Wildlife tracts project narrativethe BLM and the idaho department of fish and game (idfg) have agreed to cooperatively manage BLM lands designated as wildlife tracts (parcels identified and set…

Wildlife tracts project narrativethe BLM and the idaho department of fish and game (idfg) have agreed to cooperatively manage BLM lands designated as wildlife tracts (parcels identified and set apart under the sikes act wildlife programs) for the benefit of wildlife. The tracts are interspersed throughout the agricultural landscape of south-central idaho and are often the only parcels of public land remaining as permanent wildlife habitat in and adjacent to agriculture. The BLM and idfg recognized the importance of the tracts and formed a cooperative wildlife management program (cwmp) for protection and enhancement of this wildlife habitat. These tracts are used extensively by wildlife and recreationists. The primary objective of the wildlife tracts technician during year 1 of this project (CY 2025) will be to conduct ground-truthing surveys on prioritized wildlife tracts to validate the results of the idfg prioritization completed in 2022. The primary objective of the wildlife tracts technician during year 2 of this project (CY 2026) will be to implement habitat improvement projects on 3 mid-high priority wildlife tracts. The nature and scope of habitat improvement projects will be determined after year 1 (CY 2025) surveys are completed however, this work will likely be focused on invasive noxious weed treatments, as invasive noxious weeds are abundant across the wildlife tracts.IRA restoration landscape: invasive annual grass treatmentshoshone basin is one of the few places in southern idaho that has not become overrun with the invasion of cheatgrass. The area selected for herbicide treatment still has a healthy stand of perennial bunch grasses which would allow US to defend the core and have a fighting chance to keep IT from spreading further into the basin. The presence of cheatgrass increases threat of wildfire while also out competing native vegetation needed for big game and sage grouse survival. Treatment sites will be monitored by idfg staff through photo points and fine scale photo data before, during, and after the project is complete. IRA restoration landscape: riparian restoration the selected area to complete riparian restoration is located in priority sage grouse habitat and contains numerous active LEK sites. Riparian restoration efforts will be implemented utilizing low tech restoration which will hold more water on the landscape, preserve IT later into the summer, and improve stream conditions. Mesic habitats, such as these, are crucial during the sage grouse brood rearing period to provide an adequate food source for young developing chicks. In addition, research has shown that a large portion of sage grouse LEK sites were within six miles of wet habitats (wlfw). Riparian restoration efforts will be monitored by idfg staff using photo points before, during, and after the project is complete. IRA restoration landscape: sagebrush and bitterbrush restorationsagebrush bitterbrush communities in southern idaho support diverse plant and wildlife populations, many of which are identified as BLM sensitive species. Additionally, these lands serve as public lands and provide a variety of recreational opportunities. Unfortunately, these sagebrush systems are being degraded on a massive scale as exotic annual grasses invade these systems and increase the frequency of fire and competition for resources. Sagebrush and many other native plants are not adapted to shorter intervals between fires and this native vegetation has been lost on many of these sites, decreasing their suitability for sagebrush-dependent wildlife. The removal of sagebrush from entire landscapes has created a need for shrub restoration programs to ensure the future viability of sagebrush ecosystems. While several alternatives exist for restoring sagebrush communities, the transplanting of seedlings has been effectively used to increase survival (lysne 2005).