The nature conservancys (TNC) proposal increases the scope and speed of low-tech process-based restoration (ltpbr) in key western watersheds to support healthy riverscapes and intact sagebrush…

The nature conservancys (TNC) proposal increases the scope and speed of low-tech process-based restoration (ltpbr) in key western watersheds to support healthy riverscapes and intact sagebrush ecosystems. This multistate proposal includes efforts in montana, wyoming, idaho, colorado, oregon, and utah where TNC has existing partnerships with BLM offices and can accelerate implementation of ltpbr methods on public and private lands by increasing awareness, acceptability, and training for techniques in local communities. Through our proposal, we will work closely with the BLM in up to seven landscapes to make riparian and wet meadow low-tech restoration more visible, widespread, accessible, affordable, and effective. Thesecommunity-based riparian restoration engagements will last five years, successively building upon experience and partnerships to complete a total of more than 100 multiple-feature installations of beaver DAM analogues, low-tech rock structures, and related riparian and wet meadow restoration projects in three prioritized HUC-10 watersheds in each geography. Development of priorities, design, permitting, clearance, implementation, and monitoring will all be done in close coordination with local BLM district and field offices, in addition to regular reporting to the BLM HQ aquatics division. Most of these project implementation steps from design to implementation will be achieved through contracts administered by TNC project managers in each geography. TNC will conduct monitoring to support BLM assessments of condition and trend through the riverscapes consortium. Annual workshops in each geography will be opportunities for local communities to build capacity to sustain efforts long-term. We are planning for one significant subaward to the sublette county conservation district in wyoming for the project manager position, along with contract and implementation dollars. These geographies will connect through a community of practice to share learning and identify opportunities and recommendations for how the BLM can design solutions to capacity gaps, permitting bottlenecks, project costs, and outcome performance. The community of practice will be a forum to work with the BLM and other partners on the science and communication of the benefits of ltpbr projects. By the end of the proposal, TNC will work with BLM to tell positive stories about ltpbr successes and identify how and where local collaboratives can maintain riparian restoration engagements, including finding additional funding to support on-going efforts. Through policy recommendations and process streamlining identified in the community of practice, this proposal will help the BLM ramp up the scale of ltpbr implementation to improve drought and wildfire resiliency in watersheds west wide.