Migratory Bird Planning Guidance and Best Management Practices for Idaho BLM Vegetation Treatments
Bureau of Land Management
1387 South Vinnell Way
Boise, ID 83709-1657
United States
6840 (931) P
This Permanent Instruction Memorandum (PIM) replaces IB 2020-014 and reissues the recommended project planning guidance and Best Management Practices (BMPs) to Idaho BLM field offices that are implementing vegetation treatments, to facilitate the conservation of migratory birds.
Mission
This policy provides recommended project planning guidance and Best Management Practices (BMPs) to Idaho BLM field offices that are implementing vegetation treatments, to facilitate the conservation of migratory birds.
This guidance applies to Idaho BLM vegetation treatments including, but not limited to, forest management, herbicide treatments, prescribed burning, brush, and conifer removal, seeding, and mowing. The guidance does not necessarily apply to other BLM projects or permitted actions but may be helpful for informing or refining actions in some circumstances.
This PIM is effective immediately
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has the primary responsibility for administration of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918), its amendments, and subsequent acts. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has the primary authority, jurisdiction, and responsibility to manage and control fish and wildlife populations in Idaho. Under the Idaho BLM and IDFG Master Memorandum of Understanding (BLM MOU ID-SO-2019-01), both BLM and IDFG agree “to manage and conserve habitat and populations of fish, wildlife and plants to avoid listing of species as threatened or endangered under federal or state law.”
The focus of this PIM and attachments is on the conservation of Idaho “priority” bird species during implementation of vegetation treatments on Idaho BLM lands. Priority bird species include Idaho BLM Special Status Species which include federally listed Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, and Candidate species, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Birds of Conservation Concern (BCC) that have a BLM nexus and are on Idaho’s BLM Sensitive Species list.
This PIM supplements guidance for the conservation of special status migratory birds in BLM Manual Section 6840 and HQ Information Bulletin 2022-036 Addendum to BLM and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Memorandum of Understanding to Promote the Conservation of Migratory Birds.
Questions regarding the policies and procedures outlined herein, and requests for assistance with related actions, may be directed to Paul Makela, Wildlife Program Lead at (208) 373-3809, or by email at pmakela@blm.gov.
The Best Management Practices, Priority Species Information and Online Resources provided in the attachments to this PIM were developed collaboratively by the Idaho State Office Branch of Biological Resources (ID-931) in coordination with the Intermountain Bird Observatory and approved by the Idaho Leadership Committee.