Cooperative Agreement L24AC00341

THIS PROPOSAL LEVERAGES DECADES OF PARTNERSHIP BUILDING TO EXPAND BLM S EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN AND PROTECT THE AQUATIC RESOURCES OF THE BLACKFOOT WATERSHED. WORKING ACROSS JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES, THE BLACKFOOT COMMUNITY RECREATION AND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM WILL COLLECT VALUABLE INFORMATION ON RECREATIONAL IMPACTS TO AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL RESOURCES THAT TRANSCEND MULTIPLE MANAGING AGENCIES. THIS PROJECT WILL STRATEGICALLY TARGET HIGHLY TRAFFICKED RECREATION PRESSURE POINTS WITHIN THE WATERSHED, CONCENTRATED ALONG AND AROUND THE BLACKFOOT RIVER, BOTH ON BLM-MANAGED LANDS AND LAND MANAGED BY OTHER WATERSHED PARTNERS. BY TAKING A CROSS-JURISDICTIONAL APPROACH, WE ARE INCREASING OUR COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION, RECOGNIZING THAT RESOURCE IMPACTS AND MANAGEMENT DECISIONS ON ONE LAND OWNERSHIP HAVE RIPPLE EFFECTS ON OTHER OWNERSHIPS. KEY CONSERVATION BENEFITS FROM THIS PROPOSAL WILL INCLUDE: ESTABLISHING BASELINE INFORMATION ABOUT RESOURCE IMPACTS AT KEY RECREATION ACCESS POINTS ENABLING EVALUATION OF RESOURCE CONDITION TRENDS AS MANAGEMENT ACTIONS ARE TAKEN OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IMPROVING RESOURCE CONDITIONS THROUGH EDUCATION OR MANAGEMENT ACTIONS THAT CHANGE USER BEHAVIORS INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF POTENTIAL RECREATIONAL IMPACTS AND THE VALUE OF HIGH-QUALITY AQUATIC RESOURCES AND IDENTIFICATION OF OTHER DATA GAPS WHICH WILL HELP RESOURCE MANAGERS FURTHER REFINE THEIR MANAGEMENT EFFORTS.