Travel and Transportation Management Planning Schedules, Project Plans to Implement Greater Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment or Revision Decisions
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240-0036
http://www.blm.gov
February 12, 2016
In Reply Refer To:
1626 (230/250) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 02/17/2016
Instruction Memorandum No. 2016-040
Expires: 09/30/2019
To: State Directors (ID, NV, OR, UT and WY)
Attn: Travel and Transportation Management State Leads
From: Assistant Director, Resources and Planning
Subject: Travel and Transportation Management Planning Schedules, Project Plans to Implement Greater Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment or Revision Decisions
DD: 04/22/2016
Program Areas: Recreation & Visitor Services, Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum (IM) requires that state directors update travel and transportation management (TTM) planning schedules and develop project plans that place priority on the development and implementation of travel management plans in Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFAs).
At a later date, direction will be provided on how to update planning schedules and develop project plans to implement TTM decisions outside SFAs.
Policy/Action: Affected state directors must update their respective TTM planning schedules to identify travel and transportation planning and implementation projects to implement the Greater sage-grouse resource management plan amendment or revision decisions in SFAs or other high priority areas. Project plans must be developed in the Budget Proposal Submission Share Point site (BPSS) detailing funding needs to complete all phases of TTM planning and on-the-ground implementation for the identified high priority areas. The TTM planning is to be scheduled so that all TTM plans will be completed and plan implementation under way by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2022.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has recommended that the BLM prioritize the implementation of the Greater sage-grouse land use plan (LUP) decisions related to TTM in specific populations where recreation was identified as a threat in the Report on Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Measures (COT Report, 2011). The USFWS has further recommended that the BLM concentrate on the Priority Areas for Conservation (PACs) as a first priority within priority habitat management areas. SFAs are areas essential for species survival within priority habitat which tracks closely with PACs.
As a result, 17 field offices (FO) in 5 states have been identified as meeting the above criteria (see Attachment 1) and must update their respective sections of each state’s TTM planning schedule. States have the discretion to add additional areas based on state-level or local priorities. In such cases, FOs must provide the rationale for prioritizing additional areas in the ‘Project Description’ field in the Budget Proposal Submission. The FOs are required to identify the specific TTM planning and on-the-ground implementation projects required to implement the LUP decisions in these areas (see Attachment 2 for detailed instructions).
For those field offices seeking funding for FY2016, a project plan for each TTM plan identified on the TTM planning schedule must be developed in BPSS or, if BPSS is unavailable, manually submitted via the state office TTM lead to the Washington Office TTM lead by April 22, 2016, (see Attachment 2).
The FOs may define separate travel management areas as needed within the priority area(s). If a FO intends to develop multiple TTM plans for multiple travel management areas then it must further prioritize these TTM plans and indicate the numeric order in which they are to be completed within the planning schedule.
The updated TTM planning schedule is to be completed by each BLM state, titled with the appropriate BLM state name and uploaded to the State Travel and Transportation Management Planning Timelines 2016 folder in the Comprehensive Travel and Transportation Management (CTTM) SharePoint site at the following link: State Travel and Transportation Management Planning Timelines FY2016.
Timeframe: The updated state TTM planning schedules are to be loaded onto the Comprehensive TTM SharePoint site and the project plan submissions for Fiscal Year 2016 funding requests uploaded into BPSS or, if BPSS is unavailable, sent via the state office TTM leads to the Washington Office, by April 22, 2016.
Budget Impact: Travel and transportation project planning is considered base program workload. This action will help guide future Sage-grouse implementation efforts as project funding becomes available.
Background: The National Greater Sage-Grouse (GRSG) Planning Strategy was initiated in 2011 in response to the UFWS’ March 2010 warranted, but precluded”, Endangered Species Act listing petition decision. The BLM, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, developed a targeted, coordinated, collaborative landscape-level management strategy, based on the best available science, which offers the highest level of protection for GRSG in the most important habitat areas. The Rocky Mountain Region Greater Sage-Grouse Record of Decision (ROD) approved a total of eight BLM Resource Management Plan (RMP) revisions and four BLM RMP amendments. The Great Basin Region Greater Sage-Grouse ROD approved four BLM RMP amendments. These RODs and Approved Resource Management Plans and Amendments were signed on September 21, 2015. These LUP decisions require that implementation-level TTM planning and on-the-ground implementation be completed for all primary habitat management areas. This guidance prioritizes planning efforts within SFAs and other high priority areas.
On April 16, 2013 the USFWS submitted a document to the BLM titled “USFWS Travel Management Prioritization for BLM Sage-grouse Conservation Planning” (see Attachment 3) which identified the specific greater sage-grouse populations where TTM planning and implementation are to occur in order of priority.
Manual/ Handbook Sections Affected: This IM contains guidance contained in BLM Manual Section 1626 Travel and Transportation Management and Handbook 8342 Travel and Transportation Management.
Coordination: This IM was coordinated between the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Division (WO-230) and the Recreation and Visitor Services Division (WO-250).
Contact: If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact Rob Perrin, Travel and Transportation Management lead, by email at rperrin@blm.gov or by telephone at 202-263-9891.
Signed by: Authenticated by:
Michael H. Tupper Robert M. Williams
Acting, Assistant Director Division of IRM Governance,WO-860
Resources and Planning
3 Attachments:
3 - USFWS Travel Management Prioritization for BLM Sage-Grouse Conservation Planning (2 pp)