ThunderBasinGrasslandsPrairieEcosystemAssociation

ConservationinNEWyoming

May18,1999- March18,2017

The Beginnings…

May18,1999

Agroupof16interestedranchersmetatEarl&JewellReed’shousetodiscussissueswith

black-tailedprairiedogs.

The Beginnings…

June25,1999

ThegroupmetwithUSFish&WildlifeServiceinDenvertoseeifthey“wouldbereceptiveto

Landownersproposingtheirownhabitatconservationplan”consistingofbaselineinventorydatacollection,monitoring,

financing,etc.

The Beginnings…

July8,1999GOAL

Toconserveexistingeco-systemswhilebalancingtheforagebaseforwildlifeand

agriculturalentitiesandprotectingtheprivatepropertyrightsofAmericancitizens.

The Beginnings…

July8,1999OBJECTIVES

Ø Identifyexistingspecieseco-systemsandmanagementpracticesinthepilotarea

Ø Determinewhichmanagementpracticesenhanceordeterfromtheexistingspeciesoreco-systemviability.

The Beginnings…

July8,1999SPECIESOFCONCERN

• mountainplover• burrowingowl• swiftfox• ferruginoushawk• Swainson’s hawk• black-tailedprairiedog• sagegrouse• goldeneagle• UtesLadytresses

The Beginnings…

SurfaceOwnership59%federal35%private6%state

PrimaryArea247,000acres

Bill

Forward Progress...

Summer2000– USFish&WildlifeServicededicatesfundsforpreparationofaconservationagreementforprivatelandscovering:

• black-footedferret• black-tailedprairiedog• mountainplover• swiftfox• burrowingowl• ferruginoushawk• sagegrouse• Uteladies’tressesorchid

Ø PeopleweregladY2Kwasanon-eventØ ConcordecrashesinFranceØ BillClintonwasfinishinghislasttermØ 1yearbefore9/11Ø Topmovie– MissionImpossibleIIØ Topsong– FaithHill“Breathe”Ø CellphoneswithMP3capabilitiesand

internalantennasjustreleased

And then the world changed…

By early 2004…

SurfaceOwnership59%private6%state

31%ForestService4%BLM

PrimaryArea946,000acres

In early 2009…

WhatistheappropriatescalefortheAssociation’sconservation

efforts?

PrimaryArea40millionacres

July 2013…

SurfaceOwnership77%private8%state

7%ForestService8%BLM

PrimaryArea13.2millionacres

MTAcreage239,700acres

July13,2013ConservationStrategy

submittedtoUSFish&WildlifeService.

Developaresponsible,commonsense,science-basedapproachtolandscape

managementwithinnortheastWyomingandsoutheastMontana.

Association Mission 2013

Conservation Strategy 2013

Capitalizes on existing collaborative partnerships

Implements across public and private properties

Supports management with effective monitoring and reporting

Uses adaptive management to improve conservation benefit

Is a voluntary agreement, NOT a regulatory document

Conservation Strategy 2013

TheConservationStrategyintegratesconservationeffortacrossjurisdictionsinthecontextofthemineralestateandforeseeabledevelopment.AnimplementingMemorandumofUnderstandingandthreeConservationAgreementscommunicatethestrategy:

ü ACandidateConservationAgreementwithAssurances(CCAA)forprivatelands

ü ACandidateConservationAgreement(CCA)forlandswithaFederalinterest(e.g.,permitorlease)

ü AConservationAgreement(CA)toaddressfuturedevelopmentofthemineralestatewithinthedesignatedcoaldevelopmentareaandasimilaroil&gasarea

2 Ecotypes - 8 Covered Species

Shortgrassspeciesassemblageü Black-tailedprairiedogsü Mountainplover66conservationmeasures

ü Burrowingowlü Ferruginoushawk

Sagebrushobligateassemblageü Greatersage-grouseü Sagesparrow110conservationmeasures

ü Brewer’ssparrowü Sagethrasher

Conservation StrategySeptember22,2016

USFish&WildlifeServicesagegrouselistingdecision– NOTWARRANTED

November28,2016NoticeofAvailabilityforStrategyand

associatedEnvironmentalAssessmentpublishedinFederalRegister

December28,2017Commentperiodclosed– 22commentsreceived

March2017SigningofConservationStrategydocuments

Conservation Strategy SummaryJune25,1999

FirstmeetingwithUSFish&WildlifeService

Over840officialmeetings,numerousphoneconversations,1on1meetings,andpersonal

contactslater...

March18,2017Finalconservationdocumentissigned

BLM 9-plan documents“Thelandscape-levelstrategyconsistsofnew

conservationactions…”“Theyreflectasignificantchangeinmanagement

directionandphilosophyfortheBLMsince2010andalong-termcommitmenttoassuretheconservationof

thespecies…”“ThischangerepresentsanewparadigminmanagingthesagebrushlandscapefortheBLMandamplifiestheneedforcollaborationamongFederal,State,

tribal,andprivatepartnerstoconservetheGreaterSageGrouse…”

USFS 9-plan documents“Throughpastandfuturepartnershipsand

cooperation,weintendtomanagethesagebrushsteppeecosystemtoachieveourcommongoaltoconserveGreaterSageGrouseanditshabitat.”“TheForestServicewillcontinuetoworkwith

partnersandstakeholderstodevelopstate-specificorecosystem-basedconservationstrategies…”

“Cooperativeeffortsareimportantforconservationbaseduponanecosystemmanagementapproachand

willimproveefficiencybycombiningeffortsandfosteringcollaborativeworkingrelationships.”

Ø Continuesasalandowner-ledinitiativeØ A501(c)3corporationsince2002Ø 15coalmembers- 12PowderRiver

BasinminesØ 1oil&gasmemberØ 24ranchmembersØ 1.2millionacres

Current Association Snapshot

Cooperative Conservation Effort

$3.7millionalreadyinvestedtounderstand,protect,andenhance

sageandshortgrasshabitats

ü 35,000acrestreatedforcheatgrassü 640acresofenhancednestingcoverin

sage-grousecoreareasü Partnershipeffortwithmultiplegroups

(USFS,BLM,NELWG,WGFD,ARS,NRCS…)

Sagebrush Mapping

20121.2millionacres7.5”resolution

20140.5millionacres6”resolution

May20161.5millionacres6”resolution

Gillette

Sage-grouseModelling

IncludesdatafromWYGame&FishPeabodyEnergy

TBGPEABLM

ObjectiveachievedDevelopa

sage-grouseRSFforNEWyoming

Gillette

VegetativeMonitoring

800+transectsgrass/shrubheight

coverdatamacroplot data

photos

Augmentedwith17precipitation&1soilmoisture

stations

Prairie Dog Projects

2017mappingWorkison-goingMaximumcolonyextent2016-17

Currentlyat65,200acres

RestorationCactusAeration

Visualbarriers

Prairie Dog Mapping

Alsotrackingareasofreducedprairiedogactivityfromplagueandother

sources.

Currentimpactedareacovers

approximately11,000acres

Coordinated Research

Ø USDAAgriculturalResearchServicesØ ARS/UW/TBGPEAThunderBasinResearchInitiativev LandscapeManagementforMultiple

GrasslandBirdGuildsv InteractiveEffectsofHerbivoryand

DisturbanceonPlantCommunities

Ø AudubonGrasslandBirdsInitiative

… a coordinated effort with

Strategy ♦ Monitoring ♦ Research

Ø land&wildlifemanagementagenciesØ NGOsandprivatesectorparticipantsØ academia&researchgroups

TheAssociationandotherlandownereffortsinpartnershipwithon-goingeffortsbyUS

ForestService,BureauofLandManagement,USFish&WildlifeService,WyomingGame&FishDepartment,otherfederal,state,andlocalagenciesalongwithnon-governmentalorganizationsprovidesagoodfoundationfor

futureprogress.

Closing Thoughts …

OurmissionistoconserveexistingecosystemswhilebalancingtheforagebaseforwildlifeandagriculturalentitiesandprotectingtheprivatepropertyrightsofAmericancitizens.

ThunderBasinGrasslandsPrairieEcosystemAssociation

Becauseofagriculture’spredominanceonthelandbase,thefateofmuchprivatelyowned

wildlifehabitatinWyomingiscloselytiedwiththefutureoftheagriculturalandlivestock

industries.WyomingStateWildlifeActionPlan,2017

Whenthesituationwasmanageableitwasneglected,andnowthatitisthoroughlyoutofhandweapplytoolatetheremedieswhichthenmighthaveeffectedacure.Thereisnothingnewinthestory…Itfallsintothat

long,dismalcatalogueofthefruitlessnessofexperienceandtheconfirmedunteachability

ofmankind.WinstonChurchill,1935

PLEASEGOD,Givemejustonemoreoilboom.IPROMISEnottoblowitnexttime.

Bumperstickerfromthe1980’s,2010’s,etc.