Cooperative Riparian Management Program
March 1996
| BACKGROUND
Riparian areas typically are a reflection of the overall health of the watershed and are critical to the well-being of the communities who depend on the land for jobs, clean water, food, wood products, recreation, and many other benefits. The USDI Bureau of Land Management (ELM) and USDA Forest Service (FS) have placed a high priority on caring for the health of the land. Both agencies have recognized that riparian areas present an important opportunity to demonstrate a new approach to multiple-use management because: - riparian areas are among the first landscape features to show damage from improper management; - they make up a small percentage of the total land area in the West but provide tremendous public benefits in the form of wildlife, grazing, recreation, wood products, fish, clean -water, aquifer re-charge, and others; - a significant portion of national forest and public land riparian areas are below their potential, and therefore their capability to provide benefits is limited; and, - they often pass through or are shared by numerous landowners. A collaborative approach applied at the ground level is the only avenue to successful restoration and management. These riparian areas are in need of help to restore them to their former productivity. This will not happen by regulation, changes in the law, more money, or any of the normal bureaucratic approaches. It will only occur through the integration of ecological, economic, and social factors, and participation of affected interests. To be effective, riparian restoration and management must: - be based on common goals, objectives, and management direction for riparian areas, and perhaps, most importantly, on common sense; - promote establishment of a common vocabulary and definitions. and methods for evaluating the health and condition of riparian areas; - focus effort on those opportunities where there is a high probability for positive change with a reasonable investment; - encourage voluntary restoration of private lands; and, - ensure management and problem resolution at the ground level, by the people most affected by success or failure. This effort focuses the best interdisciplinary expertise and local interests, on results! PROGRAM ELEMENTS To meet these criteria, the program includes two elements. I. Riparian Service Team. The team will be composed of 5-7 highly credible professionals with a broad range of interdisciplinary expertise. Team members will possess a strong background in FS and BLM policy and programs, be skilled at facilitating problem solving in the public interest, have a strong ground-level orientation, and a bias for action. The team will focus on results, rather than process, and work to streamline or eliminate existing process requirements. The team leader will report to the Director of the BLM and the Chief of the Forest Service, or their designees. The Riparian Service Team is charged to provide: (1) Technology transfer and training. (2) Consulting and advisory services. (3) Program review and evaluation.
Establish and coordinate activities of an interagency training cadre. - Provide interdisciplinary training sessions on riparian assessment, interpretation, and management applications. Ensure training is accessible to federal, State, and local agencies, tribes, conservation and industry interests, and affected communities. - Serve as a clearing-house and source for literature on riparian management. - Facilitate development of a common vocabulary and definitions. - Facilitate development and application of common assessment and monitoring tools. - Sponsor interagency "internships" (i.e., temporary details) to accelerate development of skills within the work force. - Help identify priority research needs. B. Consulting/Advisory Services: - Provide strategic consulting/advisory services at the request of national/Regional/State leadership, including technical support on: - controversial issues; - policy (e, g. , establishing common goals and objectives, performance measures); and, - program development and priority setting. - Provide tactical consulting/advisory services at the request of national forests and BLM districts, to: - trouble-shoot/problem solve; - mediate disputes; and, - assist in design/implementation/application of riparian assessments. - Establish a clearinghouse for available skills to meet field needs. - In cooperation with Natural Resources Conservation Service and other agencies, respond to requests for technical riparian management assistance from the private sector. C. Review: - Respond to national/Regional/State/Field Unit requests for review, and recommend adjustments to riparian management programs and actions as appropriate - Facilitate involvement of other Federal, State, and local agencies, affected industries, and interested publics in review of riparian management efforts. - Promote accountability for, and recognition of. excellence in riparian management by agency employees and partners. II. Coordination Network: The second element involves designation of riparian coordinators for each FS and BLM organizational unit. These coordinators will be selected on the basis of their interest, technical capabilities, and interpersonal communication skills. As part of their ongoing duties, they will serve as an important extension of the Riparian Service Team by: - Working with the multi-agency training cadre. - Facilitating participation of individuals. from outside agencies, conservation and industry groups. and the affected communities. - Helping guide priority setting, project implementation, and monitoring. PROGRAM CONSIDERATIONS Communication: Strong support for this collaborative approach to riparian management must be obtained to extend the success of past efforts. The support must be broad based, including: - National, Regional, and State BLM/FS leadership. - Interested groups, including other State And Federal agencies, tribes, professional societies, and conservation and industry groups. - Key Congressional members and committee staff. Staffing: The Riparian Service Team positions will be filled an a multi-agency basis, and will be responsive to downsizing needs insofar as the position requirements can be met. Service team membership will include, but not be limited to, expertise in range management, silviculture, hydrology, soil science, wildlife, fisheries, botany, and ecology. Integration With Existing Efforts: The Riparian Service Team will work closely with related agency teams (e.g., national Aquatic Monitoring Center, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Center. Stream Team, Range Management Technical Support Group, and many others) to ensure coordination of ongoing programs. Facilities: The Riparian Service Team will be located in the BLM office in Prineville, Oregon. Funding: Funding for the FY 1996 program will be a multi-financed national commitment, Based on the assumptions on the following page, first year costs are estimated at about $350,000 exclusive of moving costs. Costs will be equally shared by the FS and BLM, Estimates for FY 1997 total approximately $650,000. Beyond FY 1997, national level funding would be incrementally reduced each fiscal year, with no national level funding provided beyond FY 2000. Costs above national level funding would be born by those benefiting from the teams' services. Cost Estimates for FY 1996 Based On: - The service team with five team members and a team leader. - Team members generally at the GS-12/13 level. - The team served by an administrative assistant. - The team housed in an existing agency facility. - Minimal need for purchase of new equipment. - Travel being a significant expense. Cost Breakdown by fiscal year:
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