2016 conservation track: broad scale assessment, planning and management of public lands: blm’s...

Rapid Ecoregional Assessment

Broad-scale Assessment, Planningand Management of Public Lands:

Kevin H. MillerBLM National Operations Center

Assessment and Monitoring Branch

GIS in the RockiesDenver, CO

September 21, 2016

BLM’s Landscape Approach andRapid Ecoregional Assessments


BLM’s Landscape Approach


3

• Identify ecologically meaningful scales• Broad-scale (ecoregion), Mid-scale (priority

landscape/watershed or restoration area), fine scale (project site)

Broad-scale(eg, ecoregion)

Restoration Area

Restoration Area

Fine scale(eg, project sites)

Fine scale(eg, project sites)

Mid-scale(eg, priority watershed/landscape

Multi-scale data provide context…

Landscape Approach and REAs

Rapid Ecoregional AssessmentNot This!

You sank my Sage Grouse!!

Looks like a good place for my project…

“A guessing game for two players…” (or more)


What is an REA?

R = Rapid Use existing data and understanding

(18-24 months to complete)

E = Ecoregional Analyze large areas of ecological similarity

(one or more Level III ecoregions)

A = Assessment Summarize current conditions Assess potential change, likelihood/risks


REA Fundamental questions

REAs pose three basic interrelated questions What do we want to develop, restore and conserve?

where; at what scale; and with what trade-offs? How should we organize ourselves?

(at every level of the organization) How should we engage our partners?

state, federal and NGO (at every level)


Ongoing and Completed REAs


Scale and Scope

Study areas Ecoregions based on the Commission for Environmental

Cooperation Level III Ecoregion boundaries (or Omernick) Ecoregions buffered by 5th level hydrologic units boundaries

Analysis and reporting units Spatial scale for resource status evaluation or summary

display, tabulation Varies by issue: 30m pixel, 5th or 6th level HUC (HUC10 or

HUC12), 4 km2


Data Synthesis and Modeling

Driven by management questions Frame priorities: management, conservation, planning

Synthesis of resource data Mostly natural resources; some cultural Understanding socio-ecosystems: conceptual models Geographic distributions of conservation elements

Modeling potential resource change Climate change, development, invasive species, fire Interaction of change agents with conservation elements


HabitatDisturbance

FragmentationRemoval

Conceptual Modelslink CAs, ecological stressors and their

effects on a CE

Spatial Modelsuse geoprocessing

steps to link data to results

Conservation Elements

Change Agents

Ecological StatusScores

Existing dataModels

Tools


REA Applications

Broad-scale context for management decisions, prioritization Allocation; prioritization of conservation, restoration, mitigation Across boundaries (inter-, intra-agency, political) Understand future potential Improve management for sustainability, resistance, resilience

Planning at multiple scales Management unit, watershed, project

Context for smaller scale assessments AIM, land health assessments


REA Data On-line

Resource Methods Pros & Cons

Geoportal • Find data• Download & Open data in ArcMap• Find a map service• Download & Open in ArcMap

• Entry level GIS skills• Public• Download 1-by-1• Geoprocessing


Questions?

2016 conservation track: broad scale assessment, planning and management of public lands: blm’s...

Technology