FY 2017 Accomplishments and Actions

Field Delivery Capacity

In 2017, the IWJV, BLM, and partners focused on evaluating and addressing field delivery capacity needs in the Great Basin (Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah), and supporting an existing NRCS SGI position in Lander, Wyoming. The IWJV worked closely with BLM leadership in the Washington Office, Sage-grouse Implementation Leads, and BLM field staff to initiate its outreach. This work involves a properly-paced process that is strategic and engages partners.

The IWJV is working with BLM to understand the bottlenecks that exist in key landscapes. BLM leadership advised the IWJV to work with state offices—specifically the BLM Sage-grouse Implementation Leads—to identify priorities in the field linked to the Integrated Program of Work. The IWJV also focused on developing partnerships with NRCS SGI, state fish and wildlife agencies, USFWS, USFS and other partners across jurisdictional boundaries to explore opportunities related to implementation of the MOU. This partnership-building involves developing relationships at multiple scales (sage grouse range, state, and landscape) with various agencies and organizations (federal, state, non-governmental, and communities) to develop a shared vision for implementation of sagebrush habitat conservation. Priority is set on making investments in the right places, with the right people, for the right amount of time. The following includes three highlights from FY 2017.

Utah: Sagebrush Ecosystem Alliance

Local partners founded the Sagebrush Ecosystem Alliance (SEA) in 2016, a geographically focused effort that includes over 1.1 million acres of Priority Habitat Management Area in northwestern Utah, and potentially portions of southern Idaho/northern Nevada. In August, an advisory team selected and hired Calee Lott as the SEA Coordinator.

Wyoming: Working Across Ownership Boundaries

BLM and NRCS consulted about the potential to utilize funding to support field positions where appropriate. The SGI position in Lander, Wyoming, was identified as a landscape with mixed landownership and opportunities to cost-share. In FY 2017, BLM funding, matched with private corporate funds generated by the IWJV, was contributed to support this position.

Nevada: Connecting State, Federal, and Local Partners

The Nevada BLM and IWJV have been coordinating closely with a working group led by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval’s office to assist in the creation of the Nevada Collaborative Conservation Network (NCCN). A proposal was written and submitted in September 2017 requesting funding from the BLM-IWJV intra-agency agreement to support the NCCN.