Planning for Priority Species and Vegetation: Effects Analysis

1. Planning for Priority Species and Vegetation: Effects Analysis A Systematic Framework to Plan for Biological Resources In the BLM’s Land Use Planning Process March 29, 2010

2. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION On – Site Training CORE CONCEPTS • Identify priority species and vegetation • Assess health • Assess effects • Identify management strategies • Develop monitoring framework

3. Assess Effects LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION

4. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION Assess Effects to Priority Species and Vegetation Sources are the proximate cause of the altered key ecological attributes Effects Analysis under No Action Alternative IDENTIFY ALTERED KEY ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES: Altered key ecological attributes describe the ways that priority species or vegetation may be destroyed, degraded or impaired IDENTIFY SOURCES OF ALTERED ATTRIBUTES:

5. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION Assess Effects to Priority Species and Vegetation - allowable uses and potential restrictions - management actions needed for protection/restoration Effects Analysis IDENTIFY ALTERED ATTRIBUTES: • - need for change; management opportunities • - restoration needs to meet land health standards IDENTIFY SOURCES OF ALTERED ATTRIBUTES:

6. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION Key Ecological Attributes Habitat Quality Population Size Connectivity of populations

7. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION Altered Key Ecological Attributes Reduced Habitat Quality Reduced Population Size Altered Connectivity of populations

8. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION RATINGS FOR ALTERATION OF KEY ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES Level and geographic scope expected during the life of the plan under the no action alternative • Severity of Impact • Destroy or eliminate • Seriously degrade • Moderately degrade • Slightly impair • Scope of Damage • Very widespread —throughout priority species or vegetation • Widespread • Localized • Very localized

9. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION Ranking of Alterations to Key Ecological Attributes Greater Sage-Grouse

10. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION Ranking Sources of Alteration of Key Ecological Attributes • Contribution -- reasonably expected within life of the plan under no action alternative • Very large contributor • Large • Moderate • Small • Irreversibility-- reversibility of the stress caused by the source • Not reversible, for all intents and purposes • Reversible, but not practically affordable • Reversible with reasonable commitment of resources • Easily reversible at relatively low cost

11. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION Altered Key Ecological Attributes Reduced Habitat Quality Source = Oil and Gas Drilling Reduced Population Size Source = West Nile Virus Altered Connectivity of populations Source = Home Development

12. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION Ranking of Sources to Alterations to KEAs Greater Sage-Grouse

13. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION BLM CONSERVATION LEARNING NETWORK How ‘serious’ is the causal factor? Source Altered KEA How ‘altered’ are the Key Ecological Attributes?

14. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION Assess Effects Continue this process for all Priority Species and Vegetation This information is then rolled up to provide information across the landscape

15. Assess Effects LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION Summary: No Action Alternative

16. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION EFFECTS ASSESSMENT ‘NO ACTION’ ALTERNATIVE • Evaluate predicted effects for the life of the plan under the No Action alternative Use this information to help formulate alternatives This analysis will also be done for each alternative to compare the effects under different alternatives

17. LAND USE PLANNING FOR PRIORITY SPECIES AND VEGETATION