EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Hello everyone. I’d like to welcome you all to the Bureau of Land Management’s virtual public meeting for greater sage-grouse planning.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: We are going to give folks a few minutes here to join the meeting, and then we will begin the PowerPoint presentation shortly, so please stay tuned.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: I do want to note that closed captioning is available by selecting the closed caption icon located at the bottom of your zoom screen, if you are using the zoom web portal or zoom app on your computer. Thank you.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again I’d like to welcome everyone to today's meeting, we are going to give folks just a few more minutes to join the meeting today, so please stay tuned and we will start the presentation shortly.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again, I do want to note that closed captioning is available by selecting the closed caption icon located at the bottom of your zoom screen, if you are using the zoom web portal or zoom application on your computer today, thank you.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Hello everyone, we are going to go ahead and get started with our meeting today. I would like to thank you all for joining us, we appreciate your time and participation.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: My name is Amanda Biedermann with Environmental Management and Planning Solutions, a contractor for the BLM and I’m going to be one of your meeting facilitators today.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Additionally, I have several members of the BLM with me on the meeting today who will be introduced in a moment.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: On the screen is our expected agenda for the meeting today. I will first go over some brief ground rules for today's meeting.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: The BLM will then provide some brief introductions of their team, and then a PowerPoint presentation on the planning effort, which will last approximately 20 minutes.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Then the BLM will be available to answer any questions you may have about the current planning effort for about one hour in a question-and-answer session.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Oh, and I forgot to note that actually before we move into our question-and-answer session, we are going to do a quick ePlanning walkthrough showing you exactly how you can submit your written comments.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So before we get started with the presentation today, I’m going to go over some brief ground rules for the meeting.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: First, this meeting is being recorded as part of the project record. Second, your microphones and videos will be turned off for the duration of the meeting today.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So you will only be unmuted if and when I unmute you during the question-and-answer session if you are a phone caller. All other questions will be accepted electronically using the zoom chat feature.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again questions will be addressed during the question-and-answer session after the PowerPoint presentation.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: We will do our best to address the questions in the order they come in to allow everyone an opportunity to voice their questions today.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: We will explain how to submit substantive questions after the presentation again using that chat feature if you're submitting your questions electronically.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: I do want to note that you may have seen on the first slide of the presentation if you're having any urgent technical questions related to your zoom features today,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: such as accessing your computer audio, please send a chat message to Megan Stone and she will try and help you troubleshoot any zoom technical issues that you might be having today.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So at this time, I am now going to turn it over to Pat Deibert with the BLM to walk us through BLM presentation today, thank you.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Hello everybody, and thank you so much for attending our presentation today.
BLM - Pat Deibert: I appreciate particularly given our challenges in this virtual world your attendance here and your willingness to take a look at the information that we're going to present to you.
BLM - Pat Deibert: My presentation here is just a quick overview all the information that is contained in our notice of intent and so there's additional content in that notice as well.
BLM - Pat Deibert: I want to assure folks that we've not made any decisions, that we are truly in a scoping situation.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We're hoping to get your feedback on the information we're presenting today, hopefully in writing so that we can consider your concerns
BLM - Pat Deibert: and your suggestions as we move through developing alternatives for our, for our final planning effort.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Amanda also mentioned at the end that she will demonstrate how to submit those comments via the ePlanning web page. There's also an option to submit them in writing in a letter format, address to me in our office in Salt Lake City.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Amanda next slide please. Let me start with a little bit of a background on how we got to where we are today.
BLM - Pat Deibert: As most of you know, in 2015 the BLM amended their plans to consider conservation of greater sage-grouse.
BLM - Pat Deibert: As part of a decision or part of working with US Fish and Wildlife Service is providing some regulatory assurances to their listing decision effort.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Those plan amendments affected the states listed there – California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North and South Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, and
BLM - Pat Deibert: those plans were amended
BLM - Pat Deibert: to become more consistent with the state planning efforts and to look at balancing some of our more, our land use efforts within the BLM itself.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Only the States listed there chose to have their plans amended. Montana, and the Dakotas were content with the
BLM - Pat Deibert: sage-grouse planning amendment.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Soon after doing the sage-grouse plan amendments,
BLM - Pat Deibert: litigation ensued and the courts, then enjoyed the BLM from implementing the amendments, asking us to go back to 2015 amendments until we could resolve some of the issues that the plaintiffs addressed in their initial complaint.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Amanda.
BLM - Pat Deibert: So our 2022 effort is looking at some of those issues, those issues or concerns, but it also is recognizing the BLM management
BLM - Pat Deibert: that we have potential inconsistencies in our 2000, in our previous efforts with the new science
BLM - Pat Deibert: and also recognition of rapid changes affecting the BLM’s ability to manage public lands, including the effects of climate change.
BLM - Pat Deibert: There's been a lot of new information that has been issued even in this past year and the BLM wants to make sure we're being very thorough, including science in our decision process.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Next slide.
BLM - Pat Deibert: This is our planning area and it encompasses all the states, including those states who chose not to participate in the 2019 decision or amendments, so it covers all the states that we have previously identified.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Next.
BLM - Pat Deibert: So these are some of the preliminary issues and I’m not going to spend a great deal of time going into detail on these issues because that information is provided in our notice of intent.
BLM - Pat Deibert: But we would like some feedback on these issues, as we start to think about how to formulate our new alternatives to this 2022 process, or planning process.
BLM - Pat Deibert: So they include the identification, management, and conservation of these important greater sage-grouse and sagebrush habitat, also known as sagebrush focal areas, that were identified in 2015.
BLM - Pat Deibert: And went into a planning effort with BLM in 2016 and that was to withdraw mineral entry from those areas.
BLM - Pat Deibert: They also include how we are going to be deal greater sage-grouse habitat management areas. So many of these management areas because of the new science has come out
BLM - Pat Deibert: have changed from where they were originally delineated. We want to know how we can work within those management areas, how we can adapt as those areas continue to evolve as the size emerges, and how we can address non-habitat that are included in some of those things.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We also want to look at habitat objectives for the greater sage-grouse including how those objectives might be altered, then the consideration of climate change effects, especially when you think about things like drought.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Next, please.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We will be looking at the application, the mitigation hierarchy, that is, avoid, minimize, and mitigate necessary, so we will be including consideration of compensatory mitigation.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We will be looking at approaches to minimize disturbance to greater sage-grouse and to the sagebrush habitats which will also include a review of disturbance and density caps and the buffers have been included in previous planning efforts.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We're going to be looking at leasing and development of mineral resources within greater sage-grouse and other sagebrush habitats.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Next, please.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We’re also going to be looking at the leasing and development of renewable energy resources in greater sage-grouse and sagebrush habitats, including the associated transmission lines.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Management of livestock grazing and wild horse and burro populations is also going to be important to this planning effort. We want to look at the potential impact of that management on greater sage-grouse and sage-grouse habitats.
BLM - Pat Deibert: And then we also want to look at strategies for greater sage-grouse and sage-grouse habitat restoration, but we also want to avoid any unintended consequences to other species, we don't want to do conservation for one species, only to result in a negative situation for another species.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Next please.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We're going to look at a process of how to adapt management of greater sage-grouse habitats and sagebrush habitats in response to the habitat loss and the ongoing populations declines that we are now seeing.
BLM - Pat Deibert: And perhaps the biggest issue that we're going to be struggling with here is to take a look at the role of wildland fire and invasive species management and greater sage-grouse and sagebrush habitats.
BLM - Pat Deibert: And how planning can, or perhaps may not be very useful, in addressing that issue, but we will be discussing it through our planning efforts.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We're also going to be looking at strategies for short and long-term monitoring of greater sage-grouse and sagebrush habits.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Next please.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Again, as I said, we want to look at how the new and relevant scientific information affects greater sage-grouse and, more importantly, sagebrush habitat management that we can address in our planning effort.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We will be reconsidering alternatives for 2015 or 2019 plan amendments to see whether or not they should move that forward into our 2022 planning effort and lastly,
BLM - Pat Deibert: we will be looking at whether or not areas of critical environmental concern should be nominated for greater sage-grouse or sagebrush conservation
BLM - Pat Deibert: or other recommendations that may lead to the conservation of these areas. I will note that we have not identified any ACECs at this point in time, that is simply a topic for discussion.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Next, please.
BLM - Pat Deibert: So how do you submit comments? We have two different ways to submit comments as I previously mentioned.
BLM - Pat Deibert: Through the planning web page which Amanda is going to show you how to do that, you can also send them on a letter to me at the Utah state office in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the address here, and we will continue to provide this information to you throughout this meeting.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We ask that comments be received by February 8 of this year.
BLM - Pat Deibert: We really do appreciate comments that are in writing, it gives us a really good reference to go back and make sure that we have addressed your comments and your concerns, as we continue to move forward in our planning process and developing alternatives.
BLM - Pat Deibert: With that I will turn it back to Amanda so that she could show you how to submit comments to the planning process.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great. Thank you, Pat. I’ll go ahead and put you on mute and turn off your video here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so as Pat just said I’m now going to do a quick website walkthrough showing you how you can submit written comments via the ePlanning site.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So, to submit written comments via ePlanning, go to the project website that you can see on the screen here, we will also send it out using the zoom chat feature here shortly.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: I’ll read it aloud also for any phone callers, so it is https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2016719/510.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: You can then navigate to the participate now tab located on the left-hand side of the planning page and click on the participate now tab.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: You will then be taken to the participate now web page. Once you're on this page scroll to the far-right hand side of the page and click on the green participate now button.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Clicking on this button will take you to the commenting web page where you can type your written comment into the box at the top of the page. You can also upload any attachments associated with your written comment in the upload files section.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Once you're finished writing your comment and uploading your associated attachments, you can scroll to the bottom of the page and fill out any personal information you would like.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Please note that providing personal information is optional. Additionally, you can select whether you want to provide any additional contact information.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Selecting this option will allow you to fill out additional information such as street address, email address, whether you represent an organization or group and, if so, which organization. You can also choose to be added to the project mailing list right here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: If you provide a physical mailing address or email address above.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Lastly, you can submit any additional commenters or submitters at the bottom of the page by clicking this button here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So then, once you have filled out all that information and I’ll give everyone a second here to look over all the different options that you can provide,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: You can then
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: click on this preview button located at the bottom of the page. I do want to note again that providing any personal information is optional.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: However, by providing at least your name and address, whether email address or physical mailing address, the BLM can contact you if
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: you wish with updates on this project, and you can create a record of your participation in this project.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Your documented participation helps to demonstrate standing in future administrative remedy or appeal proceedings.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So again, once you have finished providing your written comment and whatever optional information you choose to fill in, again click on this preview button located at the very bottom of the page on the right-hand side.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: On the next screen, you can then review your comment text and any information you have provided before clicking on the submit button in the bottom right-hand side of the screen.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again, please note that before providing your address phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: by selecting the no option located here on the screen, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: If you have made an error in your comment text or see any information that you would like to change on the review page, you can hit this button here,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: this edit button and go back and edit your comment text and then to cancel your comment entirely if you'd like to do so, you can hit this cancel button here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again, I do want to remind everyone that comments must be received by February 8, 2022.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So we have now walked you through how to submit your written comments via the planning page, if you have any additional questions regarding how to submit your written comments you can submit them during our q&a session that we are going to have here shortly.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: And at this time, we are going to go ahead and get started with our question-and-answer session today.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So again, this portion of the meeting will last approximately one hour and the intent of this question-and-answer session is to answer any substantive questions you have for BLM staff regarding the greater sage-grouse planning effort.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So I will first go over instructions for how to submit a question using the chat function if you are using the zoom web platform or zoom app today.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: After we have gone through questions, a few questions submitted via the zoom chat feature, we will see if any of our phone callers
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: have a question that they would like to ask, so please stay tuned for those instructions, but if you are using the zoom web platform or zoom app,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Either on your phone or computer today, again, we ask that you submit your questions electronically. So to do that, you can go to the
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: bottom of your zoom screen and click on the chat icon, if you hover your mouse over the bottom of your zoom screen that chat icon should appear for you.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: You may need to exit out of your full screen view in zoom to see the chat icon, and I have included a graphic on the screen showing you what that icon looks like and kind of where you can find it on your zoom screen.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: You can then type your question into the chat box and please send it to the co-host, Clayton McGee. I know we have several co-hosts on our meeting today, as well as me Amanda Biedermann, the host of the meeting; however, we do ask that you send all of your questions over to Clayton McGee.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: I will then read the question aloud for all participants to hear and a BLM staff member will respond to your question aloud.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again, we will try to answer your questions in the order that they are received, but please note there may be a pause between asking your question and a BLM staff member responding to your question.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Also, please note that, due to the high volume of participants today, we have about 250 participants on our meeting today,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: we are going to do our absolute best to get through as many questions as we can today.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So please be mindful of the number of questions you submit and the length of your questions, so that everyone who wants to ask a question today, hopefully, has the opportunity to do so.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So at this time, I’ll pause to see if we have received any questions via the zoom chat feature again, you can go to the bottom of your zoom screen and then click on
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: there's kind of a little drop-down menu where who you can decide who to send your chat message to, and please send any questions you have over to Clayton McGee, he is one of the co-hosts of the meeting.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so we have our first question from the public and at this time I am actually going to turn on Pat Deibert’s video and Quincy Bahr’s video, because they are going to be responding to your questions today, so let me just get them set up here shortly.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, there we go so both their videos are now on.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: And let's see, we do have our first question from our participants, which is just confirming that the comment deadline really is February 8 since BLM 12-21-21 press release states February 7 and let's see I will go ahead and go to Pat to respond to that question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Thank you, Amanda, and before I answer that question, I will stop here just a second, I apologize for not doing introductions earlier, I am the BLM’s acting sage-grouse coordinator and Quincy Bahr is a project manager for this planning process, so back to the question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: The caller is correct that we did say February 7 in a press release; however, we do, we close our comment period 15 days following our last public meeting which began to move us to February 8 and so, in fact, comments will close on February 8.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great. Thank you, Pat, for that clarification. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute and we will move on to question number two from participants.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Which is what process will be used for local governments to participate in this effort as a cooperating agency, and I will go to Quincy Bahr to respond to that question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Thank you, so good question, wanted to ensure folks, as we start this process,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: As I said, everything's on the table, we're looking at planning and, as we say in the
BLM – Quincy Bahr: notice of intent,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: whether we do that on a rangewide basis or a regional basis or statewide basis that's still on the table, we are looking for input during the scoping process as far as to help guide framing the process. As far as cooperating agencies, we are sending out invitations.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Hopefully folks are getting those already and following those invitations as folks will be formalizing those with memorandums of understanding.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: As far as the actual functionality, we will plan on meeting obviously with those cooperating agencies to make use of the expertise they have, jurisdiction that they have in understanding some of those local situations.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: The sage-grouse, as we're looking at the issues, there are issues of multi-scales and we want to make sure that we're addressing
BLM – Quincy Bahr: and meeting those needs across the scale so whether that means regular meetings, definitely at the state level, whether it means regular meetings and
BLM – Quincy Bahr: updates, as well as reviews of draft documents that still to be identified and flushed out in those memorandums of understanding.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: The end goal, though, is to make use of those expertise that those agencies, local governments, county governments, state governments, other federal agencies, tribal governments,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: that they can bring to this effort. We want to make sure that we're capturing the right information available to make an informed decision.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Right. Thank you, Quincy, for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you on mute.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Oh sorry about that I accidentally turned on our closed captioning and alright, so we will move on to question number three from our participants, which is
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: will you have another meeting of sage-grouse experts, similar to the national technical team, to synthesize and incorporate the new and relevant science and the
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: questioner notes that the original NTT report was helpful in consolidating the pertinent new science into management guidelines and I will go back to Pat to respond to that question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Thank you, Amanda.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Excuse me, at this point in time, they have no intention of pulling together an NTT-like group.
BLM – Pat Deibert: However, we are already working very closely with the scientific experts in the sagebrush ecosystem of the sage-grouse experts to look at what the new science is.
BLM – Pat Deibert: To look at how that can be influential on our planning process, it's a very active engagement with those individuals.
BLM – Pat Deibert: We're also looking forward to the completion of the conservation assessment that the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
BLM – Pat Deibert: has been completing for the US fish and wildlife service. That assessment does include an update of all the current science for a greater sage-grouse and identification of all the management tools that are available
BLM – Pat Deibert: for the greater sage-grouse that have happened since 2015. So while there is no intent at this point in time to pull together a new NTT-like report or team,
BLM – Pat Deibert: I can guarantee you that our interaction with the scientific experts has been very intense, and we intend to continue that as we move through the planning process.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great. Thank you, Pat, for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute and we will move on to our next question received from our participants.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Which is question number four and the question is the planning area map indicates that the state of Washington sage-grouse population is included in the current planning effort. Is that correct, and I will go back to you Pat to respond to that question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: That,
BLM – Pat Deibert: We are, we're doing a planning effort for the entire range of greater
BLM – Pat Deibert: sage-grouse. However there's very little BLM-managed lands where sage-grouse occur in the state of Washington, so it is unlikely we’ll have an intensive management effort for that part of the species range, solely because most of those birds appear on private or DOD lands.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great. Thank you, Pat, for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute now, so we can move on to our additional questions received
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: via that chat feature. Again, I think we have about 15 questions total and counting, or I believe 16 questions total, so we are working our way through those.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: But again, if you have a question you would like to submit, please use the chat feature, and then, I know it says everyone on the screen here, but please select Clayton McGee and send your question over to him.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So we will wait for additional questions received via that zoom chat feature here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, we will move on to question number five from participants.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Which is the presentation referenced quote new science, can you briefly summarize the new science and explain where we can review this new information while preparing our scoping comments, and I will go back to you Pat to respond to that question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: That's a great question, and there has been so much new science, it's kind of hard to sort through some of it.
BLM – Pat Deibert: We are tracking a lot of these new publications, peer-reviewed publications very closely to make sure we don't miss anything. Some of the key things that folks
BLM – Pat Deibert: may be interested in or may be aware of is we are looking at the report that was released from the USGS on population declines
BLM – Pat Deibert: and their targeted annual warning system and how that helps us understand where we may be having potential concerns with local populations of greater sage-grouse.
BLM – Pat Deibert: BLM has released its five-year monitoring strategy that looks at habitat condition over the previous five years.
BLM – Pat Deibert: And that has provided some excellent information to us about where we've had issues with habitat loss and what the causes of those losses may be, in fact, most of that has been due to wildfire.
BLM – Pat Deibert: USGS has released a new report or a new paper on wild horses and burros and how the management of wild horses and burros affects the greater sage-grouse and the associated sagebrush habitats.
BLM – Pat Deibert: There is also some new information that is currently in preparation regarding genetics, of the greater sage-grouse.
BLM – Pat Deibert: And how the birds are moving across the landscape as a result of that, and that will be influential in our discussions regarding habitat management areas and how we update that to make sure that they’re maintaining conductivity.
BLM – Pat Deibert: There are many, many, many new issues many new science tools for management of sage-grouse.
BLM – Pat Deibert: I’m happy to talk about more of those in detail, but I could take up the rest of the question-and-answer period talking about the new science.
BLM – Pat Deibert: But I do want to assure you that we are talking almost daily with the scientists and these different organizations to make sure we're not missing any that information.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great. Thank you, Pat, for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on you as we move on to question number six from participants.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Which is how does one submit areas of high mineral potential for critical and strategic minerals? Some areas of high potential have been missed in previous assessments, and I will go to Quincy Bahr to respond to this question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Thank you, this, two things on this, one, first off this is exactly the kind of information we're looking for, if you have, if there's information
BLM – Quincy Bahr: that needs to be considered as part of this process, please, that is the kind of information that can be submitted, it can be submitted as an attachment on the
BLM – Quincy Bahr: ePlanning site. If it ends up being too large, can be submitted via a CD or something like that,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: via the physical address. I do want to make sure in this, the other piece is to clarify there's a secondary sage-grouse consideration that's the most critical mineral maps will be considered during the withdrawal the 2016 SFA withdrawal EIS.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: which has been, we've been initiated that process again due to court order and are gathering information about critical minerals in relation to potential withdrawal of those SFAS coming out of the 2015 amendment process. That is a separate process than this one.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: We're not looking specifically at withdrawing,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: we are looking at, as Pat mentioned, SFAs potential management of SFAs, but the withdrawal action is a separate EIS.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: That is, we're working with USGS to gather information that again if there is, though information related to critical minerals that needs to be taken into account for this effort, please submit that via the planning site or one of those other avenues that I mentioned.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great. Thank you Quincy and I’ll go ahead and keep you unmuted here for question number seven which is has the BLM appealed the decision enjoining the greater sage-grouse plans and if not, why not?
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So short answer no we haven't and, as far as the, why not, I’ll fall back on the
BLM – Quincy Bahr: we don't comment on ongoing litigation.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: That being said,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: There are merits of the
BLM – Quincy Bahr: court case that we are looking at in relation to how those would affect the analysis and the decisions that we’re evaluating for this effort.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Some of the things that were raised by the court are things that are only able to be adjusted through an amendment, which is what we're looking at right here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for those back-to-back responses. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute and we will wait for additional questions to come in
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: via the zoom chat feature. Again, I know that we do have a few phone callers on the line here. We're going to continue to work our way through our questions received via the zoom chat feature, because we have received quite a few
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: and then I will move on and explain how to submit a question if you are calling in through the phone today, but for now we're going to move on to our questions.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, which is question number eight, which is when does the BLM expect to publish the draft land use plans, and I will go back to Quincy to respond to that.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So in this one, we have a process, we have to follow,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: we have some timelines that are identified in the NEPA regulations and we're hoping to move through those processes within those timelines as efficiently as possible.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: The one thing we want to make sure as we move forward is that we don't lose sight that planning is important in the long term.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Some of those implementation actions are important for the grouse now, and so we want to keep our eye on that ball of improving, while also providing the long-term framework, regulatory framework
BLM – Quincy Bahr: as efficiently as possible. Right now, our schedule is looking towards a draft late this year, this calendar year.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great. Thank you, Quincy, and I’m going to go ahead and again keep you unmuted for question number nine
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: which is, amongst the preliminary issues presented which are of interest to BLM in this scoping effort,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: sagebrush focal areas was referenced. So the question is, please help us understand this in relation to a separate NEPA effort already underway to evaluate the proposed withdrawal of public lands and sagebrush focal areas from mineral location and entry.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So the SFA is coming out of the 2015 included management recommending withdrawal.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: The BLM started that effort in 2016, terminated it, subsequently was instructed by the courts,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: and that was an incorrect termination, and so we are reinitiating that effort to consider the recommended withdrawal from the 2015.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: What we're looking at as part of this effort as SFAs, as, and I want to make sure, the way they word it right, the most important sage-grouse habitat, sagebrush habitat. So we're looking at as part of this effort,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: what are those most important habitats and what management is associated, needs should be associated with protecting those most important habitats.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: That's what we're looking at here, what those shapes would look like and what management is necessary to maintain those, as separate from, should we withdraw the SFAS as depicted in 2015.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for those responses. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute as we wait for additional questions here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so we will move on to question number 10, which is where do we find updated maps for greater sage-grouse habitat areas, including focal areas, and can you provide the links to that.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So I will go to Pat and see if she has any input on this question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Thanks Amanda, we don't have any updated maps at this point in time, because we need to consider how we want to change those areas moving toward. However, you can look at our 2015
BLM – Pat Deibert: efforts which could be habitat management areas with the SFAs, and also the 2019 efforts. I will put a link in the chat so that folks can take a look at where those maps might be, and get those, have the opportunity to take a look at those.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for that response, so I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute and yes, so we will use that chat feature to chat that out to everyone here shortly.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: In the meantime we're going to go ahead and move on to our next question here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Let's see which is question number 11, which is, how does the BLM plan to address the number one issue with greater sage-grouse population decline, which is predation by ravens, red fox, raccoons, skunks, raptors, etc., and I will go back to Pat to respond to that question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: So the Bureau of Land Management is responsible for managing habitat and not the wildlife species.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Although, what we do to manage habitat is important there, but the predators that were mentioned are typically managed by our state, either
BLM – Pat Deibert: wildlife agencies or state agricultural agencies. What we can do to address the issue of predation for sage-grouse? Sage-grouse are prey. They do not die from old age, but if we can improve their habitat, that is their best defense to avoiding
BLM – Pat Deibert: early demise by predation. So the BLM will be focusing on improving habitat quality and making sure that we're providing as best habit as we can for the greater sage-grouse to respond to the increased numbers of predators and diversity of predators on the landscape.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute as we move on to additional questions here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright we’ll move on to question number 12 here, which is, will the BLM review the role of prescribed fire and shrub removal, fuel breaks, on sage-grouse populations and habitat?
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: And let's see I will go back, let's see, first to Quincy to respond to this question, and then see if Pat has any additional follow up.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So in this regard, it too comes down to the level of decision making at an RMP level, identifying some of the tools that are available but not identifying specific areas of treatments.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: We recognize that, in some instances and some locations and some habitat situations, these treatments are important.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: But as far as defining where those are and as a result, the specific impacts, that's an implementation level action that would be analyzed, associated with a proposed action on the ground, so again, generally the concept but not specific treatments.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy and we'll see if Pat has any additional input to that.
BLM – Pat Deibert: I do not, thank you very much though.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, great, thank you for that response, Quincy. I’ll go ahead and put you both back on mute and move on to our additional questions.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again, we have received about 34 questions at this point, we're about to move on to question number 13. We are trying to work, our way through those questions as quickly and efficiently as we can, oh we’re up to 42.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So it might be possible that we might put a pause on the chat feature here shortly, just so we can catch up to the questions that are currently
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: lined up next. We'll let you know if we do that though, right now we're just going to kind of keep moving through our questions. Again let's see, we have
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: about 45 minutes here remaining in our question-and-answer session so we're going to keep moving forward with just taking each question as we get them.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again, you can send your questions over to Clayton McGee. We're just waiting here to receive our additional questions.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so we have our next question here, which is question number 14, which is what is the status of BLM’s
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Greater Sage-Grouse Land Use Plan Amendment, and I will go to Quincy Bahr to respond to that question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So the 2020
BLM – Quincy Bahr: amendment was a supplement to the 2019.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: It was a supplemental EIS, it didn't change any of the decisions from the 2019, and so we're stuck with a similar
BLM – Quincy Bahr: court action related to the 2019 plan, in that we’re, as directed by the courts, still implementing 2015.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great. Thank you, Quincy, for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute as we move on to our next questions received here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so we have question number 16 from our participants. I think we're to 16 now, because actually a few that were submitted were duplicates
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: of earlier ones, we received two duplicates, so technically we are now on question number 16, apologies for any confusion here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So that question is, since wildfire is a big player in the loss of greater sage-grouse habitat, has the BLM moved forward to fund and implement fuel and fire breaks after the recent programmatic EIS for fuel breaks was completed?
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: And I will go back to Quincy to respond to that question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Sure, so between 2013 and 2020, BLM has invested more than 380 million dollars in habitat improvements, treating nearly 4 million acres
BLM – Quincy Bahr: in relation to conservation and restoration of either affected lands or protecting or restoring habitats, sagebrush habitats. Approximately 40 million went into the habitat treatments and seed strategy in fiscal 21.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: As far as moving forward, it's a little bit more difficult to estimate exactly because habitat is constantly being affected by fire and etc., so what we are doing is continuing to work with our partners, and continuing to fund
BLM – Quincy Bahr: projects to help improve sage-grouse habitat and sagebrush.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute as we move on to our next question received.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: At this point we have received, I think, close to 42 or 45 questions.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So I did go ahead and turn off that chat feature, just for now, because we are going to try and work our way through those questions first. Again, as I said at the beginning of the meeting
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: we're going to try and work our way through the questions in the order that they are received, and I do want to save some time here shortly for our phone callers. So right now, I have turned off that chat feature.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: But we're going to try and catch up to all of the questions that are currently in line to get answered.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: If we work our way through all of those, we’ll open that chat feature back up so that we can continue working our way through new questions.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: But for now, we'll just continue working our way through questions that have currently been received by Clayton, so thank you everyone for your understanding and hopefully we can work our way through all of these so that we can move on to new questions.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, let's see, so we are now moving to question number 17, I believe, again, we had a couple duplicates so technically we're on 17.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Which is, will government agencies that were cooperating agencies in 2015 be invited again to be cooperating agencies? And I will go back to Quincy to respond to that question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Thank you, so cooperating agency invitations are in the process of being sent out, so currently, and still being sent out. If you haven't received an invitation
BLM – Quincy Bahr: and you were a cooperating agency in the 2015 effort, please let us know, and we'll investigate. Cooperating agency invites, especially as we start looking into something of this scale, there's a lot of them, and I’m going to say having been part of the process, both in 2015 and 2019,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: I don't claim to be infallible, so we are sending them out to everyone that we are aware of. If we missed, please reach out to your local state office sage-grouse implementation lead.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great. Thank you, Quincy, and I’ll go ahead and keep you unmuted for question number 18 here, which is, is the BLM proposal for a mineral withdrawal in focus areas a separate process, part of this current comment period, or both?
BLM – Quincy Bahr: To be clear separate, separate, separate, separate, so that is, we're working on a separate EIS
BLM – Quincy Bahr: that will be made available to the public for a comment period, and review of those, of that analysis. This one is again, looking at identifying, not the withdrawal piece
BLM – Quincy Bahr: which only the Secretary has authority to do. We're looking at what the BLM has authority to do, in relation to identifying and management of potential high priority areas, in 2015, called SFAs.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: The concept here being those most important areas, and how they should be managed. That's what we're discussing as far as this, in this effort.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thanks Quincy for that clarification, and I’ll just keep you unmuted as we move on to question number 19, which is,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: why is this planning process not included on the fall unified regulatory agenda, with comments submitted through regulations.gov, let's see, it's a long comment, um, let's see, which allows searching of comments submitted?
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So a couple things, first off this is a planning process, not a rulemaking process, that's a bit of a wonky distinction, but nonetheless
BLM – Quincy Bahr: it is, we're following our planning regulations the BLM’s 1600 planning regulations and the handbook associated with that. With that, and with NEPA, this is a public process, those comments are available, but the tool that we're using, ePlanning.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Those can be, as we, in fact we've regularly done this, they are, they can be available to the public. Right now as we're gathering them
BLM – Quincy Bahr: that, I don't believe, that feature, that ePlanning tool allows everyone to see everyone's comments at the same time as they're submitted. That would have to be something that is made available later on in the process, which we will do through a scoping report.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for all those responses. I’ll put you back on mute and we will move on to question number 20, which is, will the Forest Service be involved,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: let’s see, in this planning effort like was done during past sage-grouse planning, which also led to forest plan revisions? And I will go to Pat to respond to that one.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Thanks Amanda. We have been discussing with the Forest Service what our intent is through this planning process.
BLM – Pat Deibert: We can't, we expect them to be a cooperating agency, but, quite frankly, we cannot speak to their intent and what they plan to do as the BLM amends our planning.
BLM – Pat Deibert: We are talking to them, frequently.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute here, as we move on to our next questions.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, we're going to move on, we're getting a couple of duplicate questions so we're just trying to sort those out here quickly, all right let's see, so I think 21
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: was a dupe, so we're going to move on to question number 22 which is, who do we contact to request cooperating agency status, our local BLM office or someone else? And I’ll go back to Quincy to respond to that.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So for that one, work with your local BLM state offices, specifically the implementation coordinator, hopefully you're aware who that is and they've been working with you.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: But that would be, again trying to roll this up from the local level moving on up, the main point of contact for the local areas will be the implementation coordinators at the BLM state offices.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for that response, I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Oh, and we're actually going to go back, there's kind of part of a duplicate question that we're going to respond to, so that's technically question number 21, which Quincy will respond to which is, has the BLM considered putting this
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: SFA and greater sage-grouse planning, all in one EIS instead of two separate ones?
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Ah yeah, yes considered, but the problem becomes the level of decision making, one is an implementation, that is the decision to withdraw, again the authority for that is the Secretary,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: and the other is the BLM planning effort. You're dealing with two separate regulations and so
BLM – Quincy Bahr: two different purposes. The withdraw action is in response to a court order, this one is in response to those changed conditions, and so, because of that, the purpose and need are different, and so we're keeping those as two separate efforts.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for going back and responding to a part of that question, we'll move on to question number 23,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: which is, since new science is showing the negative impacts of excessive wild horse populations on sage-grouse habitat,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: is the BLM doing anything to bring wild horse populations back to the appropriate management levels in herd management areas that overlay sage-grouse habitat? And let's see, I will go to Pat to respond to this question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: I’d like to point folks to our recent press releases about the efforts we’re making with our wild horse and burro program. We are having more roundups, we're taking more horses in those roundups and treating more horses, with um,
BLM – Pat Deibert: fertility treatments, as we do those roundups. So we are working with our wild horse and burro program with the tools that we have
BLM – Pat Deibert: to try to reduce the numbers of horses on the landscape and bring them back down to AML.
BLM – Pat Deibert: We welcome any suggestions that you may want to submit to us through our scoping process and other options that we can use within the range of tools that we currently have
BLM – Pat Deibert: to address this horse issue because we recognize the concern, and the potential impacts or the actual impacts, on the greater sage-grouse and their habitats.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for that response. I’ll go ahead and keep you unmuted for, let's see, question number
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: 24, which is, will the BLM be using the USDA NRCS sage-grouse initiative as a source of new and relevant sage-grouse science?
BLM – Pat Deibert: Absolutely, we will embrace all the science being brought forth through the NRCS and their efforts which have been impressive, as well as all the other science out there, so you bet, we coordinate regularly with those folks.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for those responses. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute as we move on to our additional questions here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so we're going to move on to our next question here, which is, what are the areas involved in Utah BLM land? And I’ll go ahead and unmute Quincy to respond to that.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So on a state by state,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: um, obviously, the starting out process, starting out level, no action alternative, we're looking at both alternatives in relation to 2015 and 2019, so those PHMA areas as you go state to state, whether it be Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, etc.,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: that those become something that we’ll be taking a look at. In addition to that, we’ll be looking at the other available science
BLM – Quincy Bahr: and where it lets us know condition of sagebrush habitat, and how those support those sage-grouse populations.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So at this point again, starting off point becomes what we have right now and then, in working in coordination with the state, if there are adjustments that need to be made and looking at the science as far as where, what areas are important for grouse, what's their condition as far as
BLM – Quincy Bahr: cheatgrass, juniper, etc.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Essentially starting point is where we're at, and then looking at what science has shown us, and what modeling and monitoring is informing us as far as where sage-grouse, what's needed for sage-grouse populations, and prioritization of those areas.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy. I’ll put you back on mute as we move on to our next question here before we will pause and see if we have any questions from phone callers today.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So we're going to move on to our next question, though, from our Zoom web platform or Zoom app users, which is,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: is the BLM going to revise the sage-grouse management rules that affect how far from a lek or nesting ground oil and gas operations are allowed? And I will go to Pat to respond to that one.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Yeah, thank you for the question we are,
BLM – Pat Deibert: we are, in scoping right now so we're discussing everything on the table. As we mentioned in our NOI,
BLM – Pat Deibert: we will be looking at particular new science and information, how buffers are effective, and what density of disturbance caps are effective and how we want to address those as we move forward.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: And, as I just said we'll pause here, to see if we have any phone callers who might have a question that they want to ask.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So if you're calling in through the phone today, I see that we have just a handful, and you would like to ask a question, you can let us know by accessing the raise hand feature, and you can do that by pressing star nine on your phone keypad.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: That'll let us know that you've accessed that raise hand feature, and we can then unmute you directly and
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: you can ask your question. Again, please submit any comments you have via any of those avenues that we provided earlier. Right now we are still just doing our question-and-answer session.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: But we do want to give an opportunity for phone callers to ask their questions, so again you can press star nine on your phone keypad to access that raise hand feature.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Once we see you raised your hand, we’ll unmute you, and you may need to press star six on your end in order to unmute yourself. So I’ll pause here to see if we have any raised hands.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, I don't see any raised hands at the moment, so, in the meantime we're just going to continue
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: to work our way through our list of questions. Again, I think we did reach about 42 or so before we turned off the chat feature.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: and we are on now, technically, question number 31. I know it's been a little confusing with all the duplicate questions submitted.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: But we are, I think, working our way through that list, again we have about 30 minutes remaining in our question-and-answer session here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So, I’ll move on to question number 31, which is, how does the BLM plan to ensure that any plan amendments are consistent with state greater sage-grouse plans, and state or county resource management plans and policies,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: to the greatest degree possible, as required by FLPMA? And I will go back to Quincy to respond to this.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Great question, obviously the, our FLPMA requirements, as well as some NEPA requirements, require us to be as consistent as possible, and
BLM – Quincy Bahr: as we've been working closely with our state and local our partners and tribal partners now since 2013, almost a decade, and beyond. I mean that's just on the major planning efforts, that doesn't count all the things well back into the 90s.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So, so that, those relationships are critical, and as we work again, we have the habitat, the birds managed by the States and so
BLM – Quincy Bahr: working with them through those cooperating agency relationships is going to be important as we move forward. Obviously, the regulatory process is that, as we work into the final EIS,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: we evaluate those plans, that, those plans being state and county plans, and identify inconsistencies if there are any, and disclose those to the state, and then the state governor has the opportunity to
BLM – Quincy Bahr: perform their own consistency review, and so that, that's the standard process. We're hoping to achieve alignment through those communications during the process of developing the alternatives, the analysis, the EISs.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute. We will move on, let's see, to question number 32,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: which is, do you have an anticipated timeline for this scoping process, and when slash if a further action or an amendment would be initiated? And I will go to Pat to respond to that question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Our scoping process, or scoping period, will close on February eighth,
BLM – Pat Deibert: after which, we will take that information, we will sit down to address all of it look at all the new information and data given to us,
BLM – Pat Deibert: and then we'll start developing alternatives, which will then be released in a draft EIS later this year.
BLM – Pat Deibert: So, we will be continuing this effort throughout the year with other opportunities for the public to participate. The scoping does close on February eighth, and we'd love to get your written feedback by that time.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat. I’ll go ahead and keep you unmuted for our next question here, which is, who are the organizations, groups, scientists, etc., providing updated, quote, science.
BLM – Pat Deibert: So we don't, anyone who is able to publish scientific peer reviewed literature, we’d consider all. There is not an exclusive group that we use there.
BLM – Pat Deibert: However, we are coordinating very closely with USGS. We're looking at university researchers. We’re looking at independent researchers, for a variety of different groups. We look at the folks who are working with NRCS through sage-grouse initiative.
BLM – Pat Deibert: But if it's a scientifically peer reviewed published article, it’s information that we are at least going to review for its relevance to our planning efforts.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for that response, I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute as we move on to our next question, let's see,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: 35 which is, can you expand on how the BLM may consider the use of a ACECs for important habitats? Does this include the potential protection of PHMAs as ACECs? And I will go to Quincy to respond to that one.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: It's a good question, and it's something that has been raised in previous planning efforts, and in this one is part of our NOI. We did invite the public to identify and nominate ACECs.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: ACECs are something that Congress has specifically directed the BLM to prioritize
BLM – Quincy Bahr: specifically, and with that direction of, there is a regulatory process and policy that would need to be followed. And that would be both the nominations, as well as us evaluating.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: And for an ACEC to be designated, it must meet various criteria. These are identified in regulation: relevance, importance, and
BLM – Quincy Bahr: those areas must need special management. So how those all fit in, we’ll follow the process, we’ll follow direction given to us by Congress and implement it per our regulations and policies. As far as what would that look like, it's going to have to go through the process to determine
BLM – Quincy Bahr: it. Any nomination would need to be found to be relevant, important, and then through analysis, we need to determine that it would need special management.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Again, that will be determined through the process, there's no set answer right now of how we want this to look in the end.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for that response. I’ll keep you unmuted here as we move on to our next question,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: which is, the first primary issue listed in the notice of intent is focused on sagebrush focal areas, including their identification.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Does this mean that the boundaries of SFAs are being considered in this planning effort, versus the other planning effort focused specifically on mineral withdrawals?
BLM – Quincy Bahr: And short answer yes, there is, there is a bit of duplication in this regard, but what we're looking at in this effort, again, as I mentioned earlier, the other effort is in response to a court
BLM – Quincy Bahr: remand specific to those 2015 boundaries. In this effort, we are looking at whether those boundaries identified in 2015,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: based on what we've learned in the last five years, and what we've seen through monitoring, are those the right areas, and is the management associated with them from 2015, the right management.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So that's what's on the table, that’s what we're asking for here, as far as input from the public, and from our, from our, partners and states, is, are changes needed in that regard.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for those responses. I’ll put you back on mute, and before we move on to our next question here, I just want to let everyone know I did see that we had a few participants join here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So just wanted to update everyone, we are still in our question-and-answer session, we have about 20 minutes left, we're almost caught up to the questions that were submitted
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: before we turned off that chat feature, so right now the chat feature is turned off, but we are working our way through that list of questions that has been submitted already.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: I did just read through phone caller instructions, but for any new phone callers who might have joined, if you have a question you want to ask
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: you can press star nine on your phone keypad to access that raise hand feature to let us know you have a question that you would like to ask verbally.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: I don't see any raised hands at the moment, so we'll just keep on moving through our list of questions that were submitted before we did turn off that chat feature.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: If we are able to work through all of them, which hopefully we can, we will try and save some time to turn back on that chat feature, but just want to remind everyone if we don't get to your question today,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: we do have an additional meeting on January 24th, and we will share some further information on that before we end today's meeting.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: For now, we're just going to keep on moving through our questions that have been submitted so far.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So, let's see, we're going to move on to question number, let's see, 37 on our list which is, first, will the NRCS working lands for wildlife
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: be considered during the science review, and second, can the science being considered during this BLM review be uploaded and made public through the ePlanning page? And I will go to Pat to respond to those two questions.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Absolutely, we will consider the science that was generated through the NRCS working lands for wildlife program.
BLM – Pat Deibert: They've been great partners and they're generating some good work, and we’ll absolutely consider that.
BLM – Pat Deibert: As for all the science that we’ll be considering and developing alternatives, that will all be part of our draft EIS when it's released.
BLM – Pat Deibert: We will tell folks exactly what we used, what we considered, through that process, but I want to encourage people if they have scientific documents they think need to be considered, please submit them through scoping process, so we can be sure to include them.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute, and we'll move on to our next question which is, will the BLM examine the proposed impact of the DOD operations in sage-grouse management,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: let's see, the DOD plans to expand low level supersonic training and other DOD operations over areas such as Owyhee Canyon and vast areas over Idaho and northern Nevada, and if not, why not? And I will go to Quincy to respond to that question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: I do love the wording of this question. As far as the proposed impact of those operations, as with any
BLM – Quincy Bahr: activity, the BLM will consider impacts both to those things that we authorize as well as
BLM – Quincy Bahr: other activities out on the ground, whether it be on adjacent lands, or other agencies. In this regard if it is a reasonably foreseeable activity that could affect the resource in question, in this regard sage-grouse and sagebrush, it could be analyzed as a cumulative effect.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: That said, our plan itself, we don't have the jurisdiction over DOD airspace operations, and so while we could consider it as a cumulative impact, it's not something that we could directly manage as far as in our range of alternatives.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for that response. I’ll go ahead and keep you unmuted here for our next question, which is, generally speaking, how will this administration's emphasis on renewable energy and electric infrastructure be addressed from a big picture perspective?
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So, as noted in the NOI, we're looking at energy both from traditional
BLM – Quincy Bahr: oil and gas, etcetera, traditional sources, carbon sources, as well as from renewable. The big thing in this process to keep in mind is, our purpose and need is tied to sage-grouse and sagebrush habitats,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: and so this isn't part of a broader effort, but this is taking into account impacts to that sage brush habitat, whether it be from
BLM – Quincy Bahr: traditional or renewable, and then associated infrastructure with each. So, what we're looking for at this point is what management might be necessary in relation to both of those uses, in managing to protect sage-grouse and sagebrush habitat.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for those responses. I’ll put you on mute and we'll move on to our next question,
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: which is, you mentioned burros and horse effects and failed to mention cattle and sheep effects on the land management areas. Will that be included? And I will go to Pat to respond to this question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Absolutely, we will include
BLM – Pat Deibert: all grazing issues, regardless of the species is doing the grazing. It is an issue we identified in our scoping notice, and it is something through our comprehensive review, as we go through our planning efforts, that we will consider.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Excellent, thank you Pat for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute as we move on to our additional questions here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Let's see, which is question number 42, I believe, which is, how does the BLM intend to hold the
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: DOs and FOs accountable that habitat management implementation consistent with the casual factor analysis is being pursued and applied, and let's see I will go to Quincy to respond to this question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So, so a couple things for those on the call DOs and FOs would be district offices and field offices.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So that would be the, under the state office, the various subdivisions of BLM management.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: And then the causal factor analysis, I would assume, is tied to our adaptive management, that's where a lot of those are mentioned, is when we identify a concerning
BLM – Quincy Bahr: triggers identified in the 2015 plan, when those are hit, the causal factor is conducted to determine why there was those drops.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: As far as holding them accountable, the BLM planning process includes five-year plan evaluations, similar to the five-year evaluation that was conducted, and it's on the ePlanning site. But as part of those five-year evaluations, the questions are asked,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: are our management actions identified in our land use plan in this regard tied to sage-grouse, are they what is needed, are they
BLM – Quincy Bahr: effective in meeting our desired conditions, and if not, what changes are necessary. So that evaluation process is built into the BLM planning process,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: both planning evaluation and then, as we move forward, whether it be maintenance or amendment. Which is
BLM – Quincy Bahr: kind of, part of, the reason why we're where we are right here, is in looking at the effectiveness of existing management and at current science and trends, so those, that accountability comes through the processes and following the agency's processes.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for those clarifications and that response. I’ll put you back on mute so that we can move on to our next question, let's see.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So, the question is, will all resource management plans within greater sage-grouse habitat be amended? And I will go to Pat to respond to this question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Currently, all of those areas are within the scope of our notice of intent; however, as our process evolves and we move forward, exploring different options, it may be that not all of them will be included in a record of decision, some of them may not need those amendments.
BLM – Pat Deibert: We can't tell at this point, quite honestly.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: And I believe we are almost caught up to our list of previously asked questions.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: We'll wait here to see if we have any of those additional previously asked questions.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so the next question is, is there still opportunity for governmental agencies to request cooperator status? And I will go back to Quincy to respond to this question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Yes,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: short answer, absolutely. If there is special expertise or jurisdiction that you can bring to our effort,
BLM – Quincy Bahr: and at this point especially, where we are still in the scoping phase, gathering information, framing what this is going to look, like absolutely. So, if you have special expertise or jurisdiction by law, please reach out to those implementation leads.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so we have worked our way through that list of previously asked questions. I know it's a little confusing
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: with some of the duplicate questions that were asked across either different participants or to different co-hosts of the meeting. So, we have
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: at this time, caught up to all of our questions that were submitted before we went ahead and turned off that chat feature.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: We do have just a little under 10 minutes remaining here, so at this time, I am going to open back up that chat feature.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again, please send your questions over to Clayton McGee. We're going to try our best to grab about five more questions out of that chat feature
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: and respond to those here on the meeting today. Again, we do have an additional meeting that we will provide some further details on here shortly, after we get through any additional questions we may have.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: If you're a phone caller, again, you can ask a question verbally today.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: You can do that by accessing the raise hand feature on your phone keypad. You can press star nine to access that raise hand feature. We will then unmute you so that you can ask your question verbally, and a BLM staffer will respond to your question verbally.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: But in the meantime, I don't see any raised hands at the moment, so we're going to see if we have any additional questions coming in via that chat feature.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again, we appreciate everyone's patience and understanding with having to shut off that chat feature, so that we could catch up to our currently submitted questions, so that we can now move on to our new questions that are being submitted
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: right now.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So, we'll just give it a few minutes here as we let people submit those last questions that they have before we move into a short kind of closing remarks slide.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again, you can send those questions over to Clayton McGee using that chat feature located at the bottom of your zoom screen.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: And again, we're kind of sorting through our questions here, because a few that we are receiving are duplicates
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: of questions that were asked previously during the meeting. Again, this entire meeting is being recorded, so those will be captured in the recording. Right now, we're kind of looking to see if we have any new questions coming in via the chat feature.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, we did have a quick question. One of the participants said they are one of the states that participated in the
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: amendments, and they were asking for some information on the protest items and where those might be located.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: So, Quincy, I’ll turn it over to you quickly and then we'll try and post some information on those protests in the chat feature here shortly. Quincy, I’ll let you take this one.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So, and we are looking to get a little bit more information on which state this is from, we want to make sure
BLM – Quincy Bahr: clarifying that, what the question is, but
BLM – Quincy Bahr: the protests are available online. All protests associated with all land use plans are available, and we can post the link.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: I believe that we said that we can post a link in the chat. As far as the protest reports, as far as the case numbers, I don't have that off the top of my head. I’ll have to go chase that down, but that would be tied to one of the District Courts in Idaho.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: And again, we can find out which state it was that was making that comment and chase it down.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, Thank you Quincy for that short response. Kate Krebs did just post a link to the protest resolution reports by state in the chat feature, so for the person who asked that question, hopefully you can get some further information by clicking on that link.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: All right, we'll move on to our next question received, which is, what is the anticipated timing of the EIS evaluating the SFA withdrawals, versus the EIS for the LUPAs? And I will go to Pat to respond to that question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: We're currently working to gather all that updated information, and so we're hopeful that we'll have the information on the SFAs worked through and the analysis completed early on in our, in the planning effort. Again they're separate issues.
BLM – Pat Deibert: But right now, I can't give you a firm timeline on how that's going to happen. Hopefully we can get that completed before so that we can then move this into our current planning effort.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute as we wait for any additional
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: questions coming in from participants. We do have just a few minutes remaining here so, hopefully, those of you who weren't able to ask your questions when the chat feature was turned off can ask those questions now.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so we'll move on to, let's see, our next question here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Hold on quickly. Okay, so the next question we received is, what is the role of the US Fish and Wildlife Service in this effort? And I will go back to Quincy to respond to that question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: The Fish and Wildlife Service as part of this effort as a cooperating agency, similar to the Forest Service and some of our other federal agencies. We’re working with them. Obviously, there's some special expertise there
BLM – Quincy Bahr: in relation to sage-grouse, and so we're working with them in that regard, as far as a sister agency with
BLM – Quincy Bahr: some of that special expertise, similar relationship in cooperating and coordinating that we have with our other federal agencies and other states.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute and let's see, we'll move on to our next question received here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Okay, so the question was, what is the perfect habitat for greater sage? And I will go to Pat to respond to that question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: That's a great question, and I wish we had a really good technical defined answer for you, but basically, it's habitat that is going to provide your standard habitat components
BLM – Pat Deibert: of food, cover, water, and the ability to get to them for all the different seasons that sage-grouse use an area. It's super challenging to answer that simply
BLM – Pat Deibert: because sage-grouse in different parts of the range use different kinds of sage brush. They use different understories, different water resources, etc.
BLM – Pat Deibert: So, it really depends on where you are, whether or not your sage-grouse populations are migratory in that area, but it's your basic food, cover, water, and ability to obtain them through all their different seasonal habitats, or seasonal use areas.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute as we see if we have any additional questions received that we can get to today, so please hold.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so let's see, we have a few additional questions. So this question is, will the sage-grouse planning maps being used by the state and federal agencies be standardized so that both agencies use the same map? And I will go back to you Pat to respond to that question.
BLM – Pat Deibert: We are working with a different state wildlife agencies and federal agencies to try to coordinate our efforts.
BLM – Pat Deibert: When it comes down to our mapping process or trying to identify habitat management areas for greater sage-grouse, so we're going to continue to work through that process as we move forward in this effort.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat, and I’ll go ahead and keep you unmuted here for this next question, which is, the 2015 amendments addressed the
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: US Fish and Wildlife Service lawsuit on whether to add the greater sage-grouse to the endangered species list. So the question is, with the population declines, will listing be a consideration?
BLM – Pat Deibert: So, we can't speak for our sister agency in DOI, that will be a decision from the US Fish and Wildlife Service depending on any information or requests that they have received.
BLM – Pat Deibert: However, we will continue to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure that we're doing anything we can to conserve the habitat for the species on BLM lands.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat for those responses. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute here.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright let's see, we'll move on to our next question which is, does the BLM plan to avoid one size fits all regulations and allow for adaptive management based on local conditions? And I will go to Quincy to respond to that question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So, this point as I mentioned before, we're not beginning with any end in mind. We're seeking that input from scoping. I will say as we've gone through this for the last decade, in
BLM – Quincy Bahr: some instances a one size fits all to, so to speak, makes sense. It's not like grouse in Montana love disturbance, whereas grouse in Wyoming don't.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So, in some instances, we have science that does show relationships. In other instances, such as habitat objectives, that makes a lot of sense to do
BLM – Quincy Bahr: local adaptation, instances where grouse in southern Nevada, southern Utah, versus or Colorado, compared to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, those ecologies are different. So
BLM – Quincy Bahr: where it makes sense to have those differences, we want to make sure we consider and provide for that. Where there aren't those differences, we want to make sure that we have management that is sufficient to protect the grouse.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for that response. I’ll go ahead and put you back on mute here. I think we're going to do one last additional question today before we move on to our closing remarks slide that I mentioned earlier.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Alright, so we're going to end with this last question, which is, are there any new opportunities, or any opportunities to build in more latitude for the BLM to lift minimum tool restrictions
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: for wildland firefighting and or the use of nonnative plant species for fire rehabilitation in wilderness designations to better protect and rehabilitate sage-grouse habitat as part of this process?
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Let's see, and I will go back to Quincy to respond to that question.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: So, good question and
BLM – Quincy Bahr: everything's on the table, but it also depends on other laws and regulations that we have to comply with. In this regard, the wilderness act and wilderness policies
BLM – Quincy Bahr: are something that we can't be changing right now. We’re functioning within, and this is in our planning criteria, you know, we're functioning within the framework of laws and regulations that we have, so
BLM – Quincy Bahr: implementation level decisions like what kind of seed mixes are generally not something that we are addressing it the planning level. And then also the context of some of those other guiding
BLM – Quincy Bahr: policies and laws can constrain, so to the degree that we can recommend, but in the end, we have to comply with those other policies.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Quincy for that response. So, we did reach the end of our list of questions submitted before I turned the chat feature off
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: a few minutes ago. Again, we wanted to have the opportunity to respond to the questions that we received in the amount of time that we have today.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: We really appreciate again everyone's patience and understanding with allowing us to turn on and off that chat feature.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: At this time, we have reached the end of our meeting time. So I’m going to turn it back over to Pat
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: to kind of explain just some more opportunities for how you can submit any questions that you feel weren't completely responded to today, or that you didn't have the opportunity to ask today. So, Pat at this time I’ll turn it back over to you.
BLM – Pat Deibert: Thank you, Amanda, and I want to express my gratitude to
BLM – Pat Deibert: all of you who attended this today. Again, it's unfortunate that we're in a virtual situation, so we appreciate your flexibility and your participation in this effort.
BLM – Pat Deibert: We will be holding an additional scoping meeting on January 24, at 6:30pm mountain time, and want to make sure folks are not restricted by work hours,
BLM – Pat Deibert: but if you want to submit your comments, or you have any questions or anything else you want us to be aware of, please go to our web page, it’s listed here on the slide.
BLM – Pat Deibert: So, thank you very much for your participation.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat, and Quincy, I’ll unmute you to see if you have anything additional to add as well.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: Far be it for me to polish off anything that Pat has
BLM – Quincy Bahr: said there.
BLM – Quincy Bahr: We appreciate your input, and look forward to continued comments, and information, and suggestions from y'all.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Great, thank you Pat and Quincy. So, at this time I will leave
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: this slide up here for about a minute. We did also send that link out in the chat so you can copy and paste that link directly out of your chat.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: But, again, I want to thank everyone for joining us today and, again, you can register for the January 24 meeting which will begin at 6:30pm mountain time.
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: Again, if you had any questions that you didn't get to ask today, or if we didn't get the chance to respond to those questions, please do feel free to join that meeting
EMPSi - Amanda Biedermann: and get those questions submitted there as well. So, at this time, I’m going to go ahead and stop the recording, and then I will shut down the meeting here momentarily. Thanks everyone.