Idaho Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Special Status Plant Project Survey and Clearance Protocol
June 21, 2017
In Reply Refer To:
6840 (931) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 06/21/2017
Instruction Memorandum No. ID-2017-011
Expires: 09/30/2020
To: District and Field Office Managers
From: Deputy State Director, Resources
Subject: Idaho Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Special Status Plant Project Survey and
Clearance Protocol
Program Area: Special Status Species Management
Purpose: In accordance with national policy (BLM Manual 6840), this memorandum provides for the conservation and management of BLM sensitive species by providing guidance on “inventorying BLM lands to determine which BLM special status species occur on public lands, the condition of the populations and their habitats, and how discretionary BLM actions affect those species and habitats.”
Special Status Plant Species are;
• BLM Type 1 - Federally listed as threatened and endangered,
• BLM Type 2 - Rangewide/Globally Imperiled Species - High Endangerment. These are species that have a high likelihood of being listed in the foreseeable future due to their global rarity and significant endangerment factors. Species also include; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Proposed and Candidate species, Endangered Species Act (ESA) species delisted during the past 5 years, ESA Experimental Non-essential species, and ESA Proposed Critical Habitat,
• BLM Type 3 - Range-wide or State-wide Imperiled - Moderate Endangerment. These are species that are globally rare or very rare in Idaho, with moderate endangerment factors. Their global or state rarity and the inherent risks associated with rarity make them imperiled species.
The most current Idaho BLM Special Status Plant List will be used to inform and prioritize inventory and monitoring needs by Districts and Field Offices. The most current list is available at https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/native-plant-communities/about-native-plants/idaho.
Policy/Action: Consistent with national policy, all offices are to conduct inventories to determine the occurrence and status of special status species on lands managed by the BLM or affected by BLM actions. This includes proactive inventories directed toward developing plans or determining the status of species, as well as inventories conducted to determine the impacts of BLM planned or authorized actions on any sensitive species that might be within the area of a proposed project. Such surveys would help “…ensure, to the best of their abilities, that critical habitats and populations of sensitive species occurring on lands administered by the BLM will be managed and/or conserved to minimize the need for listing of these species as threatened or endangered.” Other responsibilities of District and Field managers for implementing the BLM special status species policies and programs within their area of jurisdiction are:
• Implementing conservation strategies for BLM special status species as contained in approved recovery plans, cooperative agreements, and other instruments the BLM has cooperatively participated in the development of;
• Conducting and maintaining current inventories of BLM special status species on BLM administered lands;
• Ensuring that all actions undertaken comply with the ESA, its implementing regulations, and other directives associated with ESA-listed and proposed species;
• Coordinating field office activities with Federal, State, and local groups to ensure the most effective program for BLM special status species;
• Ensuring that the results of formal Section 7 consultations, including mandatory terms and conditions in incidental take statements that are consistent with 50 CFR 402 regulations, are implemented and documented in the administrative record;
• Ensuring that land use and implementation plans fully address appropriate conservation of BLM special status species;
• Monitoring populations of Bureau special status species to determine whether management objectives are being met. Records of monitoring activities are to be maintained and used to evaluate progress relative to such objectives. Monitoring shall be conducted consistent with the principles of adaptive management as defined in Department of the Interior policy, as appropriate.
Timeframe: Effective upon receipt.
Background: It is the BLM policy to conduct inventories to determine the occurrence and status of Special Status Plant Species (SSP) on lands managed by the BLM or affected by BLM actions. This includes proactive inventories directed toward developing plans or determining the status of plant species, as well as inventories conducted to determine the impacts of BLM planned or authorized actions on any SSP that might be within the area of a proposed project. This protocol and associated Instruction Memorandum (IM) direction outlines survey and clearance protocols to conduct such actions and provides suggested criteria and qualifications for contract SSP surveys.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: Policy action taken in accordance with national Special Status Species management policy (BLM Manual 6840).
Coordination: This IM was coordinated with BLM Idaho District and Field Offices
Contact: If you have any further questions please contact Anne Halford, Idaho State Office Botanist, at (208) 373-3940 or ahalford@blm.gov; or Ethan Ellsworth, Idaho State Office Wildlife Biologist, at (208) 373-4045 or eellsworth@blm.gov.
Boise District with Union: Management is reminded to notify and satisfy any bargaining requirements prior to implementation.
Signed by
June E. Shoemaker
Deputy State Director
Authenticated by
Sylvia V. Graves
Administrative Specialist
Attachments (2)
1 – Idaho BLM Special Status Plant Survey/Clearance Protocol Including Contractor Survey
Qualification Criteria
2 – Rare Plant observation form https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/observations/plant