BLM UT Cedar City Field Office Landscape Conservation Forecasting Model

Background: The Utah Bureau of Land Management Cedar City Field Office (CCFO) acquired funding in 2012 to provide for Landscape Conservation Forecasting vegetative monitoring study. The Nature Conservancy completed this project and issued a final report in January 2016. The initial study was located in the Bald Hills and Hamlin Valley. Landscape Conservation Forecasting consisted of three components including Maps, Measures and Models to identify specific on-the-ground management of treatment actions to improve the ecological condition of major vegetation types within the CCFO. The process identified a variety of management actions (vegetation treatment methods) that will provide a high return on investment for each vegetation type. These management actions will be utilized to achieve an improved Desired Plant Community for each ecological site in consideration of costs/budgets. Objectives: The BLM is looking to enter into an agreement with a non-federal partner in the development of science-based management strategies to provide for short-term and long-term watershed restoration efforts within the Cedar City Field Office. This partnership would help gain a better understanding about how to implement landscape scale vegetation treatments on public lands within the Mountain Home and Pine Valley areas. In order to accomplish this work, a geospatial process using satellite imagery is expected to be beneficial. Utilizing this, land managers and the partner can work to develop state and transition ecological models that will allow for the development of future project work. The objective of the project will be to provide a model to help determine where to apply funding on-the-ground in a cost beneficial manner. Public Benefit: The public benefit of the project is the development of GIS-based ecological condition data and modeling predictions about future ecological conditions under differing public land management scenarios. These data would support the development of management goals, objectives, and actions for future watershed restoration efforts. This project would also develop GIS-based modeling scenarios related to differing management and restoration strategies that include cost-benefit analyses. The public would particularly benefit from the scenario analyses as these would identify the most cost-effective strategies and technologies to conserve, protect, and enhance ecological conditions within future vegetation treatments.