# Presentation: 391222

## The Desert Managers Group:Working Together to Conserve  the California Deserts

- by
- John Hamill
- Department of the Interior

**Notes:**

DMG  represent a different approach to management of the deserts natural and cultural  resources

Based on the philosophy that some problems are beyond the scope of any one agency to solve--those problems will only be solved by working together to achieve common goals

Also based on recognition that can do better job with less money if we leverage resources to get the job done

Review how we got to where we are at

discuss where we are at today  -- what happening today

where we (the members of the group) would like to go from here

## 40 million people within a day’s drive

- 25 million acres – 80% public ownership
- Multi-jurisdictions
- 3 national parks
- 10 state parks
-  7 military bases
-  4 National Wildlife Refuges
- 11 million acres BLM land
- 37 Native American tribes
- 100 communities

**Notes:**
Agencies have different missions; but many common goals

Challenge is to get those agencies to talk to each other and to work on those common goals together

## DMG Background

- 1976 - FLMPA (directs DOD, DOA and DOI to consult and coordinate)
- 1994 -  Cal Desert Protection Act implementation (BLM and NPS)
- 1995 - Reinvention of Government Laboratory - (membership expanded)
- 1999 - DMG Charter approved
- 2000 -  Memo of Understanding signed

**Notes:**
Hand out the charter--

## Desert Managers Group Mission

**Develop complementary management practices and programs**
- Desert land restoration
- Recreation, visitor services
- Law  enforcement
- Data management
- Research and monitoring
**Resolve conflicts in agency missions**

## DMG Participants

**Department of Interior**
- Bureau of Land Management
- Fish and Wildlife Service
- National Park Service
- Geological Survey
**State of California**
- Department of Fish & Game
- Department of Parks
- Department of Transportation

**Department of Defense**
- Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake
- Edwards Air Force Base
- National Training Center, Fort Irwin
- Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms
- Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow
- Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma

## DMG Organization

- CulturalResource Work
- Group

- Noise andOverflightWork Group

- ScienceWork
- Group

- LawEnforcementWork Group

- DOI/DODCoordinators

- WildernessWork Group

- DesertInformationResources IWG

- Desert LandsRestorationWork Group

- HazardousMaterialsWork Group

- DataManagementWork Group

**DMG Organization**

## DMG 5 Year Plan 

- Purpose:  create common sense of purpose; provide accountability; budget planning
- Elements:
- 21 goals
- Tasks, responsibility, schedule
- Updated annually

**Notes:**
Hand out 5 year plan

can only briefly review substance-- should be enough to give flavor

## Resource Conservation

**Burro management**
**Tortoise recovery**
**Habitat  restoration**

**Illegal dump clean-up**
**Cultural resource protection**

**Notes:**
Resources don’t respect jurisdictional boundaries

Beyond scope of any single agency to address

Other issues can address most cost effectively by joining forces and combing scarce resources

Such is the case for the resouce conservation and management goals of the DMG

## Visitor Services and Safety

- Outdoor recreation
- Visitor information and education
- Noise and overflight issues
- Law enforcement

**Notes:**
Public doesn’t distinguish between different agencies

They just want to come to the desert to have a good time--they want to know what there is to do and what the rules are and feel safe

As government agencies we should be trying to make that process as easy as possible

Joint info and education products, websites, visitor centers

Overflight -  big part of military mission

Land management agencies are helping educate the public about the importance

DOD is working to help resolve issues:  Joshua Tree EIS

LE-  training and communications

## Science and Data Management

- Coordinate/integrate research, inventory & monitoring programs
- Coordinate and share data

## Just Another Year in the California Desert

- Santa Rosa/San Jacinto National Monument
- BLM  ESA Law Suit
- GMP’s completed for Death Valley NP and Mojave National Preserve
- Fort Irwin Expansion
- Timbisha-Shoshone Tribal Lands
- Cadiz Water Storage
- Airport Authorized at Stateline, Nevada

## The Future

-   	Increased Population
-  	Increased Development of Private Lands
-  	Increased Demand for Consumptive Uses
-  	Increased Demand for Resource Protection
-  	Increased Listing of T&E Species
-  	Increased Restrictions
-  	Increased Litigation
-  	Increased Expenditure of Resources for
-          Reactive vs Proactive Measures
-  	Conclusion:  Constant “Whitewater”

## Land Mgt PlansBLM - NEMO, NECO, WEMONPS  - GMP’s for Death Valley, Mojave, and Joshua TreeDOD - INRMP for Edwards, China Lakes, NTC, MC-Barstow, MC-29 Palms, MC-YumaState Parks - Colorado Desert, Mojave DesertHCP’s - Coachella Valley 

## Role of the DMG

**Networking**
**Collaboration and Partnerships**
**Ecosystem  management**
**Training**
**Uniform data collection**

## Slide 15

## DMG Accomplishments

**DMG Accomplishments**

**  ****Study of Desert Wetland and Riparian Areas**

**  ****Illegal Dumping**

**  ****Desert Tortoise Monitoring**

**  ****Millennium Conference**

**  ****Public Outreach**

**  ****Burro Management**

## Study of Desert Wetland and Riparian Areas

**Study of Desert Wetland and Riparian Areas**

## Study of Desert Wetland and Riparian Areas

**Study of Desert Wetland and Riparian Areas**

_**Accomplishments**_

**  ****Developed standard wetland**
**   ****and riparian area data **
**   ****collection protocols**

**  ****Conducted workshop on**
**    ****protocols for hydrologic **
**    ****and biologic data collection **

## USFWS Wetland Mapping

**USFWS Wetland Mapping**

_**FY 2001**_
**  ****52 – 7.5’ quads digitized**
**  ****13 – 7.5’ new quads mapped**
**  ****Acquired 13 month term position**

## DMG Accomplishments

**DMG Accomplishments**

**  ****Study of Desert Wetland and Riparian Areas**

**  ****Illegal Dumping**

## Program Goals

**Program Goals**

## FY 01 Accomplishments

## FY 01 Expenditures

**  ****DOI Coordinator            14%**

**  ****Inventory Contractor****	****    10%**

**  ****Prevention****	****                   0%**

**  ****Cleanups****	****                 76%**

_**$200,000 allocated for FY 01**_

## DMG Accomplishments

**DMG Accomplishments**

**  ****Study of Desert Wetland and Riparian Areas**

**  ****Illegal Dumping**

**  ****Desert Tortoise Monitoring**

## Desert Tortoise Monitoring

**Desert Tortoise Monitoring**

**  ****Coordinate range wide**
**    ****monitoring efforts**

**  ****Expand line distance**
**    ****sampling procedures**

**  ****Evaluate monitoring **
**    ****efforts and modify as **
**    ****necessary**

_**Purpose**_

## Desert Tortoise Monitoring

**Desert Tortoise Monitoring**

## Desert Tortoise Monitoring

**Desert Tortoise Monitoring**

_**FY 01 Accomplishments**_

## Desert Tortoise Monitoring

**BLM****	****	****	****$200 K****	****	****	****California**
**DOD****	****	****	****$169 K****	****	****	****West Mojave**
**FWS****	****	****	****$  80 K****	****	****	****Nevada**
**FWS****	****	****	****$  20 K****	****	****	****Joshua Tree NPS**
**Section 7****	****	****$180 K****	****	****	****Nevada**
**HCP****	****	****	****$  80 K****	****	****	****Utah**
**NPS****	****	****	****$  60 K****	****	****	****Mojave Preserve**
**NPS****	****	****	****$  20 K****	****	****	****Joshua Tree**
**AGFD****	****	****	****$    5 K****	****	****	****Beaver Dam Slope**

**Total****	****	****	****$814 K**

**Desert Tortoise Monitoring**

## DMG Accomplishments

**DMG Accomplishments**

**  ****Study of Desert Wetland and Riparian Areas**

**  ****Illegal Dumping**

**  ****Desert Tortoise Monitoring**

**  ****Millennium Conference**

## Millennium Conference

**Millennium Conference**

_**Purpose**_

## Millennium Conference

**Millennium Conference**

**  ****The California Deserts contain a wealth of world class cultural    **
**   ****and paleontological resources.**

**  ****These resources are disappearing at an alarming rate, they need**
**   ****more protection.**

**  ****Resources must be viewed in terms of a cultural landscape -  go **
**   ****beyond looking at them as individual sites.**

**  ****The public places great value on the cultural landscape**

**  ****There is a need for more inventory and evaluation of these resources**
**   ****as part of a long term protection strategy**

**  ****Need to develop a greater public constituency for cultural and **
**   ****paleontological resources.**

**  ****Explore opportunities for more and better shared databases.**

_**Conference Key Points**_

## DMG Accomplishments

**DMG Accomplishments**

**  ****Study of Desert Wetland and Riparian Areas**

**  ****Illegal Dumping**

**  ****Desert Tortoise Monitoring**

**  ****Millennium Conference**

**  ****Public Outreach**

## Lancaster “Gateway” Visitor Center

**Lancaster “Gateway” Visitor Center**

## Lancaster “Gateway” Visitor Center

**Lancaster “Gateway” Visitor Center**

_**Accomplishments**_

## www.californiadesert.gov

**www.californiadesert.gov**

## DMG Accomplishments

**DMG Accomplishments**

**  ****Study of Desert Wetland and Riparian Areas**

**  ****Illegal Dumping**

**  ****Desert Tortoise Monitoring**

**  ****Millennium Conference**

**  ****Public Outreach**

**  ****Burro Management**

## Burro Management

**Burro Management**

_**Program Objectives**_

## Burro Management

| Gathers Planned | 1,108 | 1,017 | 1,000 | 1,065 | 3,125 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Burros Gathered |  |  |  |  |  |
| BLM | 184 | 124 | 265 | 675 | 573 |
| NPS | 600 | 508 | 377 | 100 | 1,485 |
| BLM/NPS | 205 | 197 | 31 | 190 | 433 |
| BLM/DOD | 119 | 188 | 246 | 100 | 553 |
| Total | 1,108 | 1,017 | 919 | 1065 | 3,044 |
| Burros Placed | 1,108 | 1,017 | 817 |  | 2,942 |
| BLM Adoption | 529 | 457 | 440 |  | 1,426 |
| Interest Groups/contractors | 579 | 560 | 377 |  | 1,516 |

_**FY 99**_

_**FY 00**_

_**FY 01**_

_**FY 02**_

**  ****Program will achieve authorized management levels in 2003**

_**Total**_

## The Desert Managers Group:Working Together to Conserve  the California Deserts

- by
- John Hamill
- Department of the Interior

**Notes:**

DMG  represent a different approach to management of the deserts natural and cultural  resources

Based on the philosophy that some problems are beyond the scope of any one agency to solve--those problems will only be solved by working together to achieve common goals

Also based on recognition that can do better job with less money if we leverage resources to get the job done

Review how we got to where we are at

discuss where we are at today  -- what happening today

where we (the members of the group) would like to go from here