Title: Partnership Conservation Efforts
1Partnership Conservation Efforts
- To conserve the
- Fluvial Arctic Grayling
Tim Griffiths- NRCS Biologist Bozeman, Montana
2Purpose and Need
- To conserve TWO potentially endangered species.
3Fluvial Arctic Grayling
- Conserve Fluvial Arctic Grayling Habitat
(Candidate Species).
4Big Hole Valley Ranchers
- Maintain sustainable agricultural operations in
the Upper Big Hole Valley
5Upper Big Hole Statistics
- Big Hole Watershed is 1,785,600 acres
- Project covers 382,200 acres of private land
- 87 Miles of the Big Hole River
- 292 non-federal landowners
- 132 landowners with property adjacent to the Big
Hole River or one of its tributaries
6Fluvial Arctic Grayling Habitat
Historic Missouri River and Tributaries
(upstream of Great Falls)
Current upper Big Hole River 4 of the Historic
Range
7Upper Big Hole Valley
- High elevation (6200 feet valley bottom)
- Cold climate (5-15 frost free days)
- Irrigated using wild flood techniques.
8Upper Big Hole ValleyMajor Land Uses
- Irrigated Hay Land
- Irrigated Pasture Land
- Native Range Land
9Grayling Life History
- Live 5-6 Years - Migrate Long Distances - Cold
Water - High Quality Pools - Aggressive Feeders
10Reproduction
- Spring/ Broadcast Spawners
- Erosive/Depositional/Scoured gravels
- Very Fragile
- Access to Stream Margins
- Fast Growth
11Threats to the Fluvial Arctic Grayling
12Threats to the Fluvial Arctic Grayling
13Threats to the Fluvial Arctic Grayling
- Entrainment in irrigation ditches
14Threats to the Fluvial Arctic Grayling
15Add to the mix
- EXTREME prolonged drought
Extreme Drought
WET DRY
16A Coordinated Partnership was born
- Partners have worked together to develop a
strategy to enhance grayling habitat and support
grayling recovery while maintaining the
sustainability of the Big Hole Valley Ranches.
17Conservation Partners
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks
- Montana Department of Natural Resources
Conservation Service - US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Local watershed council and River Foundation
- Trout Unlimited
- Big Hole Valley Landowners
18Main Goals
- Ensure survival and sustainability of Arctic
Grayling - Ensure continued sustainable ranching community.
- Provide assurances to landowners that ESA listing
(if it occurs) will not add uncertainty to
ranching operations.
19Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances
- for the Fluvial Arctic Grayling
- in the upper Big Hole Valley
20 Purpose of the CCAA
- To encourage non-federal landowners to
voluntarily implement proactive conservation
measures to benefit grayling - To secure and enhance populations of grayling
within the upper Big Hole Valley - By providing landowners regulatory assurances
that management activities will not be changed
beyond the remedies identified in their
site-specific plan should grayling become listed
21Umbrella Agreement
- Decrease workload and paperwork associated with
writing individual CCAAs. - Increase efficiency of developing and
implementing site-specific plans. - Decrease time needed for review (FWS).
22Fish Wildlife Service (ESA)
CCAA Document
NRCS
MT Fish, Wildlife Parks (Enhancement of
Survival Permit)
Trout Unlimited
DNRC
Watershed and River Foundation
Landowners
site-specific plan
site-specific plan
Landowners (Certificate of Inclusion)
Landowners (Certificate of Inclusion)
23Site Specific Plan
- Minimum Landowner commitment is 10 years
- Address all threats to grayling within the
landowners control on enrolled property - These are really very detailed NRCS Resource
Management System (RMS) plans. - Prescribed Grazing
- Nutrient Management
- Irrigation Water Management
- Fish passage/entrainment
24Landowners
- Agree to implement site-specific plan.
- Allows agency access for monitoring of fish
populations, entrainment, and plan compliance.
25NRCS
- Develops RMS level program neutral Conservation
plans for individual ranches outlining required
management and facilitating practices. - Completes NEPA for each enrolled ranch.
- Offers financial incentives through farm bill
cost share programs. - Monitors riparian area health every 5 years.
- Helps fund partnership through contribution
agreements, CPI Grants, etc.
26FWP
- Administers Enhancement of Survival Permit and
Certificates of Inclusions. - Conducts monitoring of fish populations
- Conducts entrainment surveys.
- Completes annual status reviews.
27DNRC
- Monitors river flows at each management
segment. - Assists in negotiating water diversion
reductions. - Monitors water right compliance.
28CCAA and NASCAR?
Fuel and assurances
NRCS and DNRC are the Pit Crew
Driver Montana FWP and landowners
Sponsor Government Agencies
29(No Transcript)
30Expected Program Achievements
- Elimination of Migration Barriers for the fluvial
Arctic Grayling - Minimization of Entrainment
- Sustainable Riparian Areas
- Improved Stream flows
- Sustainable Ranching
31Expected Level of Participation
32Environmental Quality Incentives Program
- Special Initiative for the
- fluvial Arctic Grayling
33EQIP Assistance to Landowners
- 500,000 set aside for upper Big Hole Valley
- 50-75 Cost-Share Program
- Contract term 13 months to 10 years
34Priority 1 Migration Barriers Water Control
- Diversion, Dam
- Water Control Structures
- Water Measuring Devices
- Fish Passage
35Priority 2 Alternate Water Sources
- Well
- Spring Development
- Pipeline
- Watering Facility
- Animal Trails and Walkways
36Priority 3 Riparian Health
- Riparian Forest Buffer
- Fence
- Prescribed Grazing
- Use Exclusion
37Priority 4 Water Quality
- Nutrient Management
- Waste Utilization
- Waste Treatment Strip
- Waste Storage Facility
- Fence
- Watering Facility
38Conclusions
- You can relate just about anything to NASCAR.
- Landowner buy-in is CRITICAL.
- Complex issues require buy-in from Partners.
- Quality technical assistance is imperative.
- Financial incentives is needed to cost-share
completed Conservation plans.
39Questions?