildlife-related recreational visitors per year.
In light ofthe increased pressure to control Federal spending,
this year the Foundation is making deficit-neutral recommen- The lands held by the largest ofthe Federal land managers
dations for all agencies whose budget we review, including are not merely ecologically significant, but also these lands
BLM. As a response to the Bureau's needs as well as to the provide numerous socioeconomic benefits. In the 12 western
BLM
reality ofshrinking budgets, the Foundation is making three states where the majority of lands are located (including
types ofrecommendations this year: 1) recommendations for Alaska), expenditures for wildlife-associated recreation
increases; 2) recommendations for offsetting decreases; and 3) totalled over SI2.5 billion in 1991 alone. This amounts to 22
recommendations related to program management and percent ofall trip-related expenditures for wildlife-associated
structure. Despite the current fiscal atmosphere ofbudget- recreation in the entire United States. In these same states,
cutting, it continues to be our view that in the larger context expenditures for fisheries-related recreation totalled over $4.7
ofthe entire federal discretionary budget, natural resource billion in 1991. The contribution ofother ecosystem at-
management programs are severely underfunded and under- tributes such as clean water, clean air and aesthetic beauty are
represented. difficult to measure, but clearly are significant.
This year's relatively modest recommendations should not be Scientifically based management ofFederal lands, especially
viewed as evidence that the Bureau’s needs are decreasing. in the western and intermountain states where Federal lands
Indeed, many programmatic needs are greater than ever. make up alarge portion ofthe entire landscape, is critical to
Simply, the ground rules under which we all operate have sustain the land values and diversity mentioned above. Truly,
changed. The overall Foundation recommendations follow: it is a matter ofnational significance that the health and
values ofthese public lands are protected, but it is unclear as
to whether the BLM currently has “the right stuff’ to make
NFWFFY1996 Recommendations the grade as ecological stewards.
(changes to the President's Budget)
FindingThe Skills Mix for anEcologicalApproach
Activity Understanding and managing this great ecological diversity
Subactivity BudgetAuthority Outlays requires diverse and specialized skills. The BLM’s mission
TES Management statement and adoption ofan “ecological approach to
Native Plant Initiative +$2,000,000 +$1,660,000 management” underscore the need for the proper personnel,
Bat Initiative +$300,000 +$ 249,000 or training ofpersonnel, to get thejob done. Based upon the
Land Resources Foundation’s observations, BLM lacks the sufficient staff
Forestry Mgt. +$900,000 +$747,000 trained in aquatic ecology, wildlife ecology and plant and
Wild Horses & Burros +$750,000 +$622,500 forest ecology, as well as the more traditional botany, wildlife
Energy & Minerals management, fisheries management and forest management
Coal Management -$500,000 -$415,000 disciplines to achieve agency goals.
Workforce & Org. Support
Administrative Support -$3,450,000 -$2,863,500 The statistics are telling:
Net Recommendations • In FY 1995, the Bureau had 61.5 fishery' biologists. That
is equal to an average of 1 fishery biologist per 2,400
miles offishable stream. In the entire state ofNew
Mexico, in which the Bureau manages 12.8 million acres
and 283 miles offishable stream, there is no fishery'
biologist, or experts in threatened and endangered
species. In Nevada, there is only 1 fish bioloBgiLstMin the
state office, and only 2.5 to cover the entire
ownership ofsome 49 million acres and 2,463 miles of
fishable streams, (see staffing table on following page)
• BLM is responsible for the protection and recovery' of
over 1,300 special status plants. Aid yet, the Bureau
Bureau of Land Management
1
Introduction/Executive Summary
only has 40 botanists to cover the plant needs that stretch
across all 272 million acres. This is particularly distress- Federal land ownership in 12western states (FY 1991)
ing in light ofthe evidence that a small financial invest-
FederalAcreage* PercentageofTotal
ment in plant conservation would reap large benefits for State (in thousands) Acreage in State
the resource, and the potential for relatively inexpen-
sively delistingendangered plants, or avoiding listings Alaska 248.021 67.9
altogether, is high. Arizona 34,308 47.2
California 44,707 44.6
Colorado 24,154 36.3
• There are no systems ecologists, community ecologists, Idaho 32,614 61.6
landscape ecologists or similar specialists within the Montana 26,142 28.0
BLM, to provide expertise for an ecological approach. Nevada 58,265 82.9
NewMexico 25,203 32.4
• Because ofchronic understaffing, field biologists are Oregon 32.291 52.4
Utah 33,661 63.9
prevented from specializing in one area, e.g., bighorn Washington 12,080 28.3
sheep habitat selection or small mammal ecology, which Wyoming 30,476 48.9
imsasnoaegsesemnetinatl dteocgiosioodn,s.scBiieonlcoeg-ibstass’edtiimnepuits dtiolluotceadlamong * excludes trustproperties
a wide variety ofreactive activities, thus preventing Another example ofone ofthe Bureau’s ongoing partnership
proactive management actions. efforts is “BringBackThe Natives (BBTN),” awatershed-
based fisheries restoration initiative, which was built from a
The Foundation recommends that BLM should undertake a partnership between the BLM, Forest Service, the Founda-
skills analysis performed by a team knowledgeable ofthe skills tion, Trout Unlimited, and numerous private contributors. It
required for an ecological approach to resource management. was initiated, in part, because many streams in the West have
It may not be true that current staffcan be retrained to fill their headwaters on Forest Service lands and tailwaters on
BLM
scarce and highly specialized skill needs. This needs to be lands.
evaluated as part ofaskills capabilities and needs assessment.
This skills analysis would be most beneficial ifconducted Despite the mutual interest ofthese agencies in the health of
jointly with the Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and these streams, there had been very fewcross-agency efforts to
National Biological Service to capitalize upon opportunities protect or restore mutual resources. Since its beginning in
to share skills, particularly in areas ofadjacent land holdings. 1991, BBTN has initiated restoration activities on 60 specific
streams in 16 states. Such an effort could not have
State Staffingfor the Bureau's Wildlife, Fish, and Plants Programs been successful ifit had taken the traditional “this
land is my land, this land is your land” approach.
Rather than being deterred by overlappingjurisdic-
State Fishery Biologists Wildlife Biologists Botanists
tional boundaries, the program has focused on
Alaska 1 3 0 boundaries shared by the resource.
Arizona 3 19 1
California 3 21 11 The Bureau needs to continue to reach out to other
Colorado 3 13 1 Federal agencies, the states, and the public to protect
Eastern States 0 3 0 our shared natural heritage and to stretch dollars as
Idaho 9.5 24.5 5 Federal dollars become more and more scarce.
Montana 1 16 1
Nevada 2.5 20 1 Accountability and Performance Standards
NewMexico 0 24 1 In last year’s Fisheries and Wildlife Assessment, we
Oregon/Washington 32.5 65.5 14 critiqued BLM's adoption ofa “big pot” funding
Utah 2 23 3 scheme for the State and District Offices without an
Wyoming 4 25 2 adequate system oftracking accomplishments and
Total* 61.5 257 40 accounting for expenditures. In the FY 1995 budget,
BLM
has collapsed budget activities and subactivities
* TotaldoesnotincludeonewedandbiologistinColoradoand 13ecologistsinIdaho. to more general funding accounts, and reduced the
oversight functions ofthe Washington Office resource
Reaching out to its Partners program staffs. As a counterbalance, to maintain fiscal
Despite BLM’s huge land holdings, the Bureau cannot (and integrity, BLM needs to establish an automated tracking and
should not) independently conduct its ecological approach to reporting system that can generate periodic progress reports.
management. Strategic planning efforts must cross District, Also, quantifiable performance standards need to be devel-
State, and other political or administrative boundaries. oped and used to ensure that resource goals are being met.
Recent examples ofsuch efforts are the President’s Forest For example, the "Riparian-Wetlands Initiative for the
Plan (FEMAT), and the current interagency regional plan- 1990's" is founded upon the goal ofensuring that 75 percent
ning efforts occurringwithin the upper Columbia Basin ofBLM's riparian areas are in "proper functioning condition"
(Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project). by 1997. A performance measure, in this example, should be
Other Federal, State, private, Tribal, and other land holders an ongoing measurement ofthe percentage ofriparian areas
are all stakeholders in efforts rangingfrom interjurisdictional in proper functioning condition in each State. At present, this
watershed restoration for fisheries, to protecting interspersed information is only sporadically available, but how else can
habitats for migratory birds, to maintaining clean water and progress toward this initiative's goals be shown?!
air for our cities and towns. In order to put into perspective
the importance ofFederal land management efforts to the Numerous BLM employees have complained over the last
health ofthe western landscape and prosperity ofits citizens, fewyears that they rarely see increases on the ground, despite
wBeLpMressteantets,thferfoomllBoLwMi'ngst"aPbulbeloifcFLeadnerdalStaatcirsetiacgse, i1n99t3h.e"12 tahsesufmapcttitohna,t aapnpdrofprrainaktliyoonusrshaavlseo,intchraetasdeodl.larIstawpapsrotpheriirated
2 FY 996 Fisheries and Wildlife Assessment
1