Great Basin Native Plant Project and BLM Plant Conservation Program: Its Role in Sage Grouse Conservation

Transcription

1 Great Basin Native Plant Project and BLM Plant Conservation Program: Its Role in Sage Grouse Conservation Peggy Olwell BLM Plant Conservation Program Lead March 17, 2014

2 Overview Native Plant Materials Development Program Sagebrush for Conserving Sage- Grouse Climate Change Interagency Seed Conference 3 rd National Seed Conference (planning stages)

3 FY2001 House Appropriations Conference Report Language The managers direct the agencies to develop a long-term program to manage and supply native plant materials for use in various Federal land management restoration and rehabilitation needs. The managers recommend that the interagency native plant conservation initiative lead this effort. Native Plant Materials Development Program Funding committed by DOI/BLM FY2001 FY2014 ~$70 Million

4 Native Plant Materials Development Process

5 BLM Field Offices Chicago Botanic Garden Interns USDA FS Bend Seed Extractory USDA ARS Western Plant Introduction Station USDA ARS National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation Smithsonian Institution Great Basin Native Plant Project USGS Colorado Plateau Research Station USDA Rocky Mountain Research Station University of Idaho University of Nevada-Reno OSU Malheur Experiment Station University of Utah Rio Mesa Center University of Wyoming BLM Public Land Institute for Applied Ecology Truax Company, Inc. NRCS Plant Materials Centers Palmer PMC (AK) Tucson PMC (AZ) Lockeford PMC (CA) Upper Colorado PMC Aberdeen PMC (ID) Bridger PMC (MT) Los Lunas PMC (NM) Great Basin PMC (NV) Corvallis PMC (OR) Pullman PMC (WA) Growers Special K Ranch BLM Seed Warehouse System Boise Regional Seed Warehouse Ely Regional Seed Warehouse Other Partner Seed Warehouses Growers State Seed Certifying Agencies

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7 Seeds of Success Collections by REA REA Collection Count Central Basin and Range 1546 Chihuahuan Desert 273 Colorado Plateau 789 Madrean Archipelago 170 Middle Rockies 114 Mojave Basin and Range 625 North Slope 45 Northern Great Basin 1104 Northwestern Great Plains 127 Seward Peninsula 123 Sonoran Desert 272 Southern Great Plains 240 Wyoming Basin 622

8 Seeds of Success Collections By State State Collection Count Alaska 614 Arizona 749 California 2277 Colorado 887 Idaho 623 Montana 94 Nevada 1528 New Mexico 367 Oregon 1974 Utah 1521 Washington 243 Wyoming 768

9 2012 Wildfires in Sage-Grouse Habitat 2 million acres of Sage-Grouse habitat burned Only 400,000 acres rehabilitated 1.6 million acres remain to be rehabilitated

10 Wyoming Big Sagebrush from 13 Locations Planted in Glenns Ferry, ID in 1987 From: Sands, Alan, and Ann Moser ID Fish & Game Report

11 Seeds of Success Sage-Grouse Habitat Collections

12 Sage-Grouse Habitat Conservation & Improvement Projects Across the BLM 99 Projects in Total Across 7 Western States in 41 Field Offices - Native Seed Collection - Post-Fire Seeding - Propagation - Germination Studies - Monitoring - Grow Out 29 Projects with Federal Partners - USGS - Forest Service - NRCS - ARS - BIA - Fish & Wildlife Service 62 Projects with NGO Partners - Mule Deer Foundation - University of WY - Chicago Botanic Garden - Great Basin Institute - NV Sagebrush Ecosystem Council

13 Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat with State & Federal Correctional Facilities

14 National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy The Strategy identifies seven goals to help fish, wildlife, plants and ecosystems cope with the impacts of climate change. Goal 2: Manage species and habitats to protect ecosystem functions and provide sustainable cultural, subsistence, recreational, and commercial use in a changing climate. Strategy 2.3: Conserve genetic diversity by protecting diverse populations and genetic material across the full range of species occurrences.

15 Thank you and Questions