Monitoring OHV Recreation in California Deserts

1
MonitoringOHV Recreation in California Deserts

• DMG Resource Inventory and Monitoring Workshop
• Palm Springs, CA
• 30 January 2002

BLM California State Office
2
Development Objectives

• Baseline Inventory Methods
• Monitoring Protocols
• Institutional Collaboration
• Database Management

BLM California State Office
3
Management Objectives

• Establish Thresholds for Action
• Meet OHV Trail Maintenance Needs
• Restore Habitats

BLM California State Office
4
Pathways to Meet Objectives

• Partnerships
• Interdisciplinary Monitoring Teams
• Technology Investments
• Information Access

BLM California State Office
5
Interagency Partnerships

• Baseline Surveys NRCS, USGS
• Monitoring Protocols USGS, CA Parks
• Restoration NPS
• Training USGS, NGOs

BLM California State Office
6
Interdisciplinary Monitoring Teams

• GIS
  Soils
  Botany
  Wildlife Biology
  Recreation Sociology

BLM California State Office
7
Technology Investments

• Digital Photography
• Remote Sensing Data
• High-Accuracy GPS Units
• GIS Landscape Ecology Analysis

BLM California State Office
8
Information Management

• Website Information Access
• Cross-Agency Data Sharing
• Standardized Data Collection
• Documentation and Analysis

BLM California State Office
9
Baseline Surveys

• Soils Jawbone-Butterbredt ACEC
• Johnson Valley OHV Area
• Chemehuevi Management Unit

BLM California State Office
10
Baseline Surveys

• Species Desert Tortoise
• Bats
• Cultural Jawbone-Butterbredt Resources ACEC

BLM California State Office
11
Monitoring Protocols

• T E / Sensitive Species
• Biological Diversity
• Ecosystem Functions
• Habitat Fragmentation
• Restoration Techniques

BLM California State Office
12
T E / Sensitive Species

• Piersons Milkvetch
• Mojave Monkeyflower
• Mohave Ground Squirrel
• Burrowing Owl

BLM California State Office
13
Biological Diversity

• Ants
• Herps
• Raptors

BLM California State Office
14
Ecosystem Functions

• Air Quality
• Surficial Geology
• Downstream Effects
• Natural Vegetation Restoration

BLM California State Office
15
Habitat Fragmentation

• Route Proliferation
• Seed-Eating Birds
• Noxious Weeds

BLM California State Office
16
OHV Trail Inventory Monitoring

• Statewide Protocol Interface GPS to GIS
  Cadastral Expertise
• Dove Springs OHV Area Eagle Lake Field
  Office Ukiah
  Field Office

BLM California State Office
17
Restoration

• Two Desert Teams
• Three Plant Communities

creosote scrub
Joshua tree woodland
riparian woodland
BLM California State Office
18
Needs

• Diversify funding sources
• Establish BLM monitoring teams Palm Springs and
  El Centro
• Coordinate with BLM monitoring efforts in Nevada
  and Arizona