Central Great Basin and Mojave Basin and Range Rapid Ecoregional Assessment Report and Workshops
In Reply Refer To:
6500 (NV-930)P
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Nevada State Office
1340 Financial Boulevard
Reno, Nevada 89502-7147
http://www.blm.gov/nv
September 25, 2012
EMS TRANSMISSION
Information Bulletin: No. NV-2012-040
To: All Nevada District and Field Offices
From: State Director
Subject: Central Great Basin and Mojave Basin and Range Rapid Ecoregional Assessment Report and Workshops
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has recognized that public lands are facing increasingly complex and widespread environmental changes that transcend traditional management boundaries. The Bureau has adopted a landscape-scale management approach to better understand and predict these changes and facilitate adaptation and mitigation to support balanced management of natural resources as identified in the recent Washington Office IB No. 2012-058 available at
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/regulations/Instruction_Memos_and_Bulletins/national_information/2012/IB_2012-058.html.
The BLM is conducting Rapid Ecoregional Assessments (REAs) to: 1) examine landscape-scale resource conditions and trends; 2) to assess and forecast the current and future status of key ecological values; 3) identify management opportunities; 4) identify data gaps and science needs; and 5) provide information and tools for planning and project implementation.
The BLM developed a process to conduct REAs that begins with formulating management questions with stakeholders. REAs use only existing data available at an ecoregional scale and the best available science to develop conceptual models that can be replicated to provide geospatial information that addresses the management questions. REAs identify, map, and spatially model key conservation elements, including native fish and wildlife species and intact aquatic, riparian/wetland, and vegetation communities. REAs assess current and projected impacts of various change agents, including wildland fire, human use and development, invasive species, and climate change. The BLM will use REAs to strengthen analyses of the potential and cumulative effects of climate change and other environmental disturbances on important ecological values. In addition, REAs will be used to develop ecoregional direction to identify priority areas for conservation and development, including focal areas for conserving wildlife habitats and migration corridors, as well as focal areas for potential energy development and urban growth.
The Central Great Basin and the Mojave Basin and Range REAs and Reports were recently completed. The Central Great Basin Ecoregion includes portions of the Winnemucca, Carson City, Battle Mountain, Elko and Ely District Offices, as well as others in Oregon, California and Utah. The Mojave Basin and Range includes the Southern Nevada District and portions of the Battle Mountain and Ely Districts as well as others in California, Arizona, and Utah.
The contractors and agency employees that produced the report are holding three, five-hour workshops for BLM employees and agency partners to provide an overview of the Central Basin and Range REA, key findings, and tools for using and interpreting the data. Two five-hour workshops will be held for the Mojave Basin and Range. Webinars will run concurrently with workshops. One workshop for the Central Basin and Range and Mojave Basin and Range will be taped for later viewing for those who cannot attend in person. It is critical that managers (especially Field Managers and Assistant Field Managers) and employees such as Resource Specialists doing vegetation management, fire, fuels, wildlife, renewable energy, rights-of-way, and others who may be using the report and datasets attend. Workshop dates, times and locations are:
Date & Time and Location Meeting, Facility
Central Great Basin
Thursday, October 11, 2012, 10:00 AM-3 PM Reno, NV BLM State Office
Tuesday, November 6, 2012, 10:00 AM-3 PM Salt Lake City,UT, TBD
Thursday, November 8, 2012, 10:00 AM-3 PM Cedar City,UT, TBD
Mojave Basin and Range
Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 10:00 AM-3 PM Las Vegas, NV TBD
Wednesday, October 31, 2012, 10:00 AM-3 PM Moreno Valley (Ontario), CA Office California Desert BLM
Draft agendas for the workshops are attached.
Please notify Joe Tague in the Nevada State Office which workshop(s) you plan to attend so an estimate of the number of potential attendees will be available to assist with logistical planning.
If you have any questions please contact Joe Tague, Renewable Resources Branch Chief, by email at jtague@blm.gov or by phone at (775) 861-6556. Joe will notify attendees at the Utah and Las Vegas workshops when the meeting facilities are determined.
Signed by:
Robert M. Scruggs
Acting State Director
Authenticated by:
Edison Garcia
Staff Assistant
Attachment:
1-REA Workshop Agenda