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ThunderBasinGrasslandsPrairieEcosystemAssociation
ConservationinNEWyoming
May18,1999- March18,2017
The Beginnings…
May18,1999
Agroupof16interestedranchersmetatEarl&JewellReed’shousetodiscussissueswith
black-tailedprairiedogs.
The Beginnings…
June25,1999
ThegroupmetwithUSFish&WildlifeServiceinDenvertoseeifthey“wouldbereceptiveto
Landownersproposingtheirownhabitatconservationplan”consistingofbaselineinventorydatacollection,monitoring,
financing,etc.
The Beginnings…
July8,1999GOAL
Toconserveexistingeco-systemswhilebalancingtheforagebaseforwildlifeand
agriculturalentitiesandprotectingtheprivatepropertyrightsofAmericancitizens.
The Beginnings…
July8,1999OBJECTIVES
Ø Identifyexistingspecieseco-systemsandmanagementpracticesinthepilotarea
Ø Determinewhichmanagementpracticesenhanceordeterfromtheexistingspeciesoreco-systemviability.
The Beginnings…
July8,1999SPECIESOFCONCERN
• mountainplover• burrowingowl• swiftfox• ferruginoushawk• Swainson’s hawk• black-tailedprairiedog• sagegrouse• goldeneagle• UtesLadytresses
The Beginnings…
SurfaceOwnership59%federal35%private6%state
PrimaryArea247,000acres
Bill
Forward Progress...
Summer2000– USFish&WildlifeServicededicatesfundsforpreparationofaconservationagreementforprivatelandscovering:
• black-footedferret• black-tailedprairiedog• mountainplover• swiftfox• burrowingowl• ferruginoushawk• sagegrouse• Uteladies’tressesorchid
Ø PeopleweregladY2Kwasanon-eventØ ConcordecrashesinFranceØ BillClintonwasfinishinghislasttermØ 1yearbefore9/11Ø Topmovie– MissionImpossibleIIØ Topsong– FaithHill“Breathe”Ø CellphoneswithMP3capabilitiesand
internalantennasjustreleased
And then the world changed…
By early 2004…
SurfaceOwnership59%private6%state
31%ForestService4%BLM
PrimaryArea946,000acres
In early 2009…
WhatistheappropriatescalefortheAssociation’sconservation
efforts?
PrimaryArea40millionacres
July 2013…
SurfaceOwnership77%private8%state
7%ForestService8%BLM
PrimaryArea13.2millionacres
MTAcreage239,700acres
July13,2013ConservationStrategy
submittedtoUSFish&WildlifeService.
Developaresponsible,commonsense,science-basedapproachtolandscape
managementwithinnortheastWyomingandsoutheastMontana.
Association Mission 2013
Conservation Strategy 2013
Capitalizes on existing collaborative partnerships
Implements across public and private properties
Supports management with effective monitoring and reporting
Uses adaptive management to improve conservation benefit
Is a voluntary agreement, NOT a regulatory document
Conservation Strategy 2013
TheConservationStrategyintegratesconservationeffortacrossjurisdictionsinthecontextofthemineralestateandforeseeabledevelopment.AnimplementingMemorandumofUnderstandingandthreeConservationAgreementscommunicatethestrategy:
ü ACandidateConservationAgreementwithAssurances(CCAA)forprivatelands
ü ACandidateConservationAgreement(CCA)forlandswithaFederalinterest(e.g.,permitorlease)
ü AConservationAgreement(CA)toaddressfuturedevelopmentofthemineralestatewithinthedesignatedcoaldevelopmentareaandasimilaroil&gasarea
2 Ecotypes - 8 Covered Species
Shortgrassspeciesassemblageü Black-tailedprairiedogsü Mountainplover66conservationmeasures
ü Burrowingowlü Ferruginoushawk
Sagebrushobligateassemblageü Greatersage-grouseü Sagesparrow110conservationmeasures
ü Brewer’ssparrowü Sagethrasher
Conservation StrategySeptember22,2016
USFish&WildlifeServicesagegrouselistingdecision– NOTWARRANTED
November28,2016NoticeofAvailabilityforStrategyand
associatedEnvironmentalAssessmentpublishedinFederalRegister
December28,2017Commentperiodclosed– 22commentsreceived
March2017SigningofConservationStrategydocuments
Conservation Strategy SummaryJune25,1999
FirstmeetingwithUSFish&WildlifeService
Over840officialmeetings,numerousphoneconversations,1on1meetings,andpersonal
contactslater...
March18,2017Finalconservationdocumentissigned
BLM 9-plan documents“Thelandscape-levelstrategyconsistsofnew
conservationactions…”“Theyreflectasignificantchangeinmanagement
directionandphilosophyfortheBLMsince2010andalong-termcommitmenttoassuretheconservationof
thespecies…”“ThischangerepresentsanewparadigminmanagingthesagebrushlandscapefortheBLMandamplifiestheneedforcollaborationamongFederal,State,
tribal,andprivatepartnerstoconservetheGreaterSageGrouse…”
USFS 9-plan documents“Throughpastandfuturepartnershipsand
cooperation,weintendtomanagethesagebrushsteppeecosystemtoachieveourcommongoaltoconserveGreaterSageGrouseanditshabitat.”“TheForestServicewillcontinuetoworkwith
partnersandstakeholderstodevelopstate-specificorecosystem-basedconservationstrategies…”
“Cooperativeeffortsareimportantforconservationbaseduponanecosystemmanagementapproachand
willimproveefficiencybycombiningeffortsandfosteringcollaborativeworkingrelationships.”
Ø Continuesasalandowner-ledinitiativeØ A501(c)3corporationsince2002Ø 15coalmembers- 12PowderRiver
BasinminesØ 1oil&gasmemberØ 24ranchmembersØ 1.2millionacres
Current Association Snapshot
Cooperative Conservation Effort
$3.7millionalreadyinvestedtounderstand,protect,andenhance
sageandshortgrasshabitats
ü 35,000acrestreatedforcheatgrassü 640acresofenhancednestingcoverin
sage-grousecoreareasü Partnershipeffortwithmultiplegroups
(USFS,BLM,NELWG,WGFD,ARS,NRCS…)
Sagebrush Mapping
20121.2millionacres7.5”resolution
20140.5millionacres6”resolution
May20161.5millionacres6”resolution
Gillette
Sage-grouseModelling
IncludesdatafromWYGame&FishPeabodyEnergy
TBGPEABLM
ObjectiveachievedDevelopa
sage-grouseRSFforNEWyoming
Gillette
VegetativeMonitoring
800+transectsgrass/shrubheight
coverdatamacroplot data
photos
Augmentedwith17precipitation&1soilmoisture
stations
Prairie Dog Projects
2017mappingWorkison-goingMaximumcolonyextent2016-17
Currentlyat65,200acres
RestorationCactusAeration
Visualbarriers
Prairie Dog Mapping
Alsotrackingareasofreducedprairiedogactivityfromplagueandother
sources.
Currentimpactedareacovers
approximately11,000acres
Coordinated Research
Ø USDAAgriculturalResearchServicesØ ARS/UW/TBGPEAThunderBasinResearchInitiativev LandscapeManagementforMultiple
GrasslandBirdGuildsv InteractiveEffectsofHerbivoryand
DisturbanceonPlantCommunities
Ø AudubonGrasslandBirdsInitiative
… a coordinated effort with
Strategy ♦ Monitoring ♦ Research
Ø land&wildlifemanagementagenciesØ NGOsandprivatesectorparticipantsØ academia&researchgroups
TheAssociationandotherlandownereffortsinpartnershipwithon-goingeffortsbyUS
ForestService,BureauofLandManagement,USFish&WildlifeService,WyomingGame&FishDepartment,otherfederal,state,andlocalagenciesalongwithnon-governmentalorganizationsprovidesagoodfoundationfor
futureprogress.
Closing Thoughts …
OurmissionistoconserveexistingecosystemswhilebalancingtheforagebaseforwildlifeandagriculturalentitiesandprotectingtheprivatepropertyrightsofAmericancitizens.
ThunderBasinGrasslandsPrairieEcosystemAssociation
Becauseofagriculture’spredominanceonthelandbase,thefateofmuchprivatelyowned
wildlifehabitatinWyomingiscloselytiedwiththefutureoftheagriculturalandlivestock
industries.WyomingStateWildlifeActionPlan,2017
Whenthesituationwasmanageableitwasneglected,andnowthatitisthoroughlyoutofhandweapplytoolatetheremedieswhichthenmighthaveeffectedacure.Thereisnothingnewinthestory…Itfallsintothat
long,dismalcatalogueofthefruitlessnessofexperienceandtheconfirmedunteachability
ofmankind.WinstonChurchill,1935
PLEASEGOD,Givemejustonemoreoilboom.IPROMISEnottoblowitnexttime.
Bumperstickerfromthe1980’s,2010’s,etc.