Wildlife Conservation Through Sustainable Ranching
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Remote Sensing Technology Highlights Challenges and Opportunities for BLM-managed Rangelands
COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF 30 YEARS OF VEGETATION CHANGES ON 233 MILLION ACRES OF BLM-MANAGED RANGELANDS SHEDS LIGHT ON LARGE-SCALE VEGETATION TRENDS
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Recently published science shows the power of new remote-sensing tools for monitoring rangelands and developing effective strategies for adaptive management and conservation, especially in the American West that falls under a mix of private, federal, tribal, and state management.
The new research, led by Andrew Kleinhesselink, a WLFW-affiliated researcher with the University of Montana, utilized the Rangelands Analysis Platform to conduct an unprecedented assessment of trends in vegetation cover and production for 233-million acres of BLM-managed rangelands from 1991 – 2020.
The team found widespread increases in cover and production of annual grasses and forbs, declines in herbaceous perennial cover, and expansion of trees. Cover and production of annual plants, primarily annual invasive grasses like cheatgrass, now exceed that of perennial plants on nearly 52 million acres of BLM rangeland, marking a fundamental shift in the ecology of these public lands.
Additionally, tree cover increased in half of the ecoregions affecting some 108 million acres and underscoring the threat of woodland expansion for western rangelands.
The vegetation changes identified in this research – more invasive annual grasses and more woodland expansion – threaten the ecological function and habitat value of millions of acres of public lands. These findings provide unprecedented opportunities to partner with other public, tribal, and private entities to strategically target and scale-up rangeland restoration actions.
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Ask an Expert: Diving Deeper into BLM Vegetation Analysis
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LEAD AUTHOR, ANDREW KLEINHESSELINK, DISCUSSES THE RESEARCH, MAJOR FINDINGS, AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
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Learn more about this comprehensive analysis of 30 years of vegetation changes on BLM-managed rangelands through this informative and engaging Ask an Expert interview with lead author Andrew Kleinhesselink. Find some quotes below, but the whole interview is packed with strategic insights, including a great book recommendation for learning more about the West's public rangelands.
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"Rangelands are big and diverse, and they change through time. Our goal with this research was to look at how vegetation on BLM-managed land has changed and to present that data in a way that can help the BLM address large-scale threats facing the rangelands it manages..."
"We found an increase in annual herbaceous cover in every ecoregion across the study area. We also found a decrease in perennial cover in most ecoregions. So, annuals are going up and bare ground and perennials are going down. Cover and production of annual plants now exceeds that of perennials on nearly 52 million acres of BLM rangeland. This is a big shift in the functional ecology of these public lands..."
"We also found tree cover increased in half of the ecoregions we analyzed – forested mountains, the northern Great Plains, and the cold deserts. This is in line with other research that shows tree cover going up over the past 30 years throughout many North American rangelands. Tree cover increased on more than 108 million acres of BLM-managed lands, underscoring the threat woodland expansion poses to western rangelands..."
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New Immersive Story Map Brings to Life World’s Longest Mule Deer Migration
ENGAGING, INTERACTIVE STORYMAP HIGHLIGHTS THE VAST DISTANCES THE WEST'S BIG GAME MIGRATE AND UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LAND CONSERVATION EFFORTS
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The Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey to create an interactive online narrative using videos, images, and 3D animations to tell the story of the world's longest-recorded mule deer migration, a trek that depends on sagebrush ecosystems. The page illuminates the challenges deer face along this journey and the various land uses/management along the corridor.
From Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to the expansive BLM lands pushing up against Interstate 80, Deer 255 makes the world’s longest-recorded mule deer migration: approximately 240 miles, one way. Her migration illustrates the challenges of maintaining long-distance migrations and the conservation successes that are possible by detailed mapping of ungulate migration corridors.
The Migratory Big Game Partnership between USDA NRCS, Working Lands for Wildlife and the State of Wyoming is working directly with landowners in this region to improve these critical migration corridors. Additionally, the Sage Grouse Initiative has focused on expanding conservation easements in this area of Wyoming for more than a decade. Conservation easements ensure the working rangelands on which sage grouse and big game rely are not developed or fragmented, and they keep those lands in the families that have stewarded them for generations.
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This article from the Oklahoma Ecology Project dives into new efforts in Oklahoma to fight back against woody species encroachment, including the NRCS's Great Plains Grassland Initiative, which was formally launched in Oklahoma in 2022.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is delaying the effective date of the final rule to list two Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service is extending the effective date by 60 days, from Jan. 24, 2023, to March 27, 2023.
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Each month the South Dakota Grasslands Coalition releases a short film about South Dakota producers that focus on rangeland health and resiliency. January's video features the Ollila Family, their sheep and cattle operation, and their focus on healthy and resilient forage.
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With support from the NRCS, the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust and the Dunham Family recently placed more than 1,500 acres of the Dunham Ranches under a conservation easement. The property hosts sage grouse and provides critical wintering grounds for elk and mule deer. The easement ensures it will remain productive, working land for generations.
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Join K-State Wildlife Extension specialist, Drew Ricketts, for a discussion about the Lesser Prairie-Chicken listing and what it means for Kansas producers.
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Working Lands for Wildlife is the Natural Resources Conservation Service's premier approach for conserving America's working lands to benefit people, wildlife, and rural communities. In the West, WLFW is guided by two, action-based frameworks for conservation. The framework approach is designed to increase conservation and restoration of rangelands by addressing major threats to rangeland health and through the implementation of conservation measures that limit soil disturbance, support sustainable grazing management, promote the strategic use of prescribed fire, and support native grassland species. Together, the frameworks leverage the power of voluntary, win-win conservation solutions to benefit people and wildlife from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.
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