Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

Photo: BLM Nevada

1Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

The past twelve months brought change, challenges, growth and innovations to the Great Basin LCC. We’ve seen landscape-scale conservation threats such as wildfires and invasive plant species spread across city, county, state and reservation lines and to address them effectively, we must take a landscape-scale approach.

Part of this approach begins by sharing what information we know. In February, our partnership organized and co-led the 6th annual Great Basin Consortium Conference at the University of Nevada, Reno. Over 150 researchers, conservation managers and other leaders met to exchange scientific information. We continued the momentum with our annual webinar series that brought together over 900 people to learn about pressing conservation topics in the region.

We also supported new research and implementation of new tools this year. In early 2017, we unveiled our Conservation Planning Atlas, which allows users to create and share unique mapping products from nearly 800 high-priority Great Basin datasets and 16,000 datasets overall. Public or private groups can dynamically interact with these products through the Conservation Planning Atlas, increasing the potential for collaborative conservation planning across the region.

Dr. Matt Germino, Great Basin LCC Research Landscape Ecologist, helped organize a group of scientists and land managers. They conducted tests using Pseudomonas fluorescens, a soil bacteria that showed weed-suppressive properties in previous studies, on invasive annual grasses such as cheatgrass.

At the end of the year we published the Great Basin LCC Story Map created by Eric Jensen, the Great Basin LCC Geospatial Data Specialist. The Story Map outlines the Great Basin LCC’s Science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (S-TEK) strategy and paints a picture of Great Basin LCC activities. Through interactive maps, video and photos, the story map describes the collaborative research approach that makes the Great Basin LCC unique.

All this and more happened in 2017. Looking forward, the Great Basin LCC enters 2018 with determination, ready to continue our efforts and explore more ways to tackle difficult conservation challenges in our region.

Sincerely,

Dr. John TullGreat Basin LCC Science Coordinator

Letter from the Science Coordinator, Dr. John Tull

2Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

Who We AreThe Great Basin LCC is a partnership among public and private groups working to meet large-scale conservation challenges across five states. We promote management based upon science and traditional knowledge that enables human and natural communities to respond and adapt to ongoing change. Our partners include a variety of groups committed to conservation, such as Native American tribes, universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and federal, state and local government agencies.

What We DoThe Great Basin LCC brings together researchers, planners and managers to develop solutions for the most vexing problems in natural and cultural resource landscape-scale conservation. We do this by:

• Working across political and organizational boundaries to create opportunities for collaboration on important conservation issues

• Developing science-based information and tools for managers

• Helping partners to integrate traditional knowledge into their plans and strategies

• Building synergy among public and private conservation programs by providing a forum where partners can coordinate their activities

Photo: Bob Wick

Photo: Bob Wick

Our VisionGreat Basin landscapes that sustain natural and

cultural resources now and in the future.

Our MissionThe Great Basin LCC supports landscape-

scale conservation, promotes science, and

enables management based on traditional

knowledge and science so human and ecological

communities can respond and adapt to climate

and land use change.

3Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

Landscape FocusThe Great Basin LCC helps communities in the Great Basin develop mutually agreed-upon landscape-scale conservation strategies and then guides them through the next steps to implement their strategies. Throughout 2017, the Great Basin LCC also supported projects and initiatives tackling some of the most critical landscape-scale challenges facing the region.

Understanding the Impacts of GrazingToday’s ranchers carry on a time-honored tradition of raising livestock and, as in past generations, grazing their cattle on both public and private lands. With changes in rangeland vegetation and fire cycles taking place across the region, both ranchers and natural resource managers are trying to better understand how grazing impacts influence range condition, productivity and wildlife habitats. The Great Basin LCC has supported two teams of researchers to examine the connections between grazing and greater sage-grouse, a native bird that is dependent on healthy sagebrush communities.

In 2014, the Great Basin LCC began supporting a project led by Dr. James Sedinger to examine the effects of cattle and feral horse grazing on greater sage-grouse habitats and populations. The project looks at locations with no grazing or feral horse activity, areas with only feral horse activity, and areas with both grazing and feral horse activity. In 2016, the Great Basin LCC and other funding partners supported a project led by Dr. Courtney Conway. This second project examines the relationship between cattle grazing and bird populations over a ten-year period. The two projects build off one another and continue to provide data to support better land management decisions for resource managers and ranchers. Both projects are finding compelling preliminary results that were shared as part of the 2017 webinar series.

Photo: BLM Nevada

Photo: BLM Nevada

4Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

Photo: BLM Nevada

Tackling Invasive WeedsDr. Matt Germino, Great Basin LCC Research Landscape Ecologist, helped organize a group of scientists and land managers tackling a critical ecological challenge in the American West: invasive annual grasses. These grasses have spread across the Great Basin, leading to increased fires and a loss of native plants.

Traditionally, land managers used herbicide for short-term removal of invasive annual grasses such as cheatgrass. The team is evaluating whether biocontrol agents such as soil bacteria could help control annual grasses. The group studies strains of the naturally occurring soil bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens that showed weed-suppressive properties in previous greenhouse and wheat field trials. Management agency partners have since treated thousands of acres with these weed-suppressive bacteria to determine when, where and why weed-suppressive bacteria are effective.

Implementing ScienceIn 2017, the Great Basin LCC unveiled our brand-new geospatial tool, the Great Basin LCC Conservation Planning Atlas (CPA). Developed through funding from the National LCC Network and hosted on the Data Basin platform, the CPA allows users to create and share unique mapping products from nearly 800 high-priority Great Basin datasets and 16,000 datasets overall. Public or private groups can dynamically interact with these products through the CPA, increasing the potential for collaborative conservation planning across the region. The CPA provides the Great Basin LCC with another platform through which to further promote implementation of science produced through our Science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge program.

Developing a Climate MapperIn late 2017, the Great Basin LCC supported the development of the Nature’s Stage Climate Mapper (http://climatemapper.org/). This tool allows users to explore the geoclimatic stability – the measure of a natural system’s capacity to remain stable as the climate changes over time – of Hydrologic Unit Code 5 watersheds within the Pacific Northwest and parts of the Great Basin.

Collaboration and Maximizing Conservation EffortsThe Great Basin LCC seeks to make the Great Basin more resilient to climate change and other landscape-scale stressors through increased collaboration, optimized conservation investments and efforts aligned to a common vision. In 2017, the Great Basin LCC led multiple efforts that brought together scientists and natural resource leaders to develop collaborative solutions to conservation challenges and leverage resources for maximum impact.

Decision Support Tools for Natural Resource ManagersThe Conservation Biology Institute, the Great Basin LCC, Oregon State University and EcoAdapt hosted a workshop to present a series of decision support tools for agency, non-governmental organizations and other land managers in the Great Basin and Pacific Northwest. Participants learned about new web tools and explored how these tools can help inform protection and restoration priorities, including citing science-based, conservation-oriented management decisions. Participants provided feedback to developers and scientists to improve these tools, so they could best meet decision-making needs.

5Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

Ecosystem SymposiumOn Feb. 15-16, our Northwest Basin and Range Synthesis (NWBR) project hosted its first Ecosystem Symposium in Lakeview, OR. About 115 managers, scientists and key stakeholders gathered to discuss ways to promote collaborative and inclusive, landscape-scale conservation in a changing environment. The event included “state of the knowledge” presentations and panels as well as break-out opportunities on topics such as habitat connectivity, changing patterns of water availability, restoration and sage-steppe management. Attendees enjoyed a poster session and a keynote address by Michael Branch, an author and professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. A Sage-Steppe Tools Workshop followed directly after the conference. The discussions from the symposium continue to inform NWBR efforts.

Future Scenario Planning WorkshopThe NWBR project held a workshop to discuss how future scenario planning can help inform work in the Basin and Range. Scenario planning is a powerful tool for strategic planning that provides insight into an uncertain future. It is also a good method for clarifying the dynamics and factors involved in

Group discussion at the Northwest Basin and Range Synthesis Ecosystem.

key decisions that may arise. This type of planning is a powerful means for promoting learning across an organization or a community, thus making everyone less reactive and quicker to respond and even anticipate change. NWBR managers and leaders gained useful insights and skills from the workshop to apply to decisions that can improve conservation in the region.

Charting a Course for Rangeland Science in the Sagebrush BiomeMore than 150 scientists, researchers, resource managers and other members of the Great Basin conservation community gathered in Reno, Nevada from Feb. 21-23, 2017 for the 6th Annual Great Basin Consortium Conference. This year’s theme was “Charting a Course for Rangeland Science in the Sagebrush Biome.” Attendees learned about and contributed ideas for the implementation of the Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy Actionable Science Plan. Teams formed to draft a series of recommendations that will be posted online for additional input and comment.

6Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

Tribal PartnershipsThe Great Basin LCC strives to encourage sharing and integration of traditional knowledge and contemporary science, as appropriate, to further Great Basin conservation priorities and land stewardship. In 2017, the Great Basin LCC continued its ongoing support of several traditional knowledge projects.

Building Tribal Capacity for Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment In partnership with the USGS Northwest Climate Science Center, the Great Basin LCC is building capacity for climate vulnerability assessments, one of the most complex and inaccessible components of the climate planning process. This project will address limited tribal capacity for vulnerability assessment by providing guidance and data tailored to the needs and capacities of Northwest and Great Basin tribes. This includes online resources, downscaled climate data and climate change summaries crucial for tribal decision-making, and support for tribal staff through the vulnerability assessment process via workshops, a webinar and a tribal Climate Technical Support Desk. Together, these activities enhance tribal and regional resilience to climate change and related threats.

Desert rock art

Photo: BLM Nevada

Tribal climate adaptation training workshop in Fort Hall, ID

7Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

The Great Basin LCC works to increase communication and understanding about science, management and cultural resources by making information accessible and discoverable to the broader conservation community. In 2017, the Great Basin LCC promoted information sharing through several outlets, including online tools, publications, webinars and more.

2017 Webinars SeriesThe Great Basin LCC hosts an annual webinar series where land managers and scientists working in the Great Basin discuss their latest research and how to incorporate the research into on-the-ground efforts. The 2017 series featured nine presentations, bringing together more than 900 attendees. This year’s topics:

Topic SpeakersMapping vegetation cover Bruce Wylie, U.S. Geological Survey

Stephen Boyte, U.S. Geological Survey

Weed-suppressive bacteria for controlling invasives

Matt Germino, U.S. Geological Survey and Great Basin LCC

David Pyke, U.S. Geological Survey Richard Lee, Bureau of Land Management Mike Gregg, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Jane Mangold, Montana State University Brynne Lazarus, U.S. Geological Survey

Grazing impacts on sage-grouse

Courtney Conway, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

Paul Makela, Bureau of Land Management

Decision support tools for at-risk trout populations

Helen Neville, Trout Unlimited Jon Sjoberg, Nevada Department of Wildlife

Cheatgrass-driven fire, climate and sage-grouse

Erica Fleishman, University of California Davis

Jimi Gragg, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Water resources and climate change

Lorraine Flint, U.S. Geological Survey

Grazing impacts on sage-grouse

Jim Sedinger, University of Nevada Reno Shawn Espinosa, Nevada Department of Wildlife

Climatic conditions that favor different vegetation types

Bruce Roundy, Brigham Young University

Traditional Knowledge and narrative stories

Tamara Wall, Desert Research Institute

Information Sharing

Photo: BLM Nevada

8Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

2017 Online Public ForumNearly 240 people participated in the Great Basin LCC Public Forum between Jan. 23 and Feb. 8, 2017. The Public Forum is an interactive website hosted by the Great Basin LCC each year to provide information about recent efforts and gather feedback and ideas for future work. Visitors submitted 96 pieces of feedback through this year’s Public Forum on topics including:• Strategic priorities for the Great Basin LCC• Ideas for new Steering Committee member organizations• Rangeland fire prevention and management• Improving the resiliency of Great Basin forests and woodlands• Opportunities for partnership with Great Basin tribes• Future webinar topics and information sharing efforts

Great Basin LCC Story MapOver the past five years the Great Basin LCC has supported more than 45 projects, helped to coordinate Great Basin Consortium events and brought partners from across the basin together. Now, the Great Basin LCC can share this information through a new interactive tool: a story map. Created by Eric Jensen, Great Basin LCC Geospatial Data Specialist, the story map outlines the Great Basin LCC’s Science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (S-TEK) strategy and paints a picture of Great Basin LCC activities. Through interactive maps, videos and photos the story map describes the collaborative research approach that makes the Great Basin LCC unique.

Outreach by the Numbers

Website

Publications14 from Great Basin LCC staff27 from funded projects

Newsletters1,752 Subscribers

YouTube Videos: 45

Watch time: 37,966 minutesTotal views: 4,467Shares: 68

Facebook Total page likes: 514

Average reach: 140 people

Website Sessions by Location

3,645 2,842

2,3461,866 877

Oregon

California

Idaho

Nevada Utah

Pages per visit2.24

13,669 Visitors

22,012 Sessions (individual visits to site)

02:03 minutesAverage time on site

Photo: BLM Nevada

9Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

Great Basin LCC Staff

CoordinatorRick Kearney (retired)

Science CoordinatorDr. John Tulljohn_tull@fws.gov

Research Landscape EcologistDr. Matt Germinomgermino@usgs.gov

Project CoordinatorLevi Old (No longer works for the Great Basin LCC)

Geospatial Data SpecialistEric Jensenejensen@blm.gov

In addition to the Steering Committee, the Great Basin LCC has four staff members. In 2017, Rick Kearney retired from his position as the Great Basin LCC Coordinator after three years. A new coordinator is anticipated to be hired in early 2018.

Photo: BLM Nevada

New 2017 Publications from Great Basin LCC Projects and StaffBachelet, D, Gough M, Sheehan T, Baker B, Ferschweiler K. 2017. Climate consoles: Pieces in the puzzle of climate change adaptation. Climate Services. 8: 36-43.

Baughman OW, Burton R, Williams M, Weisberg PJ, Dilts TE, Leger EA. 2017. Cheatgrass Die-Offs: A Unique Restoration Opportunity in Northern Nevada. Rangelands. 39(6): 165-173.

Brabec MM, Germino M, Richardson BA. 2017. Climate adaption and post-fire restoration of a foundational perennial in cold desert: Insights from intraspecific variation in response to weather. Journal of Applied Ecology. 54(1): 293-302.

Chambers JC, Beck JL, Bradford JB, Bybee J, Campbell S, Carlson J, Christiansen TJ, Clause KJ, Collins G, Crist MR, Dinkins JB, Doherty KE, Edwards F, Espinosa S, Griffin KA, Griffin P, Haas JR, Hanser SE, Havlina DW, Henke KF, Hennig JD, Joyce LA, Kilkenny FM, Kulpa SM, Kurth LL, Maestas JD, Manning M, Mayer KE, Mealor BA, McCarthy C, Pellant M, Perea MA, Prentice KL, Pyke DA, Wiechman LA, Wuenschel A. 2017. Science framework for conservation and restoration of the sagebrush biome: Linking the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy to long-term strategic conservation actions. Part 1. Science basis and applications. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-360. Fort Collins, CO: U.S Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Renwick KM, Curtis C, Kleinhesselink AR, Schlaepfer D, Bradley BA, Aldridge CL, Poulter B, Adler PB. 2017. Multi-model comparison highlights consistency in predicted effect of warming on a semi-arid shrub. Glob Change Biol. 24:424–438.

Weisberg PJ, Dilts TE, Baughman OW, Meyer SE, Leger EA, Van Gunst KJ, Cleeves L. 2017. Development of remote sensing indicators for mapping episodic die-off of an invasive annual grass (Bromus tectorum) from the Landsat archive. Ecological Indicators. 79: 173-181.

10Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative 2017 Annual Highlights

Executive Committee William Campbell, Chair Forest Tribal Liaison

Armand Gonzales, Vice-Chair California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Maureen McCarthy, Past-Chair Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

Tribal RepresentativesEd Naranjo Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation

Kim Townsend Duckwater Shoshone Tribe

Gaylord Robb Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah

Scott Hauser Upper Snake River Tribes Foundation

William Campbell Forest Tribal Liaison

Federal RepresentativesRaul Morales Bureau of Land Management

Bill Dunkelberger U.S. Forest Service

Sue Phillips U.S. Geological Survey

Clint Koble USDA Farm Service Agency

Carolyn Swed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Julie Malvitz USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

State RepresentativesArmand Gonzales California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Jennifer Newmark Nevada Department of Wildlife

John Harja State of Utah, Office of the Governor

Shaun Clements Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

NGO and Private Community RepresentativesJulie Thompson Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition

Liz Munn The Nature Conservancy

Helen Neville Trout Unlimited

Jay Carlisle Intermountain Bird Observatory

Larry Dwyer Friends of Nevada Wilderness

Rocky Guitierez The Wildlife Society

Great Basin Consortium RepresentativesMaureen McCarthy Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

Stan Johnson Great Basin Environmental Program

Deb Finch Great Basin Research and Management Partnership

Steering Committee The direction and priorities of the Great Basin LCC are established by a Steering Committee. This group consists of 28 representatives from government agencies, tribes, NGOs and consortium partners from the five-state Great Basin region. The Steering Committee is led by a three-member Executive Committee.

Non-decisionalGus Bisbal Northwest Climate Science Center

Steve Jackson Southwest Climate Science Center

Patrick Wright California Tahoe Conservancy

Joe Adamski Bureau of Land Management Idaho State Office