Using science to restore the Columbia Plateau in the Pacific Northwest

BLM’s mission and authorities require us to use the latest science and information to ensure lands and resources in our care are managed for generations to come. This is the next installment in a series of stories and videos spotlighting how the agency uses science to improve decision making. 

It might make sense to hear that the Bureau of Land Management uses the best available science and information to meet the big job of managing our public lands for sustainable use now and for future generations. But what exactly does that mean and entail? Our new video takes a peek behind what is involved in our restoration work in the state of Washington’s Columbia Basin. 

The area has a long history of agriculture, grazing, and other human activities that gradually transformed the landscape. Disrupted natural fire regimes and introduction of non-native plants and invasive species provide challenges for land management. For the past two decades, BLM focused on restoring the natural shrub-steppe ecosystem to improve rangeland health and productivity, benefit native wildlife, and reduce the fuel that can ignite and strengthen wildfires.  

BLM restored thousands of acres of public lands in some of the most complex and sensitive areas in the Pacific Northwest. Much of this effort is driven by collaboration among partners and contractors to collect and distribute native seed genotypes adapted to this unique area. 

Learn more about these dynamic efforts in this short video. 

 

This story is part of the “Unleashing the Science” series, showcasing how bureaus within the Department of the Interior produce and apply science to ensure responsible management decisions for our planet now and for the future.