The WLCI is a long-term science-based effort to assess and enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitats at a landscape scale in southwest Wyoming while facilitating responsible development through local collaboration and partnerships.

This initiative entails inventory and assessment of species and habitat to determine what habitat enhancement projects, such as vegetation treatments, are necessary. The collaborative effort represented by WLCI is unique as it provides a means to address multiple concerns at a scale that considers all activities on the landscape, incorporates multiple needs in project implementation, and can leverage resources that might not be available for single agency projects

The idea began with discussions between the directors of the Wyoming Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

The mission of the WLCI is to work with partners to implement a long-term, science-based program to assess and enhance the quality and quantity of aquatic and terrestrial habitats at a landscape scale in southwest Wyoming, while facilitating responsible development of other natural resources.

Objectives are:

• Conduct efficient science-based species monitoring and habitat enhancements.
• Facilitate best reclamation and mitigation practices for areas impacted by current development actions.
• Integrate existing data with new knowledge and technologies to forecast future development of energy resources and assist in habitat conservation planning.
• Conduct habitat assessment and enhancement, as necessary, in all habitat types with a special focus on the sagebrush, mountain shrub, aspen, riparian, and aquatic communities.
• Ensure grazing management practices support a viable livestock industry and associated open spaces.
• Exchange information, data, and research findings among partners, industry, and stakeholders to optimize efforts to sustain and improve habitat conditions and long-term viability of species at a landscape scale.
• Complement existing habitat reclamation and mitigation efforts.
• Broaden our understanding of the valuable Green River Basin ecosystem.
• Identify priority needs not addressed by existing agency science and resources programs, and develop a funding strategy to meet these needs.

Science is envisioned as a tool to provide information about the WLCI area that can inform on-the-ground work done through the initiative. Scientific work conducted for the WLCI should help improve the understanding of the ecosystem and its response to various drivers of change. The USGS is leading the science effort and has compiled science strategies to help guide the science work that is conducted. The Science and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) helps apply science to on-the-ground conservation work and management. A Science Assessment developed by the USGS helps identify gaps where critical scientific information is missing. The STAC helps determine how to fill these gaps.

• Bureau of Land Management - The BLM administers approximately 8 million of the 15 million acres in the WLCI area. The BLM works with partners to implement on-the-ground actions that will enhance habitats. The BLM also monitors projects to ensure they meet the stated purposes. The agency houses the Coordination Team (CT) and is represented on the Executive Committee (EC), CT, Science and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), Data and Information Management Team (DIMT), Communication Team and Support Subcommittee.
• U.S. Geological Survey - The USGS provides integrated science and methodology to support the WLCI initiative and advance the scientific knowledge and information for informed decision-making by all WLCI partners. The agency provides research in the WLCI area and monitors at the landscape scale. The USGS leads the science effort with the WLCI Science Team and is involved in the EC, CT, STAC, DIMT and Communication Team.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - The FWS has tools for private landowners to develop conservation measures for wildlife, plants, and habitats on non-federal lands. The FWS also provides assurances to the landowner for engaging in such efforts. On-the-ground work on private lands occurs through the FWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. Additionally, the FWS expedites environmental reviews to ensure timely project completion. The FWS is included in the EC, CT, STAC, DIMT, Communication Team and Support Subcommittee.
• Wyoming Game and Fish Department - The WGFD manages over 250 wildlife species in the WLCI area. By working with private landowners, partnering agencies and other interested groups, the WGFD conducts planning and implementation to put actions on the ground that will conserve habitat and improve land management. The WGFD also inventories and monitors all wildlife in the WLCI area and provides this information to help direct prioritization of conservation actions. The WGFD is represented on the EC, CT, STAC, DIMT, Communication Team and Support Subcommittee.
• Wyoming Department of Agriculture - The WDA acts as a liaison between the WLCI and the agriculture community for project planning and provides assistance and technical support. The WDA is represented on the EC, CT, STAC and Communication Team.
• Southwest Wyoming County Commissions - The Southwest Wyoming County Commissions provide local representation and direction to the WLCI. A county commissioner is included in the Executive Committee and participates with the Support Subcommittee.
• Southwest Wyoming Conservation Districts - The Southwest Wyoming Conservation Districts provide local representation to the WLCI and help with technical expertise and project development at the ground level. A representative from the area’s eight conservation districts sits on the Executive Committee and participates with the Support Subcommittee.
• USDA Forest Service -The FS administers 2.3 million acres of the 15 million acres in the WLCI area. The FS works with partners to implement on-the-ground actions that enhance habitats and monitors projects to ensure they meet their purpose. The FS is represented on the EC, STAC, Communication Team and Support Subcommittee.
• National Park Service -The NPS provides technical assistance to the WLCI effort, including representation on the STAC and Support Subcommittee.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service - The NRCS provides assistance with project planning and technical support to the initiative. The agency is represented on the Support Subcommittee.
• Bureau of Reclamation - The BOR provides assistance with project planning and technical support to the initiative. The agency is represented on the Support Subcommittee.
• University of Wyoming - The University of Wyoming is represented on the DIMT and helps with research in the WLCI area.
• Other Supporters - Additional support is being received by agencies and other groups through project planning and technical support. Some of these supporters include the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Jonah Interagency Mitigation and Reclamation Office, Wyoming State Land Board, and private landowners.

 

Multiple agencies work together and form various teams and committees to accomplish work for the WLCI.

• An Executive Committee composed of government executives and elected officials provides the guidance and decision-making authority for the WLCI.
• An interagency Coordination Team is based in Rock Springs and manages the daily operations of the initiative and maintains regular contact with partners at the field level.
• The Coordination Team works with the Support Subcommittee, which is represented by agencies in the WLCI area, to develop conservation actions and work with local communities.
• The USGS has a Science Team that develops and conducts the majority of the science work for the WLCI.
• The interagency Science and Technical Advisory Committee helps apply science to on-the-ground management and conservation actions.
• The Data and Information Management Team shares the information gathered and generated through the WLCI and pulls together resources and tools that assist with information management and data analysis.
• The Communication Team shares the message about WLCI work and provides outreach for the initiative.

Southwest Wyoming encompasses some of the highest quality wildlife habitats in the Intermountain West. Sagebrush, mountain shrub, aspen, riparian, and aquatic communities provide critical habitat for mule deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, greater sage-grouse, and a variety of non-game species. Estimated populations of wildlife in the area include 100,000 mule deer, 40,000 elk, 100,000 pronghorn antelope, 8,000 moose, and 1,400 bighorn sheep. The WLCI area also has the highest density of the greater sage-grouse within the species’ western range. However, wildlife and other resources are threatened by the increasing development of energy and other activities in the southwestern Wyoming landscape. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has identified 151 non-game species of greatest conservation need in southwest Wyoming based on declining populations and habitats. The land ownership of southwest Wyoming, which includes a large amount of public lands, allows for opportunities to influence the future health of wildlife populations and the multiple uses of lands.

Based on these considerations, the decision was made to focus WLCI efforts on southwest Wyoming. However, the science, technology, models, and management actions developed and applied in southwest Wyoming should be transferable to other areas through the Western U.S. that are undergoing similar changes due to development and natural changes.

A landscape is a land area composed of a diversity of habitat types which encompass year-round fish and wildlife needs, such as winter range or migration corridors. Access to a variety of habitat types and seasonal ranges within a landscape is essential for wildlife to find food and shelter and to rear their young. The greatest value of wildlife conservation is achieved when wildlife enhancement is conducted at a landscape scale. The WLCI is a landscape initiative, or an organized and coordinated strategy, that addresses wildlife and other natural resources across the landscape of southwest Wyoming.

A Data and Information Management Team provides resources that assist with information sharing and data analysis. Through efforts of the USGS and cooperation of the partner agencies, past monitoring and project information from all available sources is compiled and assessed. Assessments of this data help focus WLCI conservation work and identify critical data gaps for future scientific work. In the future, as additional scientific information is gathered through the WLCI and other research, our understanding of the WLCI area will become clearer so that conservation actions and management can be more informed.

The WLCI considers all development activities in southwest Wyoming, including energy development, in designing and locating future enhancements. The focus of the WLCI is to assess and enhance habitats and work with partners, including industry, to maintain the world class wildlife resources in the area.

The WLCI initially is focusing on areas and actions that, based on current knowledge, are not expected to be compromised by major future developments. Habitat improvements are an important conservation tool, but other tools such as conservation easements are also being considered. In addition, the WLCI shares data and information to facilitate implementation of the least detrimental forms of development, best reclamation practices and required mitigation.

The WLCI recognizes that southwest Wyoming is an active and important source of natural gas. The area also has important coal resources and other minerals such as trona and uranium.

The USGS and the BLM evaluate existing data on mineral, energy and other land uses. They also collect and develop new information and tools to forecast future mineral and energy potential as well as other land uses.

Project consideration includes an assessment of potential development actions from all types of activities. Project locations and areas where future potential development actions might occur are being identified and mapped. Although technology for accessing minerals is continually changing, every effort is made to ensure that the value of conservation actions will not be negated by future development.

The WLCI provides resources for various wildlife and habitat conservation projects. Initial projects on federal lands have fit within the scope of existing federal land management plans. As this is a long-term initiative, over time some planning documents may be updated. The WLCI Coordination Team will address each project individually at the local level as the initiative progresses. The Coordination Team will stay apprised of any changes to existing planning documents.

The Fiscal Year 2008 (FY 08) budget provides funding for the WLCI through the Healthy Lands Initiative (HLI) at levels of $1.5 million for the USGS, $1.5 million for the FWS and $1.25 million for the BLM. President Bush’s FY 09 HLI budget request includes $5 million for the USGS and $2 million for the FWS in the WLCI area. This FY 09 HLI request also includes $15 million for the BLM, a portion of which will be allocated to the WLCI. Other sources of funding are also being considered and may include new state and federal appropriations, special mitigation accounts, trust funds, non-governmental organization and industry contributions, cost shares, other independent donations, and an endowment to aggregate and administer funds.

The WLCI is hopeful congressional appropriations will continue for a number of years, but for the effort to be successful over the long term, additional non-federal funding is desirable. The Executive Committee is developing mechanisms to access and manage these needed resources.

Long-term sustainability will depend upon local partnerships and long-term contracts and agreements. As previously noted, the WLCI is looking for opportunities to secure long-term funding, part of which may be used for maintenance.

Monitoring needs and methods are identified for projects as part of the project planning and development process. Implementation monitoring is conducted by the group that is primarily responsible for a project. The USGS conducts effectiveness monitoring on past and current projects and looks at the performance of the WLCI at the landscape scale. The USGS and WLCI partners identify monitoring needs and develop objectives and standardized protocols to evaluate whether conservation projects are achieving their intended objectives.

Implementation of on-the-ground projects began in 2007 through BLM funding. The vision is for WLCI conservation actions to increase gradually and become more strategic over time as landscape-wide scientific information becomes more available.

Environmental analyses have been and will be completed for all projects. Currently, these analyses are anticipated to be documented in Environmental Assessments (EAs) and categorical exclusions. EAs may also tier to existing Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) such as those prepared for BLM land use plans. Should the need for an EIS be identified, the appropriate processes and procedures will be followed to complete the document.

The mission of the WLCI is to implement a long-term, science-based program to assess and enhance habitats at a landscape scale in southwest Wyoming. While this effort necessarily involves executive oversights and procedures, actual implementation is the responsibility of a multi-agency Coordination Team based in the BLM Rock Springs Field Office that works with local, on-the-ground stakeholders. This team is responsible to ensure projects are implemented with the engagement of public partners. The Coordination Team works closely with a Support Subcommittee that is comprised of existing agency personnel who conduct project development and implementation at the ground level. Other WLCI teams and committees leverage existing agency resources at multiple levels so each agency’s strengths can contribute to the success of the WLCI.

Working with partners such as private land owners is important because the WLCI will be most successful when the entire landscape, including both public and private lands, is enhanced. Local interests are represented through the participation of the southwest Wyoming county commissioners and conservation districts on the Executive Committee and Support Subcommittee. The public is invited to attend and participate in WLCI Executive Committee meetings, which are held every few months. The WLCI holds workshops periodically that allow for public participation. Comments and ideas for how to improve WLCI work are encouraged and can be provided through the Web site http://www.wlci.gov/feedback. The WLCI Coordination Team can be contacted at the BLM Rock Springs Field Office at (307) 352-0256.

The intent of the WLCI is to enhance the landscape of southwest Wyoming, including both public and private lands. Work on private lands should begin during FY 08 through the FWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. Additional work on private lands may occur if a project affects both public and private lands.

Currently the WLCI is focused on southwest Wyoming. Those operators with operations in both the WLCI area and adjacent states can still participate in activities that may occur in southwest Wyoming. There are no immediate plans to expand the initiative into a larger area or outside of Wyoming.

There are many laws and regulations involving the use and disposition of water used in energy development and extraction. If there are opportunities to develop water, the WLCI could certainly look at them, but all projects need to be consistent with the goals and objectives of this initiative.

'Cooperator' denotes primarily government entities that share information and plans and have been recognized in the WLCI Memorandum of Understanding and have agreed to provide support to WLCI on an as-required basis.

The CSI is an industry led effort to conserve sagebrush ecosystems. The two efforts are complementary but are not directly related. The CSI is working to develop a market-based system to encourage industry to perform sagebrush restoration through incentives including: 1) assurances and 2) credits. The process of measuring “widgets” to gain credits and defining the economic value of habitat enhancement has yet to be determined. The WLCI differs from the CSI by looking at key wildlife habitats (i.e., riparian, mountain shrub, aspen, sagebrush, and aquatic) for opportunities for enhancements and improved wildlife use. No conservation credit system is included in the WLCI.

Federal and State WLCI partners retain all responsibilities for compliance with law, rules, and regulations as they relate to WLCI objectives and activities. This includes but is not limited to Wyoming Standards for Healthy Rangelands.

Currently comments may be submitted on our Web site at http://www.wlci.gov/feedback or mailed to WLCI, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901.

You may contact the WLCI Coordination Team at the BLM Rock Springs Field Office at (307) 352-0256 or WLCI, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901.