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Approved Resource Management Plan

Table of Contents

Introduction RMP-1

Purpose and Need RMP-1

Planning Area RMP-1

Planning Issues RMP-2

Issues Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study RMP-6

Legislative Constraints RMP-8

Consideration of Other BLM Plans and Policies RMP-8

Plan Implementation RMP-9

Immediate Decisions RMP-9

One-Time Decisions RMP-9

Long-Term Guidance/Life of Plan Direction RMP-9

Maintaining the Plan RMP-9

Changing the Plan RMP-10

Plan Evaluation RMP-10

Management Decisions RMP-11

Tribal Rights and Interests RMP-13

Resources RMP-13

Air and Atmospheric Values RMP-13

Geologic Features RMP-14

Soil Resources RMP-14

Water Resources RMP-15

Vegetation Communities RMP-16

Upland Vegetation RMP-16

Riparian Areas and Wetlands RMP-21

Fish and Wildlife RMP-23

Fish RMP-23

Wildlife RMP-24

Special Status Species RMP-26

Noxious Weeds and Invasive Plants RMP-29

Wildland Fire Ecology and Management RMP-30

Wildland Fire Management RMP-30

Fuels and Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation (ES&BAR) RMP-33

Wild Horses RMP-35

Paleontological Resources RMP-36

Cultural Resources RMP-36
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Visual Resources RMP-38

Lands with Wilderness Characteristics RMP-40

Resource Uses RMP-40

Livestock Grazing RMP-40

Recreation RMP-44

Transportation and Travel RMP-47

Land Use Authorizations RMP-50

Land Tenure RMP-53

Minerals RMP-55

Leasable Minerals RMP-55

Salable Minerals RMP-58

Locatable Minerals RMP-59

Special Designations RMP-60

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) RMP-60

Upper Bruneau Canyon ACEC RMP-60

Lower Bruneau Canyon ACEC RMP-61

Salmon Falls Creek ACEC RMP-61

Sand Point ACEC RMP-62

National Historic Trails (NHTs) RMP-63

Wilderness . RMP-64

Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSRs) RMP-65

Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) RMP-66

Social and Economic Features RMP-66

Social and Economic Conditions RMP-66

Hazardous Materials RMP-67

Interpretation, Outreach, and Environmental Education RMP-67

Monitoring Implementation and Effectiveness of RMP Decisions RMP-68

List of Preparers RMP-72

List of Tables

Table 1. Section Codes RMP-11

Table 2. Decision Type Codes RMP-12

Table 3. Examples of Codes Used in the RMP. RMP-12

Table 4. Monitoring Strategy for Assessing Effectiveness of RMP Decisions RMP-69
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INTRODUCTION

This Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) replaces the 1987 Jarbidge Resource Management 

Plan and is now the base land use plan for public lands administered by the BLM's Jarbidge Field Office. 

The Approved RMP adopts the management described in Alternative VI (Proposed Plan) and the 

Management Common to All Alternatives section presented in the Proposed Jarbidge RMP/Final 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (BLM, 2014), with adjustments as described in the Notice of 

Modification and Clarification sections of the Record of Decision (ROD). 

Purpose and Need

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) requires the BLM to “develop, maintain, and 

when appropriate, revise land use plans” (43 USC 1712[a]). In general, the purpose of this RMP is to 

provide a comprehensive framework for the BLM’s management of public lands within the planning area 

and its allocation of resources pursuant to the multiple-use and sustained yield mandate of FLPMA. This 

RMP is needed in order to address a number of new issues that have arisen since the preparation of the 

1987 Jarbidge RMP.

Specifically, the purpose of the Jarbidge RMP is to provide overall management and long-term direction 

for lands and resources administered by the Twin Falls District, Jarbidge Field Office that will:

Maintain consistency with FLPMA, which includes:

Recognizing the nation’s need for domestic sources of minerals, food, timber, and fiber from the 

public lands;

Preserving, where appropriate, lands in their natural condition;

Providing food and habitat for fish, wildlife, and domestic animals; and

Providing for outdoor recreation, human occupancy, and use;

Ensure public lands are managed according to the principles of multiple use and sustained yield;

Provide an overview of goals, objectives, and needs associated with public land management;

Resolve multiple-use conflicts or issues between resource values and resource uses;

Maintain or improve ecosystem functions;

Promote diversity and resilience of biological resources including special status species;

Preserve important cultural, historical, and physical resources;

Provide opportunities for sustainable uses of public lands; and 

Address other issues and management concerns raised during the scoping process.

The revised Jarbidge RMP will be comprehensive in nature and will address specific issue categories 

identified through agency, interagency, and public scoping efforts.

The need to revise the Jarbidge RMP arose from numerous changes in circumstances since the current 

land use plan decisions were adopted in 1987. In 2001, an evaluation of the existing RMP concluded that

there was a need for an updated plan (BLM, 2001). The following list of specific factors illustrates the 

need for preparation of an updated RMP:

Changes in ecological, social, and economic conditions;

Changes in user demands and impacts that require new management direction;

New laws, regulations, and policies that created additional public land management considerations; 

and

Requirements identified in the September 30, 2005, Stipulated Settlement Agreement in the case of 

Western Watersheds Project v. Ellis et al. (Case No. CV-04-181-S-BLW) (D. Idaho).

Planning Area

The Jarbidge RMP planning area boundary coincides with the boundary of the BLM Jarbidge Field Office. 

The boundary extends from the Bruneau River on the west to Salmon Falls Creek on the east, and from 

the Snake River on the north to the northern boundaries of the BLM Elko Field Office and the HumboldtToiyabe National Forest on the south (Map 1). It includes parts of Elmore, Owyhee, and Twin Falls 
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Counties in south-central Idaho and Elko County in northern Nevada. Although these counties have a 

combined population of approximately 165,000 (US Census Bureau, 2013b), Hot Springs, Indian Cove, 

Murphy Hot Springs, Three Creek, and Roseworth are the only communities within the planning area; 

each has a population of less than 100 people.

The boundary for the planning area has changed from the area covered by the 1987 RMP. Approximately 

250,000 acres north of the Snake River, now in the Four Rivers Field Office, and approximately 40,000 

acres to the northeast, now part of the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, were 

included in the 1987 RMP, but are no longer part of the Jarbidge Field Office. In addition, approximately 

13,000 acres were withdrawn in 1998 to create the US Air Force Juniper Butte Training Range. 

Approximately 4,000 acres were transferred to the National Park Service by the Arizona-Idaho 

Conservation Act (Public Law 100-696) in 1988 to create the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. 

Acreage and other numbers in the 1987 RMP may not be directly comparable to the current planning 

effort due to these changes.

The planning area is located in the northern part of the Basin and Range Province of the Great Basin in 

Nevada and in the Snake River Plain, which lies in the southern portion of the Columbia River Basin in 

Idaho. The Columbia River Basin is the primary drainage basin in the northwestern United States and has 

a total drainage area of approximately 214,000 square miles (FWS, 1995). In July 1993, President Bill 

Clinton requested land management agencies develop a scientifically sound, ecosystem-based strategy 

for forest and rangelands east of the Cascade Mountains. The resulting Interior Columbia Basin 

Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP) increased the scientific understanding of ecosystem 

processes and functions in the basin and led to a better awareness that many forest, range, riparian, and 

aquatic ecosystems are becoming less resilient and, as a result, some plant and animal species 

dependent on these ecosystems are declining (Quigley and Arbelbide, 1997; Wisdom et al., 2000). 

ICBEMP provides a regional framework for public lands management throughout the Columbia River 

Basin and is being used as a reference in the revision of the Jarbidge RMP.

The planning area is known for its geology of broad, gently rolling plateau lands with deeply incised rivers, 

which provide a variety of scenic values and habitats used by numerous fish, plant, and wildlife species. 

The majority of the planning area supports sagebrush steppe and seeded grasslands, mostly from fire 

rehabilitation projects. Water availability influences the distribution of plant communities and is based on 

the rain shadow effect, distribution of soil types, slope, and aspect. Dry lowland areas support salt desert 

shrub communities, which change to sagebrush steppe with increasing elevation and moisture. At higher 

elevations, juniper, aspen, and mountain mahogany are present. A few areas contain limber pine and 

subalpine fir. Surface water is generally limited to scattered perennial springs and creeks. Creeks are 

typically located in the deeper draws and canyons.

Planning Issues

Planning issues are points of disagreement, debate, or dispute with a proposed action based on some 

anticipated environmental effect or differences in opinion as to how a resource or use should be 

managed. They reflect trade-offs associated with different land management strategies. Because 

resources and uses within the planning area are interdependent, issues often overlap. Issues were used 

to help develop alternatives in the Jarbidge Draft RMP/EIS. The Draft RMP/EIS also identifies 

management direction and analyzes impacts to topics not identified as planning issues. Management 

direction is provided for these topics as required by BLM Handbook H-1601-1, Land Use Planning, and 

generally does not vary by alternative, except as the topics relate to planning issues.

The planning issues for the Jarbidge RMP resulted from concerns expressed during tribal consultation 

and internal and external scoping. Preliminary planning issues were presented for public review and 

comment in the January 2006 Notice of Intent (71 FR 1551). The BLM solicited additional public 

comments through scoping meetings, RMP newsletters, and the RMP website. The concerns expressed 

by the public were briefly summarized in the Scoping Report for the Jarbidge Resource Management 

Plan (BLM, 2006), and a set of draft planning issues were presented in the January 2007 RMP 

newsletter. The BLM continued to receive scoping comments from the public throughout the development 

of the Draft RMP/EIS. Internal scoping occurred through formal and informal meetings of the RMP 
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Interdisciplinary Team. The Analysis of the Management Situation for the Jarbidge Resource 

Management Plan illustrates many of the concerns raised through internal scoping (BLM, 2007a). 

All comments and concerns expressed during the scoping process were considered in the development 

of the planning issues for the Jarbidge RMP. This section presents those planning issues in greater detail. 

Planning issues are categorized by topic. Each topic is followed by a summary of the major concerns 

expressed during scoping. Issues are presented as questions to help characterize the major components 

of the issue. 

Issue Topic 1: Vegetation (Upland and Riparian)

Issue Subtopic 1a: Fuels Treatment, Fire Rehabilitation, and Fire Suppression

Concerns Expressed During Scoping

Restore vegetation to native plant communities to reduce the threat of fire.

Restore natural processes to native and non-native plant communities to reduce the threat of fire.

Seed non-native perennials in targeted areas to reduce the threat of fire.

Increase permitted livestock grazing use to reduce the threat of fire.

Use targeted grazing, prescribed fire, greenstrips, or brush treatments to reduce fuels.

Do not use targeted grazing, prescribed fire, greenstrips, or brush treatments to reduce fuels.

Implement fuels treatments to protect Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).

Only implement fuels treatments in WUI if private landowners have treated their own property.

Do not build new or temporary fences in burned areas and pull livestock back to existing fences after 

fire.

Use temporary fences to address long-term management goals.

Specify removal dates for temporary facilities.

Realign or reconfigure permanent fences after fire to reduce impacts to wildlife.

Suppress fires using Appropriate Management Response.

Designate the planning area for full suppression.

Focus suppression efforts in areas of high ecological value, such as Greater sage-grouse (sagegrouse) habitat, and areas at risk to invasion by noxious weeds and invasive plants.

Aggressively suppress fires in the northern third of the planning area.

Issues

What types of fuels treatments will be implemented?

Where will fuels treatments be focused?

What role will temporary facilities play in fire rehabilitation?

Which areas will have the highest priority for fire suppression?

Issue Subtopic 1b: Habitat for Fish, Wildlife, and Special Status Plants and Animals

Concerns Expressed During Scoping

Focus vegetation management on fish and wildlife concerns.

Focus vegetation management on livestock concerns.

Focus restoration activities on maintaining existing habitat instead of increasing potential habitat.

Restore the entire planning area to its original natural condition.

Improve special status species habitat.

Maintain special status species habitat at the minimum level required to sustain the species.

Maintain or restore riparian areas and wetlands to meet or exceed proper functioning condition.

Maintain a mosaic of riparian functional ratings.

Maintain, restore, or connect sagebrush habitats.

Thin dense sagebrush stands.

Restore areas through active vegetation treatments.

Restore areas by managing uses.

Use only native species in restoration activities.
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Consider using non-native species in restoration activities.

Use targeted grazing as a tool in restoration activities.

Do not use targeted grazing as a tool in restoration activities.

Require rest after restoration activities.

Do not restrict uses after restoration activities.

Manage access and uses to benefit fish, wildlife, and special status species.

Manage access and uses to benefit commodity use.

Restore annual plant communities and seedings to native communities.

Maintain existing seedings and convert annual plant communities to seedings.

Emphasize prevention of new invasions over control of existing populations of noxious weeds and 

invasive plants.

Emphasize control of existing populations of noxious weeds and invasive plants over prevention of 

new invasions.

Maintain sage-grouse habitat at the minimum level required to sustain the species.

Improve, maintain, restore, or connect sagebrush habitats for sage-grouse.

Issues

What are the desired outcomes for upland and riparian vegetation?

What tools will be used to achieve the desired outcomes for upland and riparian vegetation?

What strategies will be used to address noxious weeds and invasive plants?

What types of restoration treatments will be implemented? 

Which areas have a high priority for restoration activities?

What restrictions on uses will be used to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife?

How will BLM management activities and authorized and allowed uses be managed to protect special 

status species and their habitats?

Issue Subtopic 1c: Livestock Forage

Concerns Expressed During Scoping

Increase the amount of forage allocated to livestock and decrease the allocation to wildlife and 

watershed.

Maintain the amount of forage allocated to livestock, wildlife, and watershed.

Decrease the amount of forage allocated to livestock and increase the allocation to wildlife and 

watershed.

Maintain the amount of forage allocated to wild horses.

Do not allocate forage to wild horses.

Allocate 100% of shrub and forb production to watershed and wildlife.

Allocate 50% of shrub and forb production to watershed and wildlife.

Maintain or improve existing non-native perennial communities.

Remove or restore non-native perennial communities.

Increase the acres of non-native perennial communities.

Use vegetation treatments, including brush control, to improve or increase forage for livestock.

Do not treat vegetation solely to improve or increase forage for livestock; do not allow brush control or 

monoculture seedings.

Issues

How much vegetation will be allocated to watershed, wildlife, wild horses, and livestock?

How will non-native perennial communities be managed?

What vegetation treatments will be allowed for maintaining, improving, or increasing forage for 

livestock?

Issue Topic 2: Livestock Grazing

Concerns Expressed During Scoping

Grazing should be allowed.
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Grazing should not be allowed.

Limit domestic sheep grazing.

Allow grazing in the majority of the planning area.

Do not allow grazing in large portions of the planning area.

Eliminate grazing in sensitive or degraded areas.

Eliminate grazing in the least damaged areas.

Eliminate or reduce grazing in areas with resource concerns such as sage-grouse, California bighorn 

sheep (bighorn sheep), wild horses, special designations, weeds, riparian areas, and highly erodible 

soil.

Allow grazing in bighorn sheep habitat.

Manage livestock grazing to optimize utilization of forage.

Manage livestock grazing to protect vegetation and wildlife.

Minimize the impacts of grazing on water quality, weeds, wildlife, and vegetation.

Allow grazing year round.

Do not allow grazing year round.

Do not allow grazing during the winter or during breeding and nesting periods for sage-grouse and 

migratory birds.

Remove range infrastructure.

Do not allow more range infrastructure.

Maintain or increase range infrastructure to improve livestock management.

Modify range infrastructure to reduce impacts to wild horses, wildlife, watershed, soil, visual 

resources, and other uses.

Avoid decisions that may harm the financial well-being of the ranching community.

Spend more money on restoration and habitat enhancement than grazing management.

Recognize grazing as part of the custom, culture, and economy of rural communities within the 

planning area.

Recognize the social and economic value of non-commodity resources.

Issues

What areas are available for livestock grazing?

How will livestock grazing be managed to meet the Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health and 

Guidelines for Livestock Management?

What constraints will be placed on livestock grazing?

What range infrastructure will be allowed?

How will range infrastructure be managed to improve livestock management and benefit resources?

Issue Topic 3: Recreation

Concerns Expressed During Scoping

Allow motorized recreation throughout the planning area.

Close large areas to motorized vehicle use and eliminate cross-country travel.

Provide opportunities for different types of motorized recreational uses and experiences.

Emphasize and expand non-motorized recreational opportunities.

Minimize impacts to resources from recreation.

Minimize user conflicts (i.e., motorized vs. non-motorized, public land vs. private land).

Maximize commercial recreation opportunities.

Prohibit organized off-highway vehicle events in the Saylor Creek Wild Horse Herd Management Area 

and special status species habitat.

Maintain, improve, or increase campgrounds, trails, and recreation facilities.

Special Recreation Management Areas (SRMAs) should be designated.

SRMAs should not be designated.

Issues

Where will motorized recreation be allowed?
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What constraints will be placed on recreational activities?

How will special recreation permits (SRPs) be managed?

Where will SRMAs be designated?

Issue Topic 4: Energy Development

Concerns Expressed During Scoping

Prohibit wind energy projects and utility corridors.

Allow wind energy projects and utility corridors.

Do not allow wind energy projects and utility corridors in key habitats (i.e., sage-grouse habitat).

Allow wind energy projects and utility corridors throughout the planning area.

Minimize impacts to resources, values, and existing uses from energy development.

Issues

How much energy development will be allowed?

Where will energy development be allowed?

What constraints will be placed upon energy development?

Issue Topic 5: Areas of Critical Environmental Concern

Concerns Expressed During Scoping

Re-designate existing Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs).

Do not re-designate existing ACECs.

Designate various numbers of new ACECs.

Do not designate new ACECs.

Modify ACEC boundaries.

Use ACEC designation to protect unfragmented native vegetation; wildlife habitat; special status 

species; paleontological, archaeological, and historic sites; geologic features; and other resource 

values.

Do not use ACEC designation to protect critical habitat.

Designate ACECs of sufficient size to protect ecosystems.

Do not designate ACECs that limit multiple uses.

Issue

Which existing and nominated ACECs will be designated?

Issues Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study

A number of comments were submitted regarding issues and concerns that are not addressed in the 

RMP because they can be addressed through policy or administrative action or because they are beyond 

the scope of the Jarbidge RMP. Comments on these items are valuable and appreciated, even though 

they will not be directly addressed in the RMP. These comments will be considered where appropriate 

when decisions are made on implementation plans, proposed projects, or day-to-day management.

Issues beyond the Scope of the Plan

Certain comments were beyond the scope of the RMP. This included comments that were requests for 

actions beyond the BLM’s authority or jurisdiction. For example, some participants requested that 

“authority” or “deference” be granted to Local Sage-Grouse Working Groups; while this is not within the 

BLM’s authority, the BLM coordinates with the groups and their recommendations were considered when 

developing alternatives and analyzing impacts. Several comments requested actions on issues that are 

managed by other Federal or State agencies, such as water rights, hunting seasons, fish stocking, wildlife 

reintroductions, animal control, and critical habitat designation, while other comments requested items 

that would require Congressional action (e.g., wilderness designation). Also included in this category 

were requests for action on public lands outside the planning area, on lands not managed by the BLM in 

the planning area, or on issues that do not occur in the planning area. The Jarbidge RMP will not 

establish management for any of these situations.
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Some comments were classified as beyond the scope of the RMP because they would be more 

appropriately addressed at the implementation level. These were often site-specific requests for particular 

projects. For example, there were several requests for specific range infrastructure and specific seasons 

of use and permitted use for livestock; these topics are discussed at a more general level in the RMP. 

There were also requests for using specific grazing use indicators and criteria (e.g., utilization, bank and 

surface alteration, stubble height) and specific livestock grazing management tools (e.g., grazing 

systems, herding, kind of livestock, stocking rates, rest, changing allotment boundaries) in specific areas 

or situations; these, too, are discussed at a more general level in the RMP.

Many comments were about prescribed fire, fuels treatments, and fire rehabilitation. Guidelines and 

criteria for these and other types of vegetation treatment methods (e.g., mechanical, chemical, biological) 

are discussed in the RMP as part of the toolbox for vegetation management, but site-specific projects will 

be addressed at the implementation level or in response to a specific wildland fire.

There were multiple requests for the BLM to include a detailed travel management plan (TMP), including 

road and trail designation, route closures, signage, and road maintenance within the RMP. The RMP 

addresses travel and transportation management planning at a broader scale, including travel 

designations (i.e., open to cross-country motorized vehicle use, limited to designated routes or ways, 

closed to motorized vehicle use), Travel Management Areas, and criteria for route designation; however, 

the TMP will be completed after the signing of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Jarbidge RMP.

There were also comments requesting specific procedures, such as data collection, analysis, mitigation, 

and adaptive management, for unspecified future implementation-level actions; these are discussed in 

the context of management actions that will guide future implementation-level actions.

Other comments were considered beyond the scope of the RMP because they were requests for data 

collection or analysis that are not required in or are not relevant to the RMP.

Issues Addressed through Administrative or Policy Action

Some comments would be more appropriately addressed by administrative action or current laws, 

regulations, or policies. For example, comments suggesting improving communications between the BLM 

and the public, collaborating with the public and other agencies, repairing broken signs, correcting 

mapping errors, or verifying property boundaries can be addressed administratively in day-to-day 

management. Other topics in this category include: law enforcement, BLM administrative boundaries, 

seed collection, monitoring, recreation site maintenance, and road maintenance agreements.

Similarly, the concerns expressed in some comments can be addressed through current laws, 

regulations, or policies. Several comments provided suggestions for how to conduct the social and 

economic analyses for the RMP; while their suggestions were considered, the RMP’s social and 

economic analyses follow the process outlined in BLM Handbook H-1601-1 as agreed to in the Stipulated 

Settlement Agreement. There were also multiple comments regarding management of livestock grazing 

that are addressed by the BLM’s grazing regulations and policies (e.g., ownership of range infrastructure, 

enforcement of grazing permit terms, qualifications for grazing permits, retirement of grazing permits, and 

grazing fees). Other concerns that can be addressed by law, regulation, or policy include: BLM 

procedures and processes, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation required for 

specific actions subsequent to the ROD, timeframes for Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area 

Rehabilitation (ES&BAR) plans, and bonding for authorized uses. 

Finally, some comments were not addressed in the RMP because it would be contrary to current law, 

regulation, or policy. This includes requests such as making land use plan level decisions through 

implementation-level plans, redefining terminology related to transportation, prescribing specific post-fire 

rest timeframes, and not recognizing valid existing rights. Not addressing wilderness characteristics in the 

RMP would conflict with direction in BLM Handbook H-1601-1. Requests for management of Wilderness 

Study Areas (WSAs); eligible, suitable, or designated Wild and Scenic Rivers; and the Oregon National 

Historic Trail (NHT) that would be inconsistent with policy were not addressed. Lastly, BLM policy does 
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not allow for designating new WSAs or updating the special features of WSAs in the land use planning 

process.

Legislative Constraints

The FLPMA is the primary authority for the BLM’s management of public lands. This law provides the 

overarching policy by which public lands are managed and establishes provisions for land use planning, 

land acquisition and disposition, administration, range management, rights-of-way (ROW) designation, 

management area designation, and the repeal of certain laws and statutes. NEPA provides the basic 

national charter for environmental responsibility and requires the consideration and public availability of 

information on the environmental impacts of major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the 

human environment. In concert, these two laws provide the guidance for all activities on the public lands 

administered by the BLM.

CONSIDERATION OF OTHER BLM PLANS AND POLICIES

The following BLM land use plans for lands adjacent to the planning area have been considered in the 

development of this RMP:

Bennett Hills/Timmerman Hills Management Framework Plan,

Bruneau Management Framework Plan,

Cascade Resource Management Plan,

Cassia Resource Management Plan,

Kuna Management Framework Plan,

Monument Resource Management Plan,

Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area Resource Management Plan,

Twin Falls Management Framework Plan, and

Wells Resource Management Plan.

An RMP revision is in progress for the Four Rivers Field Office. The revised Four Rivers RMP will replace 

the Cascade RMP and portions of the 1987 Jarbidge RMP and Kuna Management Framework Plan. 

RMP revisions for the Bruneau, Shoshone, and Burley Field Offices in Idaho are scheduled to start in the 

next few years. An RMP revision for the Wells Field Office in Nevada is scheduled to start in 2015. These 

RMP revisions will replace several existing land use plans such as the Bruneau, Bennett Hills/Timmerman 

Hills, Magic, Sun Valley, and Twin Falls Management Framework Plans and the Cassia, Monument, and 

Wells RMPs.

The Jarbidge Proposed RMP/Final EIS is consistent with the following Programmatic EISs and Records 

of Decision (RODs):

Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan Amendments for Geothermal Leasing in the 

Western United States, 2008;

Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on Lands in 17 Western States Programmatic EIS Record of 

Decision, 2007;

Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments/Record of Decision for Designation of Energy

Corridor on BLM-Administered Lands in the 11 Western States, 2009;

Record of Decision Implementation of a Wind Energy Development Program and Associated Land 

Use Plan Amendments, 2005; and

The Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project, 2004. 

In the event there are inconsistencies or discrepancies between previously approved plans and this 

Approved RMP, the decisions contained in the Approved RMP will be followed. The Jarbidge Field Office 

will continue to tier to statewide, national, and programmatic EISs and other NEPA and planning 

documents, as well as consider and apply Best Management Practices or other management protocols 

contained in other planning documents after appropriate site-specific analysis. 
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All future resource authorizations and actions will conform to, or be consistent with the decisions 

contained in this Approved RMP. All existing operations and activities authorized under permits, 

contracts, cooperative agreements or other authorizations will be modified, as necessary, to conform with 

this plan within a reasonable timeframe. However, this plan does not repeal valid existing rights on public 

lands. A valid existing right is a claim or authorization that takes precedence over the decisions 

developed in this plan. If such authorizations come up for review and can be modified, they will also be 

brought into conformance with the plan. 

While the Final EIS for the Jarbidge RMP constitutes compliance with NEPA for the broad-scale decisions 

made in this Approved RMP, BLM will continue to prepare Environmental Assessments (EAs) and 

Environmental Impacts Statements (EISs) where appropriate as part of implementation level planning and 

decision-making.

PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

Plan implementation is a continuous and active process. Implementation of some management actions 

and decisions identified in this plan will be contingent upon actual funding and priorities. Decisions 

presented in the Management Decisions section of this Approved RMP are of three types: Immediate, 

One-Time, and Long-Term. 

Immediate Decisions 

These decisions go into effect upon signature of the Jarbidge RMP ROD. These include decisions such 

as the allocation of lands as available or unavailable for livestock grazing, ACEC designations, and travel

allocations. Immediate decisions require no additional analysis and provide the framework for any 

subsequent activities proposed in the planning area. Proposals for actions such as ROW applications, 

land tenure adjustments, and other allocation-based actions will be reviewed against these 

decisions/allocations to determine if the proposal is in conformance with the plan. 

One-Time Decisions 

These types of decisions include those that are implemented after additional site-specific analysis is 

completed. Examples are implementation of the recommendations to withdraw lands from locatable 

mineral entry or development of a travel management plan, habitat management plan, or a special 

recreation management area plan. One-time decisions usually require additional analysis and are 

prioritized as part of the BLM budget process. 

Priorities for implementation of "one-time" RMP decisions will be based on several criteria, including: 

 current and projected resource needs and demands; 

 National and Statewide BLM management direction and program emphasis; and 

 funding.

Long-Term Guidance/Life of Plan Direction 

These decisions include the goals, objectives, and management actions established by the plan that are 

applied during site-specific analyses and activity planning. This guidance is applied whether the action is 

initiated by the BLM or by a non-BLM project proponent. Long- term guidance and plan direction is 

incorporated into BLM management as implementation level planning and project analysis occurs. 

Examples are vegetation restoration and watershed assessment. 

Maintaining the Plan 

Land use plan decisions and supporting information can be maintained to reflect minor changes in data, 

but maintenance is limited to refining, documenting, and/or clarifying previously approved decisions. 

Some examples of maintenance actions include: 
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Correcting minor data, typographical, mapping, or tabular data errors; 

Refining baseline information as a result of new inventory data (e.g., changing the boundary of an 

archaeological district, refining the known habitat of special status species or big game crucial winter 

ranges, or adjusting the boundary of a fire management unit based on updated fire regime condition 

class (FRCC) inventory, fire occurrence, monitoring data, and/or demographic changes); and

Applying an existing oil and gas lease stipulation to a new area prior to the lease sale based on new 

inventory data (e.g., apply an existing protective stipulation for sage-grouse to a newly discovered 

sage-grouse lek). 

The BLM expects that new information gathered from field inventories and assessments, research, other 

agency studies, and other sources will update baseline data and/or support new management 

techniques, best management practices, and scientific principles. Adaptive management strategies may 

be used when monitoring data is available as long as the goals and objectives of the plan are met. Where 

monitoring shows land use plan actions or best management practices (BMPs) are not effective, 

modifications or adjustments may occur without amendment or revision of the plan as long as 

assumptions and impacts disclosed in the analysis remain valid and broad-scale goals and objectives are 

not changed. 

Plan maintenance will be documented in supporting records. Plan maintenance does not require formal 

public involvement, interagency coordination, or the NEPA analysis required for making new land use 

plan decisions. 

Changing the Plan 

The Approved RMP may be changed, should conditions warrant, through a plan amendment or plan 

revision process. A plan amendment may become necessary if major changes are needed or to consider 

a proposal or action that is not in conformance with the plan. The results of monitoring, evaluation of new 

data, or policy changes and changing public needs might also provide the impetus for an amendment. 

Generally, an amendment is issue-specific. If several areas of the plan become outdated or otherwise 

obsolete, a plan revision may become necessary. Plan amendments and revisions are accomplished with 

public input and the appropriate level of environmental analysis.

Plan Evaluation 

Evaluation is a process in which the plan and monitoring data are reviewed to see if management goals 

and objectives are being met and if management direction is sound. Land use plan evaluations determine 

if decisions are being implemented, whether mitigation measures are satisfactory, whether there are 

significant changes in the related plans of other entities, whether there is new data of significance to the 

plan, and if decisions should be changed through amendment or revision. Monitoring data gathered over 

time is examined and used to draw conclusions on whether management actions are meeting stated 

objectives, and if not, why. Conclusions are then used to make recommendations on whether to continue 

current management or to identify what changes need to be made in management practices to meet 

objectives. 

BLM will use land use plan evaluations to determine if the decisions in the RMP, supported by the 

accompanying NEPA analysis, are still valid in light of new information and monitoring data. Evaluation of 

the RMP will generally be conducted every five years, unless unexpected actions, new information, or 

significant changes in other plans, legislation, or litigation triggers an evaluation. The following estimated

evaluation schedule will be followed for the Jarbidge RMP: 

September 2020, 

September 2025, 

September 2030, and 

September 2035. 

Evaluations will follow the protocols established by the BLM Land Use Planning Handbook (H-1601-1) or 

other appropriate guidance in effect at the time the evaluation is initiated. 
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MANAGEMENT DECISIONS 

This section of the Approved RMP presents the goals and objectives, land use allocations, and 

management actions established for public lands managed by the BLM's Jarbidge Field Office. These

management decisions are presented by program area. A monitoring section is also included for each 

program to describe how the program decisions will be tracked to ensure implementation. 

The Draft RMP/EIS and Proposed RMP/Final EIS identified Desired Future Conditions for several 

programs, which are included in this Approved RMP as Objectives. Most of the identified objectives are 

long- range in nature and will not be achieved immediately, but rather are assumed to require a period of 

20 to 50 years to achieve. Some of the sections from the Draft RMP/EIS and Proposed RMP/Final EIS

have been combined or reorganized for ease in reference, but the content remains as contained in the 

Proposed RMP/Final EIS, except as described in the Notice of Modifications and Clarifications sections of 

the ROD. 

Data used in development of the Approved RMP are dynamic. The data and maps used throughout the 

Approved RMP are for land use planning purposes and will be refined as site-specific planning and onthe-ground implementation occurs. Updating data is considered plan maintenance which will occur over 

time as the RMP is implemented (see the section on Plan Implementation). 

Topics presented fall under five major categories: Tribal Rights and Interests, Resources, Resource Uses, 

Special Designations, and Social and Economic Features. Sections under these categories identify the 

specific topics being addressed (e.g., cultural resources, livestock grazing, National Historic Trails). 

Guidance for a specific resource, use, or designation is generally provided in the corresponding section; 

however, additional plan direction may also be included under another section. For this reason, any 

management action will apply to any future proposed action or activity, regardless of the organizational 

heading under which it appears in this document. For example, a special designation may contain 

restrictions related to livestock grazing. These restrictions may not necessarily be represented in the 

livestock grazing section, but will still apply to any future livestock grazing actions in that designation. 

The intent of any reference in the alternatives to regulations or policy is that BLM will follow regulations or 

policies in place at the time implementation actions are taken.

Each goal, objective, allocation, and management action in this RMP was assigned a reference code. 

Codes are broken into three components for easy identification of the section, decision type, and order of 

appearance in the document. 

The first component of the reference code is used to identify the section. The codes and their 

corresponding sections are identified in Table 1. 

Table 1. Section Codes

Code Section

TI Tribal Rights and Interests

AAV Air and Atmospheric Values

GE Geologic Features

SR Soil Resources

WR Water Resources

UV Upland Vegetation

RI Riparian Areas and Wetlands

FI Fish

WI Wildlife

SS Special Status Species

NW Noxious Weeds and Invasive Plants

WFM Wildland Fire Management

FE Fuels and Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation (ES&BAR)
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Code Section

WH Wild Horses

PR Paleontological Resources

CR Cultural Resources

VR Visual Resources

WC Lands with Wilderness Characteristics

LG Livestock Grazing

REC Recreation

TR Transportation and Travel

LA Land Use Authorizations

LT Land Tenure

LE Leasable Minerals

SA Salable Minerals

LO Locatable Minerals

ACEC Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs)

NHT National Historic Trails (NHTs)

WSR Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSRs)

WSA Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs)

WD Wilderness

SE Social and Economic Features

HM Hazardous Materials

IOE Interpretation, Outreach, and Environmental Education

The second component of the code identifies the decision type. The codes and their corresponding 

decision type are identified in Table 2. In some cases, a goal and objective are combined and coded as 

“G”.

Table 2. Decision Type Codes 

Code Decision Type

G Goal

O Objective

A Allocation

MA Management Action

The third component of the code identifies the order in which the item appears within a section, 

alternative, and decision type. Sequential numbering is used for this section. Examples illustrating the 

coding system are provided in Table 3.

Table 3. Examples of Codes Used in the RMP.

Code Section Decision Type Order of Appearance

UV-G-1 Upland Vegetation Goal 1st Goal for Upland Vegetation 

SS-O-2 Special Status Species Objective 2nd Objective for Special Status 

Species 

LG-MA-4 Livestock Grazing Management Action 4th Management Action in Livestock 

Grazing

Some management actions reference the use of toolboxes. A “toolbox” is a set of allowable uses or 

treatment options that can be used to achieve objectives without being too prescriptive. 

Acreages and mileage used in the RMP are approximate. For example, data from a geographic 

information system have been used in developing acreage and calculations and are rounded to the 
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nearest 1,000 acres, except in the Upland Vegetation sections which are rounded to the nearest 2,500 

acres. Readers should not infer that they reflect exact measurements or precise calculations. 

Tribal Rights and Interests

Goals and Objectives

TI-G-1. Manage public lands to protect resources and values associated with Native American treaty 

rights. 

TI-G-2. Manage natural and cultural resources of importance to the tribes in a manner that respects tribal 

beliefs, traditions, and values.

TI-G-3. Protect the physical condition of sacred sites and traditional cultural properties and preserve tribal 

access to such sites.

Management Actions

TI-MA-1. Consult with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in accordance with 

BLM policy and other authorities. Consultation will be an ongoing process between BLM and the tribes, 

within the context of general management of public lands and programs, as well as specific proposals 

that may affect natural and cultural resources of importance to the tribes.

TI-MA-2. Identify the effects of decisions on vegetation, fish, wildlife, mineral, and water resources of 

importance to the tribes, through consultation, and seek ways to lessen or avoid impacts. 

TI-MA-3. Work collaboratively with the tribes regarding the identification and management of traditional 

cultural properties.

TI-MA-4. Provide general information to staff and contractors regarding existing and historic uses of the 

planning area by the tribes, Federal government trust responsibilities, and the importance of Native 

American treaty rights in order to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of tribal rights and 

interests related to public land management. 

Resources

Air and Atmospheric Values 

Goal

AAV-G-1. Ensure BLM management activities and authorized uses maintain the quality of the planning 

area's air resources.

Objective

AAV-O-1. Maintain the quality of air resources and limit impacts to air quality to meet National Ambient 

Air Quality Standards and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality air quality standards.

Management Actions

AAV-MA-1. Manage the planning area airshed as Class II unless it is reclassified by the State through the 

process prescribed in the Clean Air Act.

AAV-MA-2. Ensure BLM management activities and authorized uses, including prescribed fire, are 

designed to comply with Federal, State, and local air quality regulations, classifications, and standards.

AAV-MA-3. Minimize impacts of smoke from prescribed fires to sensitive areas such as the Class I 

airshed of the Jarbidge Wilderness (on US Forest Service-managed land), non-attainment areas, and 

communities adjacent to the planning area.
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AAV-MA-4. Coordinate with the Montana-Idaho Airshed Group Smoke Management Program or its 

equivalent for all actions related to prescribed fire. 

AAV-MA-5. Develop dust abatement stipulations for BLM-authorized construction and maintenance 

activities that have the potential to exceed State air quality standards.

AAV-MA-6. Design BLM activities and authorized uses to minimize night time light intrusions (e.g., 

modifications to the structure and timing of lighting).

AAV-MA-7. Design BLM activities and authorized uses to comply with State requirements for noise 

management. 

Geologic Features 

Goal

GE-G-1. Manage unique geologic features for their tribal, scientific, recreational, and educational values.

Objective

GE-O-1. Protect unique geologic features and provide opportunities for their use and enjoyment.

Management Actions

GE-MA-1. Protect unique geologic features from human-caused damage or extraction.

GE-MA-2. Conduct and maintain a cave inventory with participation from the tribes and interested 

organizations to identify and compile quantitative and qualitative data on cave resources and to determine 

cave significance in accordance with the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988.

GE-MA-3. Based on the results of the cave inventory, designate significant caves and protect their 

resources.

GE-MA-4. Set management objectives and setting prescriptions for significant caves.

Soil Resources 

Goal and Objective

SR-G-1. Manage resources and uses to maintain or enhance biological and physical functions and 

stability of soils.

Management Actions

SR-MA-1. Minimize soil erosion by maintaining perennial vegetation cover based on site potential.

SR-MA-2. Design construction, maintenance, and land treatments to reduce impacts to soils. 

SR-MA-3. Collaborate with County Highway Districts to reduce impacts from road maintenance along 

stream corridors and in areas of highly erosive soils.

SR-MA-4. Reduce the erosive effects of transportation and travel by modifying routes or mitigating the 

impacts (e.g., water bars or control structures) where problems are identified.

SR-MA-5. Revegetate or stabilize areas where BLM management activities or authorized uses have 

resulted in unanticipated erosion.

SR-MA-6. Where new road construction or reconstruction occurs, the location and design shall minimize 

soil erosion, including closure or decommissioning of the road if the need for the road is temporary.

SR-MA-7. Soil and snow shall not be side cast into surface waters during road maintenance.
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RMP-15

SR-MA-8. Mitigate impacts of BLM management activities and authorized and allowed uses on soils with 

moderate, severe, or very severe potential for wind erosion or with medium or high potential for water 

erosion for watershed and ecosystem health.

SR-MA-9. Develop and implement an erosion control strategy and topsoil storage or restoration plan for 

new land use authorizations, Special Recreation Permits, and mineral exploration and development 

involving surface disturbance on slopes 20% to 40% or on soils with moderate, severe, or very severe 

potential for wind erosion or with medium or high potential for water erosion. No surface disturbance from 

these activities will be allowed on slopes greater than 40%.

Water Resources

Goal

WR-G-1. Maintain or improve the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of water resources.

Objective

WR-O-1. Make progress towards meeting Federal and State water quality standards.

Management Actions

WR-MA-1. Priority streams for restoration of water quality include streams containing special status 

species and their habitat (Map 10), fish-bearing streams, and water quality impaired stream (data 

maintained by Idaho Department of Environmental Quality [DEQ] and Nevada Division of Environmental 

Protection [NDEP]). 

WR-MA-2. Prevent or mitigate the impacts of BLM management activities and authorized and allowed 

uses on water quality to comply with Federal and State water quality regulations.

WR-MA-3. Modify or suspend BLM management activities and authorized and allowed uses that are a 

factor in not meeting water quality standards.

WR-MA-4. Where applicable, incorporate best management practices to maintain and improve water 

quality (Appendix A). Recommendations may be implemented from State water quality plans to achieve 

the goal and objective (e.g., Idaho Agricultural Pollution Abatement Plan).

WR-MA-5. Consider new water development projects and improvements to existing water development 

projects if impacts to water and riparian resources can be mitigated; see the Livestock Grazing section for 

additional guidance on water developments. See the Wildland Fire Ecology and Management section for 

guidance on water developments for fire suppression activities.

WR-MA-6. Consult or coordinate with the tribes and with Federal, State, and local agencies when 

determining location and designs for new water development projects.

WR-MA-7. Coordinate with Idaho Department of Water Resources, DEQ, and NDEP to identify 

opportunities to mitigate impacts of water management on public land resources.

WR-MA-8. Where total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for water quality restoration are developed, land 

management activities will be consistent with the water quality restoration plan and TMDLs.

WR-MA-9. Water bodies that are supporting beneficial uses (e.g., cold water biota, salmonid spawning, 

recreation, and agriculture) will be managed to meet or exceed State regulations.

WR-MA-10. Consult or coordinate as appropriate with tribal, Federal, State, and local governments to 

identify and secure instream flows needed to maintain riparian resources, channel conditions, and aquatic 

habitat.

WR-MA-11. Apply chemicals (i.e., herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, and other toxicants) in a manner 

that does not impair water quality or prevent attainment of objectives for riparian areas and wetlands and 

avoids adverse effects on inland non-game fish and their habitat. When applying chemicals in a Riparian 
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Conservation Area (RCA), a spill kit will be onsite as appropriate. Prohibit storing and mixing chemicals 

within RCAs unless there are no other practical alternatives.

WR-MA-12. Prohibit storage of fuels and other toxicants and refueling within RCAs unless there are no 

other practical alternatives. Any refueling sites and/or storage areas within an RCA will have an approved 

refueling and spill containment plan.

Vegetation Communities 

Upland Vegetation

The Upland Vegetation section outlines goals and objectives for vegetation treatments. Management 

actions for restoration treatments, treatments for annual communities, and treatments for perennial 

communities are described in this section. Treatments for weeds and fuels are in the Noxious Weeds and 

Invasive Plants and Wildland Fire Ecology and Management sections.

For management purposes, the 55 vegetation communities in the planning area were grouped into five 

vegetation sub-groups (VSGs) based on the dominant vegetation and community structure as well as 

similarity in management objectives. Map 3 displays existing vegetation as of 2011. The five VSGs are: 

Annual communities – dominated by invasive annual grasses; includes communities with and 

without a shrub overstory.

Non-Native Perennial communities – dominated by non-native perennial grasses; some also have 

an overstory of four-wing saltbush or rabbitbrush.

Non-Native Understory communities – dominated by non-native perennial grasses in the 

understory; have an overstory of Wyoming big sagebrush, basin big sagebrush, black sagebrush, or 

low sage.

Native Grassland communities – dominated by native perennial grasses; do not have a shrub 

overstory.

• Native Shrubland communities – dominated by native perennial grasses in the understory; have a 

shrub overstory; also includes aspen, juniper, and mountain mahogany communities which are 

present in small, scattered inclusions within other native shrubland communities.

Unvegetated areas – include breaks, barren areas, and sand dunes.

The planning area was divided into Vegetation Management Areas (VMAs) A, B, C, and D, creating westeast bands across the planning area based on potential natural community, elevation, and mean annual 

precipitation (Map 3). 

Goals

UV-G-1. Manage upland vegetation communities to promote soil stability, water infiltration, nutrient 

cycling, and energy flow; provide habitat for sage-grouse and other sagebrush steppe obligates; and 

provide for multiple use.

UV-G-2. Manage vegetation to restore the ability of the ecosystem to recover following a disturbance and 

reduce fragmentation of habitat for sage-grouse and other native species.
Approved Resource Management Plan

A Acres are based on 2011 vegetation data, are rounded to the nearest 1,000 

(or to the nearest 50 if under 1,000) and represent BLM-managed lands only.

VMA A

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Objective

VMA A

UV-O-1. Manage vegetation to achieve the VSG acres (+/- 5%) described below: 

Vegetation Sub-Group 

(VSG)

Current 

Number of 

AcresA

Desired 

Number of 

Acres

Annual Communities 83,000 56,000

Non-Native Perennial 

Communities 94,000 96,000

Non-Native Understory 

Communities 3,000 3,000

Native Grassland 

Communities 34,000 42,000

Native Shrubland 

Communities 5,000 22,000

Unvegetated Areas 2,000 2,000

Management Actions

VMA A

UV-MA-1. Treat approximately 33% of annual communities. Annual communities will be restored to native 

shrubland in wildlife tracts, the Lower Bruneau Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), 

and the Oregon National Historic Trail (NHT) protective zone. Half of the annual communities within the 

Deadman and Yahoo Special Recreation Management Areas will be treated using fire-tolerant native and 

non-native species.

UV-MA-2. Restore approximately 5% of non-native perennial communities to native shrubland. 

Treatments will focus on the wildlife tracts, the Oregon NHT, and the Lower Bruneau Canyon ACEC. 

Actively maintain the remainder of the non-native perennial communities for livestock. Within the Saylor 

Creek Herd Management Area, the perennial community will be maintained for wild horses and livestock.

UV-MA-3. Unburned non-native understory and native shrubland communities will not be a focus for 

active restoration treatments. Non-native understory and native shrubland communities will be a priority 

for post-fire treatment. 

UV-MA-4. Unburned native grassland communities will not be a focus for active restoration treatments. 

Native grassland communities will be a priority for post-fire treatment. Natural succession of shrubs will be 

allowed throughout native grassland communities.
Approved Resource Management Plan

A Acres are based on 2011 vegetation data, are rounded to the nearest 1,000 

(or to the nearest 50 if under 1,000) and represent BLM-managed lands only.

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Objective

VMA B

UV-O-2. Manage vegetation to achieve the VSG acres (+/- 5%) described below:

Vegetation Sub-Group 

(VSG)

Current 

Number of 

AcresA

Desired 

Number of 

Acres

Annual Communities 39,000 10,000

Non-Native Perennial 

Communities 212,000 73,000

Non-Native Understory 

Communities 19,000 76,000

Native Grassland 

Communities 211,000 106,000

Native Shrubland 

Communities 125,000 341,000

Unvegetated Areas 24,000 24,000

Management Actions

VMA B

UV-MA-5. Treat approximately 75% of annual communities. Areas adjacent to native grassland and 

shrubland communities will be restored to native shrubland; areas adjacent to non-native perennial 

communities will be treated with non-native species.

UV-MA-6. Restore approximately 20% of non-native perennial communities to native shrubland, focusing 

on areas adjacent to native communities. Introduce shrubs into approximately 30% of non-native 

perennial communities, focusing on areas adjacent to native communities. Natural succession of shrubs 

will be allowed in the remainder of the non-native perennial communities.

UV-MA-7. Restore approximately 33% of non-native understory communities to native shrubland, 

focusing on areas adjacent to native communities. The remainder of the non-native understory 

communities may be treated to introduce forbs to the understory for sage-grouse and pollinators.

UV-MA-8. Restore approximately 33% of non-native understory communities to native shrubland, 

focusing on areas adjacent to native communities. The remainder of the non-native understory 

communities may be treated to introduce forbs to the understory.

UV-MA-9. Restore approximately 50% of native grassland communities to native shrubland. Treatments 

will focus on areas that will expand or connect native shrubland communities. Natural succession of 

shrubs will be allowed throughout native grassland communities.

UV-MA-10. Native shrubland communities may be treated to introduce forbs and late-seral grasses to the 

understory. 
Approved Resource Management Plan

A Acres are based on 2011 vegetation data, are rounded to the nearest 1,000 

(or to the nearest 50 if under 1,000) and represent BLM-managed lands only.

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Objective

VMA C

UV-O-3. Manage vegetation to achieve the VSG acres (+/- 5%) described below:

Vegetation Sub-Group 

(VSG)

Current 

Number of 

AcresA

Desired 

Number of 

Acres

Annual Communities 2,000 2,000

Non-Native Perennial 

Communities 46,000 30,000

Non-Native Understory 

Communities 26,000 17,000

Native Grassland 

Communities 150,000 37,000

Native Shrubland 

Communities 78,000 216,000

Unvegetated Areas 11,000 11,000

Management Actions

VMA C

UV-MA-11. Treatment of annual communities will be limited due to the location of these areas at canyon 

bottoms and within the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness and Lower Salmon Falls Creek Wilderness 

Study Area (WSA). Localized treatments may be used when necessary.

UV-MA-12. Restore approximately 33% of non-native perennial communities to native shrubland, 

focusing on sage-grouse habitat, big game winter range, and areas adjacent to native communities. Treat 

the remaining non-native perennial communities to introduce shrubs focusing on sage-grouse, bighorn 

sheep, and slickspot peppergrass habitat; natural succession of shrubs will also be allowed in non-native 

perennial communities.

UV-MA-13. Restore approximately 50% of non-native understory communities to native shrubland, 

focusing on areas adjacent to native communities. The remainder of the non-native understory 

communities may be treated to introduce forbs to the understory.

UV-MA-14. Restore approximately 75% of native grassland communities to native shrubland. Treatments 

will focus on areas that will expand or connect native shrubland communities. Natural succession of 

shrubs will be allowed throughout native grassland communities.

UV-MA-15. Native shrubland communities may be treated to introduce forbs and late-seral grasses to the 

understory.
Approved Resource Management Plan

A Acres are based on 2011 vegetation data, are rounded to the nearest 1,000 

(or to the nearest 50 if under 1,000) and represent BLM-managed lands only.

VMA D 

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Objective

VMA D

UV-O-4. Manage vegetation to achieve the VSG acres (+/- 5%) described below:

Vegetation Sub-Group 

(VSG)

Current 

Number of 

AcresA

Desired 

Number of 

Acres

Annual Communities 1,000 500

Non-Native Perennial 

Communities 4,000 0 

Non-Native Understory 

Communities 12,000 5,000

Native Grassland 

Communities 80,000 40,000

Native Shrubland 

Communities 97,000 149,000

Unvegetated Areas 11,000 11,000

Management Actions

UV-MA-16. Restore approximately 50% of annual communities to native shrubland, focusing on Taylor 

Pocket and areas near China Creek.

UV-MA-17. Restore approximately 75% of non-native perennial communities to native shrubland; 

treatment will focus on areas adjacent to native shrubland communities. The remaining non-native 

perennial communities will be treated to introduce shrubs; natural succession of shrubs will be allowed 

throughout non-native perennial communities.

UV-MA-18. Restore approximately 67% of non-native understory communities to native shrubland, 

focusing on areas adjacent to native shrubland communities. The remainder of the non-native understory 

communities may be treated to introduce forbs to the understory.

UV-MA-19. Restore approximately 50% of native grassland communities to native shrubland, focusing on 

sage-grouse habitat. Natural succession of shrubs will be allowed throughout native grassland 

communities.

UV-MA-20. Native shrubland communities may be treated to introduce forbs and late-seral grasses to the 

understory.

Management Actions

All VMAs

UV-MA-21. Design BLM management activities and authorized uses to consider plant reproductive and 

physiological needs with a focus on the critical growing season, as well as vegetation objectives; 

guidelines for specific uses are found in the appropriate sections.

UV-MA-22. Implement drought management guidelines during periods of drought to maintain or achieve 

long-term resource productivity (Appendix D).

UV-MA-23. Rest vegetation treatment areas from uses, including but not limited to livestock and wild 

horse grazing and recreational use, until treatment objectives are met and are predicted to be 

sustainable. This management action will not apply to uses that do not conflict with the treatment 

objectives.
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UV-MA-24. The first priority for implementing vegetation treatments will be treatments identified for VMA 

D to improve sage-grouse habitat; the second priority will be treatments identified for VMA C to reconnect 

and expand habitat for sage-grouse. Opportunities for treatments outside these priority areas will also be 

considered.

UV-MA-25. Focus restoration treatments identified for each VMA on habitat for sage-grouse, slickspot 

peppergrass, other special status species, mule deer, and pronghorn.

UV-MA-26. The toolbox to restore or treat upland vegetation communities will include: 

Chemical, mechanical, and biological treatments;

Seeding and planting; 

Targeted grazing; and 

Prescribed fire. 

See the Glossary for definition of targeted grazing.

UV-MA-27. Upland vegetation treatments may use native species, including cultivars of native species, 

and non-native species, consistent with management actions to achieve vegetation objectives. Native 

species will be used in vegetation treatments when practical, with special emphasis on species of 

importance to the tribes. Desirable non-native species may be used on harsh or degraded sites, when 

native seed is not available, or where they will structurally mimic the natural plant community and prevent 

soil loss and invasion by noxious weeds and invasive plants. The non-native species used will be those 

that have the highest probability of establishment on these sites. Native seed will be used more frequently 

and at larger scales as species adapted to local areas become more available.

UV-MA-28. Establish up to 52 ungrazed upland reference areas in annual, non-native perennial, nonnative understory, native grassland, and native shrubland communities (Map 4). Each upland reference 

area can be up to 40 acres in size and will be paired with an adjacent grazed area in a similar vegetation 

type and condition to monitor the effects of livestock grazing on a variety of plant communities.

UV-MA-29. Develop an implementation and monitoring plan for both upland and riparian reference areas 

to include methods, schedules, and reporting protocols. 

UV-MA-30. Reseed areas disturbed during project construction, maintenance, or removal with a mixture 

of grasses, forbs, or shrubs appropriate to surrounding vegetation.

UV-MA-31. Assess biological soil crusts and manage them to move toward site potential by modifying 

levels and timing of BLM management activities and authorized uses during periods when soil crusts are 

most vulnerable to damage.

UV-MA-32. Commercial and non-commercial collection of seed and other plant material may be allowed 

by permit. Collection will not be allowed in wilderness, WSAs, and recently burned areas.

UV-MA-33. Except in the wilderness, WSA, and within 300 feet of fish-bearing streams, commercial and 

non-commercial harvest of dead juniper trees may be allowed by permit subject to seasonal restrictions 

for wildlife.

Additional vegetation treatments are discussed in the Noxious Weeds and Invasive Plants and Wildland 

Fire Ecology and Management sections.

Riparian Areas and Wetlands

Goal

RI-G-1. Achieve healthy, functioning watersheds, riparian areas, wetlands, and associated aquatic 

habitats.

RI-G-2. Provide habitat to support populations of well-distributed native and desired non-native plant, 

vertebrate, and invertebrate populations that contribute to the sustainability of riparian-dependent 

communities. 
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RI-G-3. Maintain or improve naturally functioning vegetation communities that include natural timing and 

variability of surface and groundwater in riparian areas and wetlands, and diversity and productivity of 

native and desired non-native plant communities.

Objectives

RI-O-1. Maintain 85 miles of Priority 3 streams at proper functioning condition (PFC); improve 77 miles of 

Priority 1 streams and 21 miles of Priority 2 streams to achieve PFC; and improve the remaining 42 miles 

of Priority 2 streams to be moving toward PFC over the life of the plan. 

RI-O-2. Manage wetlands not associated with streams (springs, seeps, playas) to achieve PFC.

Management Actions

RI-MA-1. Identify Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs) around riparian areas and wetlands that contain or 

are tributaries to streams that contain special status species or their habitat to protect riparian vegetation, 

fisheries, and water quality as described in Appendix B (Aquatic and Riparian Management Strategy 

[ARMS]). Default RCA widths will be as follows:

Category 1 – Fish-bearing streams: The RCA consists of the stream and the area on either side of 

the stream. This area extends from the edges of the active channel to the top of the inner gorge, to 

the outer edges of the 100-year floodplain, to the outer edges of the riparian vegetation, or 300 feet 

slope distance (600 feet, including both sides of the stream channel), whichever is widest.

Category 2 – Permanently flowing non-fish-bearing streams: The RCA consists of the stream and the 

area on either side of the stream. This area extends from the edges of the active channel to the top of 

the inner gorge, to the outer edges of the 100-year floodplain, to the outer edges of the riparian 

vegetation, or 150 feet slope distance (300 feet, including both sides of the stream channel), 

whichever is widest.

Category 3 – Ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands greater than one acre: The RCA consists of the

body of water or wetland and the area to the outer edges of the riparian vegetation, to the extent of 

the seasonally saturated soil, or 150 feet slope distance from the edge of the maximum pool elevation 

of constructed ponds and reservoirs, or from the edge of the wetland, pond, or lake, whichever is 

widest.

Category 4 – Seasonally flowing or intermittent streams, wetlands less than one acre, landslides, and 

landslide-prone areas: This category includes features with high variability in size and site-specific 

characteristics. The RCA includes the intermittent stream channel and the area to the top of the inner 

gorge, the intermittent stream channel or wetland and the area to the outer edges of the riparian 

vegetation, the area from the edges of the stream channel, wetland, or slide/landslide-prone area, or 

50 feet slope distance, whichever is widest.

RI-MA-2. Use adaptive management to reduce impacts on riparian areas and wetlands from uses and 

activities (see the ARMS, Appendix B). 

RI-MA-3. Riparian management priorities will include the following:

Priority 1 streams – Streams rated as functioning-at-risk or functioning-at-risk with a downward 

trend. The management emphasis for Priority 1 streams will be restoration. 

Priority 2 streams – Streams rated as functioning-at-risk with an upward trend or non-functioning. 

The management emphasis for Priority 2 streams will be restoration.

Priority 3 streams – Streams rated at PFC. The management emphasis for Priority 3 streams will be 

on maintaining proper function.

Priority streams are listed in the ARMS (Appendix B, Tables B-3 and B-5).

RI-MA-4. Assess condition of wetlands associated with ponds and springs.

RI-MA-5. Survey aquatic habitat (instream, riparian, and wetland) and maintain aquatic habitat 

inventories.

RI-MA-6. Consider authorizing activities or facilities where long-term benefits outweigh short-term impacts 

to riparian vegetation and fish habitat.
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RI-MA-7. Remove nonessential human-made structures and objects that adversely impact the function of 

floodplains (e.g., unused bridge abutments, unused diversions, abandoned cars).

RI-MA-8. Modify existing management activities and authorized uses in RCAs to attain PFC and ensure 

that habitat conditions of streams, riparian areas, and wetlands are moving toward achieving the goals 

and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands. 

RI-MA-9. Conduct new management activities within or affecting RCAs only if they are consistent with 

achieving the goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands. New management activities will avoid 

or reduce adverse effects on inland non-game fish, their habitats, and RCAs. 

RI-MA-10. Trees may be felled in RCAs when they pose a safety risk. Keep felled trees on-site when 

needed to maintain or improve riparian or instream conditions.

RI-MA-11. Cooperate with tribal, Federal, State, and local agencies and private landowners to develop 

watershed-based coordinated resource management plans or other cooperative agreements to achieve 

the goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands.

RI-MA-12. Focus restoration on fish- bearing streams containing special status species (Appendix B).

RI-MA-13. The toolbox for restoration of stream reaches will include: 

Modification, realignment, and closure of roads and trails;

Culvert replacements;

Active herding;

Exclosure fencing;

Riparian pastures;

Closing pastures;

Modification or removal of water developments;

 Planting of riparian areas;

Reintroduction of beaver;

Erosion control measures;

Instream fish habitat improvements; and

Modification or elimination of land uses that prevent attainment of the goals and objectives for riparian 

areas and wetlands.

RI-MA-14. Priorities for inventory and monitoring will be riparian areas with Special Status Species, fishbearing streams, and non-fish bearing streams. 

RI-MA-15. Establish up to 10 ungrazed riparian reference areas (up to 3,000 acres total; Map 4). Each 

riparian reference area will be paired with an adjacent grazed area in a similar vegetation type and 

condition to monitor the effects of livestock grazing on a variety of plant communities.

Fish and Wildlife 

Fish

Native aquatic species in the planning area can be described in three broad categories:

Aquatic species Federally listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973,

Aquatic species identified on the BLM Sensitive species list for Idaho and Nevada, and

Other non-game fish present in the planning area.

Aquatic species included in the first two categories are discussed in the Special Status Species section. 

The goals, objectives, and management actions for other non-game fish (i.e. sculpin, suckers, and 

minnows) are provided below. For a majority of the streams within the planning area, the habitat needs 

for non-game fish are met through goals, objectives, and management actions for special status species 

in riparian areas, wetlands, and streams. The goals, objectives, and management actions below 

encompass the streams containing only non-game fish.
Approved Resource Management Plan

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Goal

FI-G-1. Manage public lands to promote diverse, structured, resilient, and connected habitats for nongame fish. 

Objectives

FI-O-1. Maintain 85 miles of Priority 3 streams at proper functioning condition (PFC); improve 77 miles of 

Priority 1 streams and 21 miles of Priority 2 streams to achieve PFC; and improve the remaining 42 miles 

of Priority 2 streams and 20 miles of streams with unknown PFC rating to move towards PFC over the life 

of the plan.

FI-O-2. Manage the 72 miles of stream containing only native non-game fish (as identified in Appendix B, 

page A-99, Management for Non-Special Status Aquatic Species) to maintain or improve habitat 

condition. 

Management Actions

FI-MA-1. Maintain, improve, or restore native non-game fish habitat through actions identified for riparian 

areas, water resources, and special status species through restoration priorities in the Aquatic and 

Riparian Management Strategy (ARMS; Appendix B). Incorporate best management practices to maintain 

and improve habitat for non-game fish (Appendix B).

FI-MA-2. Inventory and monitor non-game fish habitat. Use adaptive management as outlined in the 

ARMS to minimize impacts to non-game fish habitat from uses and activities (Appendix B).

FI-MA-3. Activities within riparian areas and wetlands will be designed to mitigate impacts to the riparian 

and aquatic habitat(s) containing non-game fish. 

FI-MA-4. To avoid adverse effects on non-game fish and instream flows, locate water drafting sites in 

upland areas (e.g., stock ponds, storage tanks, hydrants). Where these water sources are not available, 

locate water drafting sites at existing stream road crossings (e.g., bridges, culverts, fords) to divert water 

in a manner that does not retard or prevent achievement of the goals and objectives for riparian areas 

and wetlands.

FI-MA-5. Design and implement watershed restoration projects in a manner that promotes the long-term 

ecological integrity of ecosystems, conserves the genetic integrity of non-game fish species, and 

contributes to the achievement of the goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands.

FI-MA-6. New fisheries and instream channel restoration projects will avoid or minimize adverse effects 

on non-game fish, their habitats, and Riparian Conservation Areas. 

FI-MA-7. Cooperate with Federal and State fish management agencies to identify and reduce adverse 

effects on non-game fish associated with habitat manipulation, fish stocking, fish harvest, and illegal 

harvest.

Wildlife

Goal

WI-G-1. Manage public lands to promote diverse, structured, resilient, and connected habitats for wildlife.

Objective

WI-O-1. Maintain or improve wildlife habitat by managing uses and activities and actively restoring 

annual, non-native perennial, and native communities.

Management Actions

WI-MA-1. When making management decisions affecting big game, use the most current big game winter 

range map provided by Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) and the Nevada Department of 

Wildlife (NDOW). Areas considered big game winter range as of 2011 are shown on Map 6. 
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WI-MA-2. Implement habitat projects to maintain or improve habitat for mule deer and pronghorn when 

and where needed. 

WI-MA-3. Under Executive Order 13186, promote the maintenance and improvement of migratory bird 

habitat quantity and quality through the permitting process for all land use authorizations. Avoid, reduce, 

or mitigate adverse impacts on the habitats of migratory bird species of conservation concern to the 

extent feasible, and in a manner consistent with regional or statewide bird conservation priorities.

WI-MA-4. Incorporate best management practices (BMPs) for wildlife into BLM management activities 

and authorized uses as appropriate (Appendix A). Specific BMPs will be applied at the project level.

WI-MA-5. Install and maintain BLM approved wildlife escape devices on troughs and open tanks.

WI-MA-6. Modify existing and construct new fences to comply with BLM standards for wildlife (Karsky, 

1999). Existing fences will be modified according to the following priority order: 

Key sage-grouse habitat, 

Big game winter range, 

Saylor Creek Herd Management Area, and

The remainder of the planning area.

WI-MA-7. Schedule construction and maintenance activities to avoid or minimize disturbance to priority 

species and their habitat during their important seasonal periods (see WI-MA-9 for a list of priority 

species). 

WI-MA-8. Schedule energy-related activities (e.g., exploration, development, and maintenance) to avoid 

or minimize disturbance to priority species and their habitat during important seasonal periods.

WI-MA-9. Sage-grouse, other special status species, mule deer, and pronghorn are priority species for 

habitat management.

Special status species management is discussed in the Special Status Species section.

WI-MA-10. Focus vegetation treatments for mule deer and pronghorn in winter range and migration 

corridors in areas shown on Map 6. Plant desirable browse species on big game winter range where 

browse has been reduced.

WI-MA-11. Reconfigure wildlife tracts to reduce conflicts with uses, to improve management efficiency, 

and to increase total acres from 13,000 to 14,000 (Map 7).

WI-MA-12. Upland game species (pheasant, gray partridge, chukar, mourning dove, California quail and 

cottontail rabbit) will be the primary focus for habitat management on the wildlife tracts. All new 

authorizations and renewals will have to be consistent with improving habitat or reducing conflicts on 

wildlife tracts.

WI-MA-13. Prepare a new Wildlife Tract management plan with IDFG which includes habitat improvement 

projects for specific tracts and prioritizes tracts for treatment(s). Examples of projects may include habitat 

restoration, fencing to reduce conflicts with adjacent land uses, guzzlers or ponds, signs, fence 

walkthroughs, etc.

WI-MA-14. Establish desirable perennial grasses, forbs, and shrubs to improve habitat for upland game 

on wildlife tracts. Desirable shrubs may include primarily native species conducive to the site. Grasses 

and forbs may include native or non-native species to meet habitat management objectives (e.g. nesting 

cover and winter cover). 

WI-MA-15. Wildlife tracts will be a high priority for treatment to reduce or eliminate noxious weeds and 

invasive plants. 

WI-MA-16. Improve habitat for mule deer, pronghorn, and sage-grouse by increasing desirable perennial 

forbs appropriate to site potential where, based on monitoring, desirable perennial forbs have been found 

to be limited. 
Approved Resource Management Plan

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WI-MA-17. Minimize disturbance to raptors by restricting construction or other authorized human activities 

both spatially and seasonally. Restrictions will be required during courtship and nesting (February 1 

through July 31) and applied as appropriate. Buffer distances from raptor nests during nesting will be as 

follows (Whittington and Allen, 2008): 

Raptor Species Spatial Buffer

Bald eagle 0.5 to 1.0 mile

Northern goshawk 0.50 mile

Ferruginous hawk 1.00 mile

Golden eagle 0.50 mile

Peregrine falcon 1.00 mile

Red-tailed hawk 0.33 mile

Prairie falcon 0.50 mile

Swainson’s hawk 0.25 mile

Burrowing owl 0.25 mile

Special Status Species 

Goal

SS-G-1. Manage public lands to contribute to the conservation and recovery of sage-grouse and other 

special status species.

Objective

SS-O-1. Maintain or improve the quality and quantity of habitat for sage-grouse and other special status 

species by managing public land activities to sustain or benefit those species.

Management Actions

SS-MA-1. Follow conservation measures in relevant biological opinions and letters of concurrence, as 

appropriate. Conservation measures in place as of 2012 can be found in Appendix C; conservation 

measures can be updated, revised, or replaced through future consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife 

Service (FWS).

SS-MA-2. Special status species management will apply to Endangered, Threatened, Candidate, and 

Proposed species; other BLM Sensitive species; and proposed or designated critical habitat; this includes 

plants, fish and other aquatic species, and wildlife.

SS-MA-3. Special status species management will not apply to species that are removed from the BLM 

Sensitive species list. Those species will be managed according to applicable delisting requirements, 

conservation strategies, BLM guidance, and IDFG or NDOW management guidance.

SS-MA-4. Management of one special status species will take into account the needs of other special 

status species.

SS-MA-5. Follow applicable conservation plans, strategies, and agreements for special status species 

(Appendix C).

SS-MA-6. Monitor special status species and their habitats, and maintain data on their populations, 

distribution, and habitats. Use adaptive management or mitigation to reduce impacts on special status 

species and their habitats from uses and activities.

SS-MA-7. Work cooperatively with tribes, Federal and State agencies, private landowners, and 

companies to identify and mitigate threats to special status species and habitat on BLM-managed lands.

SS-MA-8. Where alternative management strategies will result in the same relative effect to a species, 

implement those strategies most beneficial to other resources.

SS-MA-9. Support projects to identify and monitor pollinators of special status plants.
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SS-MA-10. Evaluate special status plant habitat, and where suitable habitat exists, consider reintroducing 

special status plant species.

SS-MA-11. In cooperation with FWS, IDFG, NDOW, and other interested and affected parties, conduct 

habitat suitability evaluations for potential reintroductions of special status wildlife, fish, and aquatic 

invertebrates.

Management Related to Resource Uses

SS-MA-12. Leasable and salable mineral development activities shall avoid special status species habitat 

if the activity will have an adverse effect, unless those adverse effects can be mitigated. Permits will

include mitigation for adverse effects on special status species and their habitats. 

SS-MA-13. Promote conservation and recovery of special status species through land actions such as:

Conservation easements that protect or conserve special status species habitat,

Land acquisitions or exchanges that improve management of special status species, and

Acquisition of lands with a high value for special status species.

SS-MA-14. New communication sites will avoid special status species habitat if the project will have an 

adverse effect, unless those adverse effects can be reduced. 

SS-MA-15. Right-of-way construction and maintenance activities shall avoid disturbing special status 

species during important seasonal periods, unless the disturbance can be mitigated. 

SS-MA-16. Construct, maintain, modify, or remove range infrastructure and other facilities as necessary 

to maintain or enhance special status species and their habitat.

Management for Special Status Species in Upland Areas

SS-MA-17. Manage native shrubland communities in a landscape context to ensure that the seasonal 

habitat needs of sage-grouse and other sagebrush-obligate species are met across the planning area, 

where site conditions are suitable.

SS-MA-18. Mark fences that have been identified as a collision risk to improve fence visibility for sagegrouse, using appropriate collision diverters or other reasonable approaches. Fences posing higher risks 

to sage-grouse are generally within 1.25 miles of a lek and are:

On flat topography,

Where spans exceed 12 feet between T-posts,

Without wooden posts, or 

Where fence densities exceed 1.6 miles of fence per section (640 acres) (Stevens et al., 2011). 

SS-MA-19. Maintain or improve the habitat for special status species by protecting and restoring their 

habitat, controlling noxious weeds and invasive plants, and minimizing direct habitat disturbance.

SS-MA-20. When designing seed mixes for vegetation treatments and surface-disturbing projects, 

consider the needs of special status species and their habitat in the project area.

SS-MA-21. Use seeding methods that minimize impacts to special status species populations.

SS-MA-22. If a conflict between authorized uses and bighorn sheep is identified, schedule authorized 

uses to avoid pastures that contain bighorn sheep habitat during breeding, wintering, and lambing periods 

to minimize disturbance during these important seasonal periods. 

SS-MA-23. Avoid locating new transmission lines, phone lines, or communication towers/facilities in the 

sage-grouse management area to minimize impacts to sage-grouse. If a transmission or phone line 

project must be located in the sage-grouse management area, the project shall incorporate measures to 

reduce impacts to sage-grouse such as:
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Burying lines;

Using devices or structures to deter raptor and raven perching and nesting; 

Avoiding construction and maintenance during important seasonal periods for sage-grouse; 

Restoring or improving sage-grouse habitat outside the project area; 

Constructing lines, towers, and related facilities in lower quality habitats; and

Clustering or co-locating facilities.

SS-MA-24. Implement management actions described in the Upland Vegetation section to maintain or 

improve habitat for sage-grouse and other special status species. Upland vegetation management to 

benefit sage-grouse and other sagebrush-obligate special status species includes:

Restoring annual, non-native perennial, and non-native understory communities toward native;

Restoring native grassland communities to native shrublands; and

Introducing forbs and late-seral grasses to native shrubland communities.

See the Upland Vegetation section for more details.

SS-MA-25. BLM management activities and authorized uses within one mile of known ferruginous hawk 

and peregrine falcon nests and 0.5 mile from northern goshawk nests will be designed to minimize 

impacts to their prey base and availability of nesting material from February through July.

SS-MA-26. New troughs, reservoirs, permanent fences, and corrals will be located at least one mile from 

bighorn sheep habitat within the Bruneau-Jarbidge Population Management Unit. 

SS-MA-27. Design, construct and maintain water developments and facilities in a manner that minimizes 

potential for production of mosquitoes which may carry West Nile virus.

SS-MA-28. Minimize the transmission of disease by maintaining a nine-mile separation between domestic 

sheep/goats and bighorn sheep. The separation will be accomplished by:

Not converting cattle animal unit months (AUMs) to domestic sheep or goat AUMs,

Not allowing trailing of domestic sheep or goats within that separation distance, 

Requiring a herder to be present during trailing of domestic sheep or goats, and

Removing any domestic sheep found in bighorn sheep habitat as soon as practicable. 

Management for Special Status Species in Riparian Areas, Wetlands, and Streams

SS-MA-29. Incorporate best management practices as appropriate to maintain and improve habitat for 

special status fish and aquatic invertebrates (Appendix A).

SS-MA-30. Identify and eliminate, where feasible, migration barriers to special status fish species 

movement.

SS-MA-31. Identify and implement specific habitat improvement projects in redband trout habitat to 

reduce habitat fragmentation and promote their long-term recovery. Projects may include, but not be 

limited to:

Replacing culverts,

Working with private landowners so diversions are not a barrier,

Screening diversions, and

Planting riparian vegetation.

SS-MA-32. Implement specific habitat improvement projects for Jarbidge River bull trout as identified in 

the 2014 Revised Draft Recovery Plan for the Coterminous United States Population of Bull Trout 

(Salvelinus confluentus).

Additional management direction for BLM management activities and authorized and allowed uses in 

special status species habitat can be found in the Resource Uses sections.
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Noxious Weeds and Invasive Plants

Goal

NW-G-1. Manage public lands to prevent, eliminate, or control noxious weeds and invasive plants.

Objectives

Noxious Weeds

NW-O-1. Manage uses and treat noxious weeds such that there is no net increase in the number of acres 

containing noxious weeds; reduce the number of noxious weed species present.

Invasive Plants

NW-O-2. Reduce cover of invasive plants in native, non-native perennial, and non-native understory 

communities to less than 5%.

Management Actions

NW-MA-1. Apply herbicides consistent with BLM policy.

NW-MA-2. Inventory noxious weeds and invasive plants.

NW-MA-3. Consult with the tribes on herbicide use to consider timing of projects and impacts to plants of 

importance to the tribes.

NW-MA-4. Formulate methods of control in or near special status species habitat on a site-specific and 

species-specific basis to minimize impacts to special status species.

NW-MA-5. Incorporate best management practices for noxious weeds and invasive plants into BLM 

management activities and authorized uses as appropriate (Appendix A).

NW-MA-6. Include site-specific stipulations in land use authorizations, permits, and leases to limit 

introduction and spread of noxious weeds.

NW-MA-7. Collaborate with Federal agencies, State and County governments, non-governmental 

organizations, and individuals to establish a Jarbidge Cooperative Weed Management Area or other 

cooperative agreements for noxious weed and invasive plants management. 

NW-MA-8. Use of certified weed-free forage, seed, straw, and mulch (as defined in the Idaho Noxious 

Weed Free Forage and Straw Certification Rules [IAC 02.06.31]) will be required for all BLM management 

activities and authorized and allowed uses.

NW-MA-9. Treat areas containing noxious weeds and invasive plants. Priority areas will include (not in 

priority order): 

Special designations,

Motorized and recreational access points,

Riparian areas,

Special status species habitat,

Roadsides and recreation areas, and

Native plant communities.

NW-MA-10. Focus control efforts on species with new or small infestations and species that have higher 

potential for resource impacts. Eradicate noxious weeds and invasive plants where practical. Focus 

treatments for large infestations on reducing the size of the infestation.
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NW-MA-11. The toolbox for treating noxious weeds and invasive plants will include:

Chemical, mechanical, and biological treatments; 

Seeding and planting; 

Targeted grazing; and

Prescribed fire. 

NW-MA-12. Develop and implement activities to prevent the introduction and spread of noxious weeds 

and invasive plants on public lands. The toolbox for preventing introduction and spread of noxious weeds 

and invasive plants can include:

Public outreach (e.g., kiosks, media, mailings, publications, social media, brochures); 

Equipment decontamination;

Wash stations; and

Modifying uses to minimize new introductions and spread.

Wildland Fire Ecology and Management

Wildland Fire Management

Goal

WFM-G-1. Fire management strategies will result in firefighter and public safety and protection of property 

and natural and cultural resources, while considering suppression and rehabilitation costs.

Objective

WFM-O-1. Strive to reduce average wildland fire size, number of human-caused fire starts, and number of 

acres burned within and outside the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) throughout the planning area.

Allocations

WFM-A-1. The planning area will not be available for Wildland Fire Use (1,371,000 acres).

WFM-A-2. Critical suppression areas within the planning area will be (597,000 acres): 

WUI,

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs), 

Saylor Creek Herd Management Area, 

Occupied habitat and proposed critical habitat for slickspot peppergrass, 

 Designated critical habitat for bull trout, and

 Key sage-grouse habitat.

The types of critical suppression areas will remain the same throughout the life of the plan; however, 

acres and specific locations for the WUI, slickspot peppergrass habitat, and key sage-grouse habitat can 

be updated to reflect changing conditions. See Map 13 for the locations of these areas.

WFM-A-3. The remainder of the planning area will be a conditional suppression area (774,000 acres).

Management Actions

WFM-MA-1. Fire management within the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness is addressed in the 

Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Management Plan.

WFM-MA-2. All wildland fires in critical or conditional suppression areas will receive an Appropriate 

Management Response (AMR). AMR includes any action taken to meet resource objectives identified in 

RMPs and Fire Management Plans (FMPs). AMR ranges across a spectrum of tactical operations (from 

monitoring to aggressive/intensive suppression actions). 
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WFM-MA-3. Critical suppression areas represent highest suppression priority. The AMR in critical 

suppression areas assumes suppression actions will be taken to reduce fire size and acres burned unless 

safety warrants alternative strategies. Wildland fire is generally not desired in these areas, with the 

exception of prescribed fire to be used for site preparation as described in the RMP. 

WFM-MA-4. Conditional suppression areas represent areas of lower suppression priority where 

suppression efforts will be adjusted based on resource values and fire’s desired role in the ecosystem. 

The AMR in conditional suppression areas assumes suppression actions will be taken commensurate 

with the values at risk and considering suppression costs. Wildland fire management strategies may be 

changed if fire danger is high or there will likely be undesired fire effects. Conditional suppression areas 

also represent areas where cost of suppression may exceed the value of resources to be protected as 

identified in the RMP.

WFM-MA-5. Areas for Wildland Fire for Resource Benefit will be determined by the BLM after the wildland 

fire has been contained or controlled. Areas where vegetation treatments were planned and analyzed in 

the NEPA process or those ecosystems found to “need more disturbance” through the Fire Regime 

Condition Class process will be candidates for “benefit” fires. Post-fire site visits will be required to 

determine if fire effects actually resulted in conditions that moved the area toward resource objectives. 

WFM-MA-6. Revise the FMP as required to incorporate updated fire, vegetation, resource value, WUI, 

and fuels data. The FMP will be used to refine suppression, fuels treatment, community assistance, and 

Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation priorities. 

WFM-MA-7. In addition to safety and resource concerns, consider fire suppression and rehabilitation 

costs when evaluating fire suppression techniques.

WFM-MA-8. Work collaboratively with the military to reduce the risk of wildland fire, improve suppression 

logistics on military lands adjacent to public lands, and protect public lands from wildland fires originating 

on military lands.

WFM-MA-9. Incorporate best management practices for wildland and prescribed fire into BLM 

management activities and authorized uses as appropriate (Appendix A).

WFM-MA-10. Foster the public's understanding of the role of fire in the ecosystem, hazards associated 

with living in the WUI, and wildland fire prevention and suppression activities through methods such as:

Using mass media, 

Providing outreach to local groups, 

Developing interpretive signs and kiosks, and 

Participating in the County Wildfire Protection Plan process.

WFM-MA-11. Fire suppression strategies, practices, and actions in Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs) 

shall be designed to minimize disturbance to riparian vegetation. 

WFM-MA-12. Minimum impact suppression tactics will be used within RCAs unless safety to human life 

or property is an issue. 

WFM-MA-13. Incident bases, camps, helibases, staging areas, helispots, and other centers for incident 

activities will be located outside of RCAs. If the only suitable location for these activities is within the RCA, 

an exemption may be granted by the BLM authorized officer. 

WFM-MA-14. Avoid delivery of chemical retardant, foam, or additives into surface waters. An exception is 

warranted where overriding immediate safety imperatives exist or when the BLM determines a fire will

cause more long-term damage to fish habitats than chemical delivery to surface waters.
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WFM-MA-15. When multiple wildland fire ignitions occur in critical suppression areas, the suppression 

priority order will be (from most important to least important): 

Vegetation Management Area (VMA) C,

VMA B,

VMA D, and

VMA A.

These priorities will also be used for general fire suppression management planning.

WFM-MA-16. Within the perimeter of a contained fire, protect unburned islands of native grassland and 

native shrubland communities. Unburned islands of annual and non-native perennial communities within 

the perimeter of a contained fire may be allowed to burn.

WFM-MA-17. Use minimum impact suppression tactics in:

Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness,

Lower Salmon Creek Falls Wilderness Study Area, 

Oregon National Historic Trail, 

 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs), 

Designated critical habitat for bull trout,

 Occupied habitat and proposed critical habitat for slickspot peppergrass, and

Other areas where appropriate to mitigate potential impacts of fire suppression.

WFM-MA-18. Improve water availability for fire suppression throughout the planning area, in accordance 

with Idaho and Nevada State Law regarding the appropriation and use of water.

WFM-MA-19. Design water developments for fire suppression to mitigate impacts to water resources. 

Water developments may include:

Pipelines,

Water storage tanks,

Draft sites,

Hydrants off pipelines. 

Water storage may also be increased by enlarging and filling existing stock and storage ponds.

WFM-MA-20. Implement measures to reduce response time for fire suppression activities including:

Building new guard stations,

Building new or improving existing airstrips,

Building helipads,

Improving roads,

Building new roads, 

Improving stream crossings, and

Developing better signage.

WFM-MA-21. Transportation and travel restrictions may be imposed to reduce risk of wildland fire during 

times of fire restrictions. Restrictions may include closing primitive roads, trails, and areas open to crosscountry motorized vehicle use. Travel related to administrative uses and emergency services may 

continue during fire restrictions.

WFM-MA-22. Authorized uses may be limited or prohibited to reduce risk of wildland fire.

WFM-MA-23. Dozer blading shall be avoided within 300 feet of playas to protect associated cultural 

resources. Dozer blading shall avoid running parallel to canyons within 300 feet of canyon rims. 
Approved Resource Management Plan

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Fuels and Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation (ES&BAR)

Goals

FE-G-1. Reduce fire hazard within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). 

FE-G-2. Manage vegetation communities outside the WUI to maintain or restore their fire regimes and 

mosaic of successional classes to within their historic range.

Objectives

Fuels

FE-O-1. Manage plant communities within the WUI to reduce relative risk rating.

FE-O-2. Manage native plant communities outside the WUI to move toward Fire Regime Condition Class 

(FRCC) 1. Manage non-native plant communities to reduce wildland fire size and intensity.

FE-O-3. Implement fuels treatments to protect critical suppression areas; limit the spread, size, and 

intensity of wildland fire; and maintain or improve vegetation.

ES&BAR

FE-O-4. Rehabilitate and stabilize areas to help stabilize soils, promote natural recovery, and establish 

pre-fire or historic vegetation communities.

Management Actions

Fuels

FE-MA-1. Update the FRCC analysis for the planning area when 20% of the planning area has been 

disturbed by wildland fires or treated by fuels projects since the previous FRCC analysis was completed.

FE-MA-2. Progress towards FRCC objectives will be achieved through actions and guidelines specified in 

the Upland Vegetation, Riparian Areas and Wetlands, Noxious Weeds and Invasive Plants, and Wildland 

Fire Ecology and Management sections.

FE-MA-3. Coordinate fuels treatments with adjacent landowners, affected permittees, and agencies 

through County Wildfire Protection Plans or other methods.

FE-MA-4. Rest fuels treatment areas from uses until treatment objectives are met and are predicted to be 

sustainable or if the treatment is determined by the BLM to be unsuccessful. This will not apply to uses 

that do not conflict with the treatment objectives.

FE-MA-5. Fuels treatments in Riparian Conservation Areas will be designed to maintain or improve 

riparian vegetation.

FE-MA-6. Implement fuels treatments to reduce fuel loads with consideration for other resource 

objectives.

FE-MA-7. Fuels treatments in the WUI may include fuels reduction treatments and fuel breaks. Fuels 

treatments in the WUI will focus on areas with high, high/moderate, and moderate relative risk ratings in 

the northern portion of the planning area and near Roseworth and Three Creek.

FE-MA-8. Fuels treatments outside the WUI and within the sage-grouse management area will include:

Restoration,

Fuel breaks, 

Landscape-scale fuels reduction, and 

Noxious weed and invasive plant treatments.
Approved Resource Management Plan

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FE-MA-9. The toolbox of fuels treatment methods will include:

Chemical, mechanical, and biological treatments; 

Seeding and planting; 

Targeted grazing; and

Prescribed fire. 

FE-MA-10. Fuels treatments will use native and non-native species.

FE-MA-11. Upland vegetation management related to fuels treatments includes:

Converting annual communities to native or non-native perennial, 

Restoring non-native perennial and non-native understory communities toward native,

Restoring native grassland communities to native shrublands, and 

Introducing forbs and late-seral grasses to native shrubland communities. 

See the Upland Vegetation section for more details.

FE-MA-12. Fuel breaks will focus on strategic locations to disrupt the continuity of fuels and to protect 

structures and important resources such as habitat for sage-grouse and slickspot peppergrass. Construct 

fuel breaks consistent with objectives in the Upland Vegetation section.

FE-MA-13. Noxious weed and invasive plants management related to fuels treatments includes 

measures for treating and preventing noxious weeds and invasive plants; see the Noxious Weeds and 

Invasive Plants section for more details.

ES&BAR

FE-MA-14. Use the full range of treatment options available to meet ES&BAR objectives, including:

Mechanical treatments,

Drill or broadcast seeding treatments,

Chemical treatments,

Seedling transplants, and

Erosion control structures.

FE-MA-15. Implement the Programmatic ES&BAR Plan and update as needed. Individual ES&BAR plans 

will be completed through the interdisciplinary process to reduce impacts of wildland fire and suppression 

and to achieve resource objectives. Coordinate with affected permittees when developing ES&BAR plans, 

as appropriate.

FE-MA-16. Use seed mixes that will help stabilize soils and achieve objectives in the Upland Vegetation, 

Riparian Areas and Wetlands, Fish and Wildlife, and Special Status Species sections.

FE-MA-17. Use seed drilling equipment, tools, or techniques that minimize soil disturbance and place 

seed at the correct depth.

FE-MA-18. Rest burned areas from uses, including livestock and wild horse grazing and recreational use, 

until ES&BAR objectives are met and are predicted to be sustainable or if the treatment is determined by 

the BLM to be unsuccessful. This will not apply to uses that do not conflict with the treatment objectives.

FE-MA-19. Consider emergency closures to motorized vehicle use when necessary for ES&BAR efforts.

FE-MA-20. Consider using temporary fences to protect burned plant communities. When planning 

temporary fences, consider resource concerns, the size of the pasture, the amount burned, the amount of 

pasture unaffected by rehabilitation, location of water, grazing management efficiency, and expense.

FE-MA-21. Temporary fences may become permanent if they enhance the management of the burned 

area; these will be considered on a case-by-case basis through site-specific analysis. 
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Wild Horses 

Goal

WH-G-1. The Saylor Creek Wild Horse Herd Management Area (HMA) will be managed for a thriving 

natural ecological balance.

Objective

WH-O-1. Manage a non-reproducing herd with an appropriate management level (AML) range of 50 to 

200 wild horses in the Saylor Creek Wild Horse HMA.

Allocations

WH-A-1. Manage the Saylor Creek Wild Horse Herd Area as a HMA (95,000 acres).

WH-A-2. Manage the Saylor Creek HMA for a non-reproducing population of wild horses. The estimated 

herd size for a population of wild horses will be approximately 50 to 200 head. 

WH-A-3. Allocate forage sufficient to maintain the wild horse population within the HMA (2,400 animal 

unit months).

Management Actions

WH-MA-1. Develop a Herd Management Area Plan, including guidelines and criteria for adjusting herd 

size and management tools to control population size within the AML and to extend (reduce) gather 

frequency.

WH-MA-2. The HMA will remain open to livestock grazing, although grazing levels on an allotmentspecific basis will be adjusted to maintain sustainable forage for the wild horse herd.

WH-MA-3. Redesign pasture configurations and fences within the HMA to facilitate wild horse social 

interactions and free-roaming characteristics if the Herd Management Area Plan and other site-specific 

NEPA demonstrates that adjustments are necessary.

WH-MA-4. Increase the reliability of artificial water sources for wild horses within the HMA.

WH-MA-5. Commercial Special Recreation Permits that are not compatible with management of the HMA 

will not be allowed.

WH-MA-6. The toolbox for managing a non-reproducing, free-roaming herd in the Saylor Creek HMA will

include, but not be limited to:

Gathering all wild horses in the HMA and returning only those horses that meet the population 

criteria,

Placing in the HMA excess wild horses removed from other HMAs within Idaho that meet the 

population criteria until the high end of AML is reached,

Placing wild horses gathered from other states that meet the population criteria in the HMA if wild 

horses from other Idaho HMAs do not place enough horses on the HMA to reach the midpoint of AML 

after ten years, and

Placing additional wild horses that meet the population criteria in the HMA up to the high end of AML 

as the HMA population decreases due to death of horses from natural causes.

WH-MA-7. The population criteria for managing a non-reproducing, free-roaming herd in the Saylor Creek 

HMA will include, but not be limited to:

Treating all wild horses surgically or chemically to eliminate reproduction capability,

Placing wild horses at least five years of age and older in the HMA to allow for the adoption of 

younger wild horses, and

Freeze marking all wild horses on the neck and/or hip to identify each wild horse within the HMA.
Approved Resource Management Plan

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WH-MA-8. No gathers will be conducted in the Saylor Creek HMA after the initial gather, except under the 

following circumstances:

Emergency situations (i.e. wildland fires) and

Removal of untreated horses unlawfully released in the HMA.

Wild horses will be returned to the HMA once rehabilitation objectives or other criteria outlined in the 

Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation Plan were met.

Paleontological Resources 

Goal

PR-G-1. Identify, manage, and protect paleontological resources for scientific research, educational 

purposes, and public use.

Objective

PR-O-1. Identify, manage, and protect important paleontological sites.

Management Actions

PR-MA-1. Implement measures to protect paleontological resources. Measures may include:

Avoidance,

Fencing,

Stabilization,

Data recovery through collection or excavation,

Interpretation, or

Administrative closure.

PR-MA-2. Identify areas at risk of damage from illegal activities and implement management to 

discourage those activities.

PR-MA-3. Minimize or prevent human-caused damage to paleontological resources through educational 

and interpretive outreach programs.

PR-MA-4. Analyze effects of surface-disturbing activities on fossil-bearing geologic units (Potential Fossil 

Yield Classification Class 5) and mitigate potential impacts to paleontological resources.

PR-MA-5. The collection of paleontological resources will be managed in accordance with the 

Paleontological Resources Preservation Act and 43 CFR 8365. In general, reasonable amounts of 

common invertebrate and plant fossils may be collected for non-commercial personal use without a 

permit. The collection of vertebrate fossils and rare or unusual invertebrate and plant fossils requires a 

permit under the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act. 

PR-MA-6. Issue permits for paleontological research to qualified paleontologists.

Cultural Resources

Goals

Management

CR-G-1. Identify, preserve, and protect important cultural resources and ensure they are available for 

appropriate uses by present and future generations.

Protection

CR-G-2. Seek to reduce imminent threats and resolve potential conflicts from natural or human-caused 

deterioration or potential conflict with other resource uses by ensuring all authorizations for land use and 

resource use complies with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), as amended, Section 

106.
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Objectives

Management 

CR-O-1. Manage and protect cultural resources according to their potential traditional, scientific, 

conservation, public, or experimental value.

Protection

CR-O-2. Strive to limit the adverse effects of BLM decisions on important cultural resources.

Allocations

CR-A-1. Cultural resources will be allocated as described in Appendix E. 

CR-A-2. The Kelton and Toana Freight Road protective corridors include 0.25 mile on either side of the 

trail segments or the visual horizon of those segments, whichever is narrower.

Management Actions

Management

CR-MA-1. Maintain on-going cultural resource inventory information in geographic information system

format in accordance with confidentiality mandates.

CR-MA-2. Identify priority geographic areas for future inventory based on the probability of unrecorded 

cultural resources, and conduct inventories independent of specific land use actions.

CR-MA-3. Implement measures to minimize or prevent damage to cultural resources due to BLM 

management activities, authorized and allowed uses, and human-caused damage such as vandalism, 

unauthorized surface collection of artifacts, and unintentional disturbances. Measures may include:

Avoidance,

Fencing,

Stabilization,

Data recovery through collection or excavation,

Interpretation, 

Administrative closure, or

Proactive law enforcement patrols.

CR-MA-4. Develop cultural resource project plans as needed to address preservation actions for cultural 

resource complexes or individual sites identified as high risk for adverse impacts.

CR-MA-5. Avoid placement of salting, supplemental feeding, watering, and holding facilities for livestock 

that adversely affect the Kelton and Toana Freight Road protective corridors. 

CR-MA-6. Developments such as roads, trails, pipelines, fences, and powerlines may be allowed, after 

consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), to cross segments of the Kelton and 

Toana Freight Roads in areas where previous disturbance has occurred. On occasions where adverse 

impacts are unavoidable, the BLM will require mitigation commensurate with the impacts as a condition of 

authorization.

CR-MA-7. Surface-disturbing equipment, such as bulldozers and road graders, cannot be used on 

National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligible or contributing segments of the Kelton or Toana 

Freight Roads or within their protective corridors without prior management approval, unless to protect life 

or property.

Protection

CR-MA-8. Authorizations for land and resource use will not be approved until compliance with Section 

106 of the NHPA has been completed and documented, including, where applicable, consultation with the 

SHPO and Federally recognized Indian tribes.
Approved Resource Management Plan

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CR-MA-9. Nominate eligible sites for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on a case-by-case 

basis.

CR-MA-10. Manage sites that are eligible for the NRHP for their local, regional, or national significance. If 

natural or human-caused deterioration cannot be prevented, BLM will consult with the tribes and SHPO, 

as appropriate, to mitigate the adverse effects.

CR-MA-11. Consider all prudent and feasible alternatives to avoid or mitigate adverse effects on cultural 

resources and their uses when resolving site-specific conflicts between cultural resource use allocations 

and competing land use allocations. 

CR-MA-12. The Kelton and Toana Freight Road protective corridors are closed to new salable mineral 

development. Existing salable mineral developments can be renewed but the footprint cannot be 

expanded.

CR-MA-13. Allow research, including archaeological, historic, and ethnographic, to better define the 

extent, nature, and value of cultural resources in the planning area. Develop cooperative agreements and 

partnerships with tribes, historical societies, and colleges to encourage research and assist with 

monitoring.

CR-MA-14. Lands containing important cultural resources, as determined by the BLM through 

consultation with tribes and/or SHPO, will generally be retained in Federal ownership. Under limited 

circumstances, after appropriate consultation and mitigation, lands containing important cultural 

resources may be exchanged for lands containing resources of greater or equal value.

CR-MA-15. Avoid or minimize new ground disturbance within 300 feet of playas and undeveloped springs 

to protect associated cultural resources. When springs are developed, follow management action LG-MA30. 

Visual Resources

Visual Resource Management (VRM) classes identify the degree of acceptable visual change within a 

characteristic landscape. A classification is assigned to public lands based on the guidelines established 

for scenic quality, visual sensitivity, and visibility.

Class I - Provides primarily for natural ecological changes only. It is applied to wilderness areas, some 

natural areas, and similar situations where management activities are to be restricted.

Class II - Changes in the basic elements caused by a management activity may be evident in the 

characteristic landscape, but the changes shall remain subordinate to the visual strength of the existing 

character. 

Class III - Contrasts to the basic elements caused by management activity may be evident and begin to 

attract attention in the landscape, but the changes shall remain subordinate in the existing landscape.

Class IV - Contrasts may attract attention and be a dominant feature in the landscape in terms of scale, 

but the change shall repeat the basic element of the characteristic landscape.

Class V - Applies to areas where the characteristic landscape has been so disturbed that rehabilitation is 

needed. Generally considered an interim short-term classification until rehabilitation or enhancement is 

completed.

Goal and Objective

VR-G-1. Maintain visual resource characteristics and values of public lands according to VRM classes.
Approved Resource Management Plan

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Allocations

VR-A-1. Areas to be managed as VRM Class I (86,000 acres) include: 

Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness; 

Lower Salmon Falls Creek Wilderness Study Area (WSA); 

Eligible, suitable, and designated Wild and Scenic River corridors with scenic outstandingly 

remarkable values (i.e., lower Salmon Falls Creek, Cougar Point Creek, Bruneau River, and Jarbidge 

River); and

Upper Bruneau Canyon and Salmon Falls Creek Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs). 

VR-A-2. Areas to be managed as VRM Class II (83,000 acres) include: 

The Oregon National Historic Trail (NHT) visual corridor (two miles on either side of the trail with the 

trail as the key observation point for visual contrast analyses related to new developments) excluding 

the areas in the Deadman and Yahoo Special Recreation Management Areas (SRMAs) open to 

cross-country motorized vehicle use,

Sand Point ACEC,

Browns Bench,

Wilkins Island,

The Jarbidge River corridor between Murphy Hot Springs and the Jarbidge Forks, and 

Areas near Buck Creek.

VR-A-3. Areas to be managed as VRM Class III (244,000 acres) include: 

The Snake River corridor (from the planning area boundary to 0.25 mile above the breaks); 

Areas in the Deadman and Yahoo SRMAs open to cross-country motorized vehicle use that are in the 

Oregon NHT visual corridor; 

Existing overhead right-of-way corridors through areas otherwise managed as VRM Class I or II, 

excluding Lower Salmon Falls Creek WSA;

Portions of the Jarbidge Foothills and Diamond A Desert not otherwise managed as VRM Class I or 

II; 

Lower Bruneau Canyon ACEC; and

The Kelton and Toana Freight Road protective corridors. 

VR-A-4. The remainder of the planning area will be managed as VRM Class IV (958,000 acres).

See Map 15 for locations of areas allocated to VRM Class I, II, III, and IV.

Management Action

VR-MA-1. BLM management activities and authorized uses will be compatible with VRM class objectives 

as follows:

VRM Class I areas are managed to preserve the existing character of the landscape. The level of 

change to the landscape shall be very low and must not attract attention.

VRM Class II areas are managed to retain the existing character of the landscape. The level of 

change to the landscape shall be low and repeat the basic elements of form, line, color, and texture 

found in the natural features of the landscape.

VRM Class III areas are managed to partially retain the existing character of the landscape. The level 

of change to the landscape can be moderate and shall repeat the basic elements found in the natural 

landscape. Management activities may attract attention, but shall not dominate the view of the casual 

observer.

VRM Class IV areas are managed to provide for activities that require major modification of the 

landscape. The level of change to the landscape can be high, and management activities may 

dominate the view and be the major focus of attention. Impacts can still be minimized through location 

and design by repeating the basic elements found in the natural landscape.
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Lands with Wilderness Characteristics

Goal and Objective

WC-G-1. Lands inventoried to contain wilderness characteristics will be managed to emphasize other 

multiple uses while applying management restrictions to reduce impacts to wilderness characteristics.

Management Action

WC-MA-1. Projects within lands inventoried as containing wilderness characteristics will consider

measures to minimize impacts on naturalness, opportunities for solitude, and opportunities for primitive

and unconfined recreation. 

See Map 16 for locations of lands inventoried to contain wilderness characteristics.

Resource Uses

Livestock Grazing 

Goals

LG-G-1. Manage livestock grazing to meet, or make significant progress toward meeting, Idaho 

Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management.

LG-G-2. Allocate a stable level of available forage for livestock grazing through proper grazing and 

adaptive management to support maintenance and restoration of resilient ecosystem structure and 

function.

Objectives

Forage and Grazing Management Practices

LG-O-1. Manage livestock grazing in annual communities to achieve objectives in the Upland Vegetation

and Wildland Fire Ecology and Management sections.

LG-O-2. In native plant communities including the Sandberg/non-native areas, manage livestock grazing 

to help maintain and improve native plant species diversity and abundance, focusing on plant 

reproductive and physiological needs.

LG-O-3. In non-native perennial communities, manage livestock grazing to achieve restoration objectives 

outlined in the Upland Vegetation section.

Range Infrastructure

LG-O-4. Manage (e.g., maintain, improve, build, realign, remove) range infrastructure at levels 

appropriate to the amount of livestock use to provide for efficient management of livestock grazing 

allotments and support fire suppression and resource objectives.

Allocations

Forage and Grazing Management Practices

LG-A-1. The majority of the planning area will be available for livestock grazing (1,411,000 acres). The 

following areas will not be available for livestock grazing (52,000 acres): 

Unallocated portions of the canyons associated with the Bruneau and Jarbidge Rivers and Salmon 

Falls Creek (below the dam),

Reference areas,

Salmon Falls Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), 

Wildlife tracts, and 

Areas not contained within grazing allotments. 

See Map 17 for locations.
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LG-A-2. Allocate vegetation production as follows:

Native perennial grass production:

60% or greater to watershed and wildlife,

Less than 1% to wild horses, and

Up to 40% to livestock.

Non-native perennial grass production:

Up to 70% to watershed and wildlife,

Less than 1% to wild horses, and

Up to 45% to livestock.

Annual grass production:

Up to 60% to watershed and wildlife and

Up to 50% to livestock.

Shrub and forb production:

Up to 89% to watershed and wildlife and

Up to 14% to livestock.

Allocate approximately 216,000 to 326,000 animal unit months (AUMs) for livestock at initial 

implementation and approximately 186,000 to 279,000 at full implementation. The purpose of allocating 

vegetation is to determine the total AUMs available for livestock grazing in the planning area. AUMs for

livestock grazing are an estimate based on 2006 production data collected while conducting ecological 

site inventories. At the time of permit renewal, additional production data may be considered when 

determining the appropriate allocation for a specific allotment. 

These vegetation allocations will be implemented during the permit renewal process. Allocation 

percentages are not the same as utilization. Allocation is used to identify the total number of AUMs for 

livestock, while utilization identifies the amount of vegetation used by livestock in a specific area.

Livestock use of specific vegetation types will be managed through the implementation of grazing use 

indicators developed on an allotment-specific basis.

LG-A-3. The amount of forage available for livestock use will likely change as the RMP is implemented, 

although allocation percentages will remain the same. Changes to AUMs in the future will be determined 

by the BLM after monitoring and site-specific NEPA analysis.

Management Actions

Forage and Grazing Management Practices

LG-MA-1. Implement adaptive management using grazing use indicators to meet resource and special 

designation area objectives. Grazing use indicators include:

Utilization for upland vegetation and riparian areas, 

Bank and soil surface alteration, and

Other indicators identified on an allotment-specific basis depending on the resources present.

LG-MA-2. The grazing permit renewal process, following the approval of the RMP, will be in conformance 

with BLM policy and guidance current at the time of renewal.

LG-MA-3. The toolbox for managing livestock grazing will include, but not be limited to: 

Rest rotation, 

Deferred rotation, 

Seasons of use, 

Stocking rates, 

Class and kind of livestock, 

Herding, 

Frequency of grazing, 

Closure for resource protection,

Location and types of range infrastructure, and 

Location and types of supplements.
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Specific tools to be used will be identified on an allotment-specific basis through the permit renewal 

process, depending on the resources present.

LG-MA-4. Seasons of use and changes in class and kind of livestock will be consistent with resource 

objectives and analyzed in site-specific NEPA analysis.

LG-MA-5. Identify and implement measures to prevent livestock from entering areas closed to grazing, 

such as:

Fencing, 

Using natural barriers, 

Active herding, 

Water placement, and 

Salt/supplement placement.

LG-MA-6. Implement drought management guidelines during periods of drought to maintain or achieve 

long-term resource productivity (Appendix D).

LG-MA-7. Allow spring and early summer livestock grazing periodically in big game winter range to 

improve browse production.

LG-MA-8. Manage livestock grazing to move riparian and wetland conditions toward goals and objectives 

in the Riparian Areas and Wetlands section.

LG-MA-9. Livestock trailing may be allowed consistent with other resource objectives. Trailing must be 

supervised by the permittee to ensure active movement of livestock. Terms and conditions will be added 

to permits to ensure compliance.

LG-MA-10. When livestock are moved between pastures or allotments through riparian areas, stream 

crossings will be perpendicular to the riparian area where practical. 

LG-MA-11. Grazing management activities (e.g., grazing, trailing, bedding, watering, salting, loading, 

other handling efforts) will be modified, discontinued, or relocated if they are not maintaining aquatic and 

riparian conditions. 

LG-MA-12. In areas that are readily accessible to cattle and known or suspected special status fish 

spawning habitat, develop and implement grazing practices to avoid or restrict trampling of redds (eggs) 

and other direct and indirect effects that may result in adverse impacts to the species.

LG-MA-13. Allotment and pasture boundaries may be modified to facilitate the use of permitted livestock 

grazing to achieve fuels reduction objectives. Modifications may include aggregating allotments into larger 

allotments and realigning pasture boundary fences to concentrate livestock use for fuels reduction.

LG-MA-14. Utilization limits will be determined on an allotment specific basis to meet objectives in the 

Upland Vegetation, Riparian Areas and Wetlands, Fish and Wildlife, and Special Status Species sections.

LG-MA-15. Reserve common allotments may be established to facilitate vegetation treatment projects 

and to provide livestock grazing management flexibility. Reserve common allotments may be established 

on acquired lands; in allotments where permits are relinquished, transferred, expired, or cancelled; or by 

agreement with a permittee. However, permits will not be cancelled for the purpose of establishing a 

reserve common allotment. Reserve common allotments may be created from whole or partial allotments 

and can be permanent or temporary. Reserve common allotments will not be allowed within the BruneauJarbidge Rivers Wilderness. 
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LG-MA-16. Priority order for using reserve common allotments will be as follows:

Permittees and lessees whose normally permitted allotments are under an approved vegetation 

treatment project (e.g., restoration, fuels treatments); 

Permittees and lessees whose normally permitted allotments are temporarily unavailable due to 

wildland fire; and 

Permittees and lessees whose normally permitted allotments are temporarily unavailable due to 

insect outbreaks.

Permittees within the planning area will have the highest priority for using reserve common allotments; 

permittees within the Twin Falls District will have second priority.

LG-MA-17. When a reserve common allotment is established, a management plan will be developed 

concurrent with the creation of the reserve common allotment to ensure maintenance of or movement 

towards meeting Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing 

Management. 

LG-MA-18. Temporary Non-Renewable (TNR) permits will be considered in the Jarbidge Field Office. 

However, TNR permits will not be allowed in the following areas: 

Pastures containing areas within the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness and

The riparian pasture of the Lower Saylor Creek Allotment in the Sand Point ACEC. 

LG-MA-19. Criteria for issuing TNR permits in a particular pasture will include:

TNR may be allowed in years where additional forage for livestock is temporarily available, as 

determined by utilization levels; 

TNR must be consistent with the drought management guidelines; 

TNR may not be allowed within the operation of the applicant if grazing use criteria are exceeded in 

any pasture in planning area controlled by the applicant; and

TNR must be consistent with other resource objectives.

LG-MA-20. Follow BLM guidelines for livestock grazing management in sage-grouse habitat. 

LG-MA-21. In aspen stands, grazing will be managed to allow for natural regeneration of aspen with a 

diversity of vegetation species and age class.

Range Infrastructure

LG-MA-22. Range infrastructure within wilderness must be consistent with the Owyhee Canyonlands 

Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Management Plan. 

LG-MA-23. Follow BLM-approved design features and construction and maintenance practices for range 

infrastructure.

LG-MA-24. Grazing facilities and infrastructure (e.g., livestock handling and management facilities, 

fences, watering facilities) will be modified, discontinued, or relocated if they are not maintaining aquatic 

and riparian conditions.

LG-MA-25. To protect associated resources, minimize disturbance at developed springs by using existing 

routes for access, redesigning the spring development, or limiting maintenance or reconstruction activities 

to areas disturbed during previous construction or to areas outside the wetland.

LG-MA-26. Modify existing and construct new fences to comply with BLM standards for wildlife (Karsky, 

1999). Existing fences will be modified according to the following priority order: 

Key sage-grouse habitat, 

Big game winter range, 

Saylor Creek Herd Management Area, and

The remainder of the planning area.
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LG-MA-27. If a reservoir is fenced, where practical, provide water for livestock use outside the fence.

LG-MA-28. For permittee-maintained projects, the BLM authorized officer will be notified prior to initiating 

work that requires the use of heavy equipment so that appropriate measures are adopted to protect 

resources.

LG-MA-29. Consider installing or constructing new pipelines, reservoirs, or wells where they will help 

meet resource objectives. New pipelines, reservoirs, or wells will not be authorized within Wilderness; 

eligible, suitable, and designated Wild and Scenic River corridors; or Areas of Critical Environmental 

Concern. 

LG-MA-30. New spring developments and modifications of existing spring developments must be 

consistent with resource objectives, avoid or minimize ground disturbance, protect the spring source, and 

ensure adequate water to maintain associated wetlands.

LG-MA-31. If grazing management changes (such as season of use, duration of grazing, etc.) do not

improve wetland conditions, modify or remove spring developments associated with wetlands rated as 

non-functioning, functioning-at-risk with a downward trend, or functioning-at-risk. Modify spring 

developments by protecting the spring source and ensuring adequate water to support spring hydrology 

and associated riparian vegetation.

LG-MA-32. Place salting, minerals, supplements, new troughs, new reservoirs, and new holding facilities 

more than 300 feet from canyon rims and playas. Place salting, minerals, supplements, troughs, 

reservoirs, and holding facilities outside of the protective zone of the Oregon National Historic Trail and 

the Kelton and Toana Freight Road protective corridors. Ensure salting, minerals, supplements, new 

troughs, new reservoirs, and new holding facilities in other areas are located to avoid conflicts with 

cultural resources.

LG-MA-33. Where needed to provide adequate nesting and winter cover, adjust locations of livestock 

watering facilities and salting/supplements in sagebrush steppe habitat and other intact sagebrush 

stands.

LG-MA-34. Avoid placing new water developments in sagebrush steppe habitat unless they will

contribute to meeting resource objectives. If a new water development is necessary, it shall be located in 

a previously disturbed area.

LG-MA-35. New fences may be constructed to meet livestock management and resource objectives.

Recreation 

Goal

REC-G-1. Provide and sustain a variety of dispersed and developed recreational opportunities and 

experiences while avoiding or minimizing resource impacts.

Objectives

REC-O-1. Provide basic information on recreational opportunities on public lands not designated as 

Special Recreation Management Areas (SRMAs) or Extensive Recreation Management Areas (ERMAs). 

Provide access and minimal facilities (e.g., signs, protective fences) as needed to ensure visitor health 

and safety, reduce user conflict, and protect resources.

REC-O-2. Manage 20,000 acres as SRMAs to protect and enhance recreation settings, activities, 

experiences, and benefits. Manage 304,000 acres as ERMAs to support and sustain recreation activities 

and the associated quality and condition of the ERMA. 
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Allocations 

REC-A-1. Designate the following SRMAs: 

Yahoo SRMA (3,000 acres),

Deadman SRMA (13,000 acres),

Jarbidge Forks SRMA (2,000 acres),

Balanced Rock SRMA (500 acres),

Little Pilgrim SRMA (300 acres), and

Salmon Falls Reservoir SRMA (1,000 acres).

REC-A-2. Designate the following ERMAs:

Jarbidge Foothills ERMA (133,000 acres),

Canyonlands ERMA (149,000 acres),

Rosevear ERMA (19,000 acres), and

Luds Point ERMA (3,000 acres).

REC-A-3. The Salmon Falls Reservoir SRMA will consist of two Recreation Management Zones (RMZs):

Antelope Bay RMZ (1,000 acres) and

Cedar Creek RMZ (100 acres).

REC-A-4. All lands not established as an SRMA or ERMA will be managed to meet basic recreation and 

visitor services needs and resource objectives. Recreation will not be emphasized; however, recreation 

activities may occur to the extent that they are consistent with other resource uses. 

See Map 18 for locations of SRMAs and ERMAs, and Map 19 for RMZs.

Management Actions

REC-MA-1. Develop implementation and monitoring plans for SRMAs to address the purpose specific to 

the SRMA.

REC-MA-2. Where appropriate, implement management methods to protect riparian resources, special 

status species, wildlife habitat, and cultural resources while enhancing recreation opportunities. 

Management methods may include:

Limiting visitor numbers, 

Adopting camping and travel controls, 

Implementing fees, and 

Imposing scheduling restrictions to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife during important seasonal 

periods.

REC-MA-3. New and existing recreation-related activities and facilities within or affecting Riparian 

Conservation Areas will be designed, modified, relocated, or discontinued if they are not maintaining 

aquatic and riparian conditions.

REC-MA-4. Dispersed camping will be allowed. Dispersed camping may be closed or limited seasonally if 

resource objectives are impacted. 

REC-MA-5. If campground fees are implemented, they will not apply to Federally recognized tribes 

exercising treaty rights or engaging in traditional cultural practices.

REC-MA-6. Consider Special Recreation Permits (SRPs) within Areas of Environmental Concern with 

mitigation for impacts to relevant and important values. 

REC-MA-7. Manage the Deadman and Yahoo SRMAs to provide opportunities for visitors to engage in

off-highway vehicle activities.
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REC-MA-8. Manage the Jarbidge Forks SRMA to provide opportunities for visitors to engage in fishing, 

rafting, picnicking, camping, and viewing wildlife and natural scenery.

REC-MA-9. Manage the Balanced Rock SRMA to provide opportunities for visitors to engage in hiking, 

viewing wildlife and natural scenery, and non-motorized boating.

REC-MA-10. Manage the Little Pilgrim SRMA to provide opportunities for visitors to engage in fishing and 

bird hunting.

REC-MA-11. Manage the RMZs in the Salmon Falls Reservoir SRMA (see Map 19) with the following 

management: 

Manage the Antelope Bay RMZ to provide opportunities to engage in hunting, fishing, camping, 

boating, water sports, and motorized and non-motorized trail riding on a series of designated routes.

Manage the Cedar Creek RMZ to provide opportunities for visitors to engage in fishing, camping, and 

boating.

REC-MA-12. Manage the Jarbidge Foothills ERMA to provide opportunities for visitors to engage in 

motorized and non-motorized recreation experiences including hunting, mountain biking, hiking, 

equestrian activities, and viewing wildlife and natural scenery.

REC-MA-13. Manage the Canyonlands ERMA to provide opportunities for visitors to engage in motorized 

and non-motorized recreation experiences including hunting, fishing, hiking, equestrian activities, and 

viewing wildlife and natural scenery.

REC-MA-14. Manage the Rosevear ERMA to provide opportunities for visitors to engage in motorized 

trail riding opportunities on a series of designated routes.

REC-MA-15. Manage the Luds Point ERMA to provide opportunities for visitors to engage in hunting, 

fishing, primitive camping, and viewing wildlife and natural scenery.

REC-MA-16. Authorize SRPs for commercial use or competitive events. Encourage events that occur 

outside fire season (October through May), utilize facilities off public lands for overnight accommodation 

of guests, and focus visitation on sites and areas resilient to repeated use.

REC-MA-17. Issue and manage SRPs for a wide variety of uses to enhance outdoor recreational 

opportunities, manage user-group interaction, and limit the impacts of such uses upon natural and cultural 

resources, with emphasis on realizing positive economic and community benefits through SRP 

management.

REC-MA-18. Commercial SRPs that are not compatible with management of the Herd Management Area

will not be allowed.

REC-MA-19. Organized group/event permits may be required for group outdoor recreation activities or 

events which are neither commercial nor competitive at the discretion of the BLM authorized officer. The 

determination as to when a permit may be required will take into account the nature, location, size, and 

intent of the organized group and proposed event activity. Thresholds to be considered in permit 

requirements are: 

The activity is publicly advertised,

The activity poses an appreciable risk for resource damage,

The activity requires specific management or monitoring, or 

There is a request for a specific site or campground.

A letter of agreement from the Jarbidge Field Office may be required for certain group activities that do 

not require a permit. This letter will outline stipulations for the group activity including, but not limited to, 

protection of natural resource values, cultural, and historic sites and sanitation requirements. 
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Transportation and Travel 

Goal

TR-G-1. Manage and provide for motorized, non-motorized, and non-mechanized access that will balance 

resource protection and use.

Objective

TR-O-1. Provide a transportation and travel system to facilitate habitat restoration, resource protection, 

and multiple use.

Allocations

TR-A-1. The Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness will be closed to motorized and mechanized vehicle 

use (60,000 acres), according to the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers 

Management Plan. The Lower Salmon Falls Creek Wilderness Study Area will be closed to motorized 

vehicle use (2,000 acres).

TR-A-2. Salmon Falls Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern north and south of Lilly Grade 

crossing will be closed to motorized vehicle use (3,000 acres). 

TR-A-3. Designated areas of the Deadman and Yahoo Special Recreation Management Areas (SRMAs; 

4,000 acres) will be open to cross-country motorized vehicle use.

TR-A-4. The Rosevear Extensive Recreation Management Area (19,000 acres) will provide a series of 

designated motorized routes that link the Deadman and Yahoo SRMAs.

TR-A-5. Travel will be limited to designated routes in the remainder of the planning area (1,304,000 

acres). Specific route designations will be made in an implementation-level travel and transportation 

management planning process following the completion of the RMP. Until route designation occurs, areas 

limited to designated routes will be managed as limited to existing routes as depicted on Map 20. A more 

thorough review of the existing transportation routes will be performed as part of the travel management 

planning process, which may include additional on-the-ground data collection and verification.

See Map 21 for locations of transportation and travel allocations.

Management Actions

TR-MA-1. Area designations apply to all off-highway vehicles, which include any motorized vehicle 

capable of, or designed for, travel on or immediately over land, water, or other natural terrain, excluding: 

Any non-amphibious registered motorboat; 

Any military, fire, emergency, or law enforcement vehicle while being used for emergency purposes;

Any vehicle whose use is expressly authorized by the BLM authorized officer or otherwise officially 

approved; 

Vehicles in official use (e.g., Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Nevada Department of Wildlife); 

and

Any combat or combat support vehicle when used in times of national defense emergencies (43 CFR 

8340.0-5[a]).

Area and route designations, with the exception of designated wilderness areas, also do not apply to 

vehicles being used by members of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes or the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to 

access traditional use areas of importance to the tribes or to vehicles being used by members of the 

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to exercise their tribally reserved treaty rights.

TR-MA-2. Where motorized, non-motorized, mechanized, or non-mechanized use will cause or is causing 

considerable adverse effects on soil, vegetation, wildlife, wildlife habitat, cultural resources, historical 

resources, threatened or endangered species, wilderness suitability, other authorized uses, or other 

resources, the BLM authorized officer may close the affected areas to the type(s) of use causing the 

adverse effect until the adverse effects are reduced and measures implemented to prevent reoccurrence.
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TR-MA-3. Minimize construction and maintenance of roads within or adjacent to special status wildlife 

and fish habitat and big game winter range during important seasonal periods.

TR-MA-4. Continue to recognize and update agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with local 

highway districts for road maintenance.

TR-MA-5. Complete a Travel Management Plan (TMP) within five years of the signing of the Record of 

Decision. The TMP will be developed through a public process to determine the transportation and travel 

system for the planning area. The TMP will determine the routes and trails to be designated, modified, 

closed, or rehabilitated as well as the maintenance level, modes of travel, and seasonal and access 

restrictions for designated routes. During the TMP process, additional data needs and a strategy to collect 

information will be identified. Decisions made in the TMP will be limited to management of BLM roads. 

A TMP is not intended to provide evidence bearing on or addressing the validity of any R.S. 2477 

assertions. R.S. 2477 rights are determined through a process that is entirely independent of the BLM's 

planning process. Consequently, travel management planning shall not take into consideration R.S. 2477 

assertions or evidence. Travel management planning shall be founded on an independently determined 

purpose and need that is based on resource uses and associated access to public lands and waters. At 

such time as a decision is made on R.S. 2477 assertions, the BLM will adjust its travel routes accordingly.

TR-MA-6. Route designation will, at a minimum, follow criterion in 43 CFR 8342.1 and BLM Manual 1626.

TR-MA-7. Route designation will also consider the following, consistent with other resource objectives: 

Conflict with cultural and paleontological resources will be minimized when designating routes.

Designated routes may follow or cross the Oregon National Historic Trail (NHT) and National Register 

of Historic Places-eligible and -listed segments of the Kelton and Toana Freight Roads in areas 

where previous disturbance has occurred, and after consultation with the State Historic Preservation 

Officer. 

Where motorized vehicle use is allowed within the Oregon National Trail Management Corridor, travel 

will not degrade the Oregon NHT or its setting.

Designated routes within suitable and eligible Wild and Scenic River corridors must maintain/enhance 

their outstandingly remarkable values, free-flowing condition, water quality, and tentative classification 

until Congress acts. 

Loop routes are preferred to dead end routes.

Parking areas and turnouts will be considered under the same criteria used for routes.

Provide access to private lands or other agency lands (e.g., State, Forest Service, other BLM field 

offices).

Provide access for authorized activities, including livestock grazing, energy development, and 

recreation.

TR-MA-8. As part of the travel management planning process, the BLM will identify any easements and 

rights-of-way (to be issued to the BLM or others) needed to maintain the preliminary or existing road and 

trail network.

TR-MA-9. Cooperate with tribes, Federal, State, and county agencies to reduce adverse effects and 

support the achievement of the goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands in the long term.

TR-MA-10. Minimize locating new roads or road-related facilities in Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs). 

Before building new roads or other road-related facilities in RCAs, complete a watershed or site-specific 

analysis. The level of analysis shall be commensurate with the scope and issues of the project and 

related aquatic resources. Analysis shall identify how road design features will minimize or avoid adverse 

effects to aquatic and riparian resources at site-specific, reach, and watershed scales. 

TR-MA-11. Temporary roads within or affecting RCAs will be fully decommissioned and rehabilitated once 

the road is no longer needed to meet the intended purpose. 

TR-MA-12. Avoid or minimize sediment delivery to streams from the road surface to allow the 

achievement of the goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands. 
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TR-MA-13. Avoid sidecasting road surface material into areas where it may reach RCAs.

TR-MA-14. Design new, replacement, and reconstructed stream crossings (culverts, bridges, and other 

stream crossings) to: 

Accommodate a 100-year flood, including associated bedload and debris in bull trout occupied 

watersheds. In watersheds containing other non-game fish, design new, replacement, and 

reconstructed stream crossings to accommodate a 100-year flood event, unless a site-specific 

analysis determines the goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands can be achieved with 

fewer impacts to the RCA;

Provide and maintain fish passage at all road crossings of existing and potential fish bearing streams; 

and

Accommodate mean bankfull channel widths to maintain channel integrity.

TR-MA-15. Motorized vehicle restrictions will apply to everyone including lessees, BLM permit holders, 

and right-of-way (ROW) holders, unless specifically authorized in the lease, permits, or ROW grant or with 

written permission from the BLM authorized officer.

TR-MA-16. Motorized activities in areas limited or closed to motorized travel will only be allowed with prior 

written permission of a BLM authorized officer. These activities may include: 

Motorized cross-country travel for non-BLM government entities on official administrative business 

(e.g., noxious weed control, surveying, or animal damage control efforts); and

Motorized cross-country travel by entities requiring access to private lands, resources, or legal 

improvements within or adjacent to closed or limited areas.

TR-MA-17. Access and use restrictions may be imposed to reduce risk of wildland fire during fire 

restrictions, as determined by a BLM authorized officer. Restrictions may include, but not be limited to, 

closing primitive roads, trails, areas open to cross-country motorized vehicle use, and roads. Travel 

related to administrative uses and emergency services may continue during fire restrictions.

TR-MA-18. Game retrieval using motorized vehicles will not be allowed off designated routes.

TR-MA-19. Dispersed camping with motorized vehicles will be allowed in any of the existing dispersed 

campsites adjacent to, or at the end of designated routes. Dispersed camping up to 100 feet from center 

line of designated routes will be allowed if site is accessed by the most direct route possible. Dispersed 

camping may be closed or limited seasonally or as impacts or environmental conditions warrant. Future 

area-specific planning (i.e. travel management planning) and rulemaking may also identify areas where 

this policy may be modified in order to adapt to emerging resource issues.

TR-MA-20. Install gates and cattle guards along designated routes to minimize conflicts between 

transportation-related activities and livestock grazing operations.

TR-MA-21. Travel Management Areas (TMAs) are delineated areas where travel management (either 

motorized or non-motorized) needs particular focus. These areas will have a designated network of 

roads, trails, ways, and other routes that provide for public access and travel. The priority emphasis for 

each TMA is based on resource management, wildland fire suppression, and use objectives outlined in 

the RMP. The TMAs and their travel and transportation planning focus will be as follows: 

Snake River TMA (332,000 acres): Focus on balancing the needs for public access with resource 

objectives. 

Deadman/Yahoo TMA (35,000 acres): Focus on facilitating motorized recreation activities, including 

open play areas and a designated trail system. 

Devil Creek TMA (682,000 acres): Focus on increasing core habitat size for sage-grouse and big 

game and accommodating habitat restoration activities, while providing for public access. 

Canyonlands TMA (188,000 acres): Focus on increasing core habitat size for sage-grouse and big 

game and providing opportunities for motorized and non-motorized recreation experiences. 

Jarbidge Foothills TMA (135,000 acres): Focus on increasing core habitat size for sage-grouse and 

big game, while providing for motorized and non-motorized recreation experiences. 
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See Map 22 for locations of TMAs.

TR-MA-22. The BLM authorized officer has the authority to adjust TMA boundaries and their focus, 

consistent with objectives in the RMP.

Land Use Authorizations 

Goal

LA-G-1. Public needs for land use authorizations will be met with consideration for other resource values.

Objective

LA-O-1. Provide for the development of renewable energy resources, transportation routes, utility 

corridors, transmission lines, communication sites and other uses with consideration for resource 

objectives.

Allocations

LA-A-1. Retain existing withdrawals, with the option of a Section 24 restoration for power site 

classifications and power site reserves if needed, as provided for in the Federal Power Act of 1920.

LA-A-2. The following areas will be exclusion areas for rights-of way (ROWs) (63,000 acres); they will not 

be available for ROWs under any conditions: 

Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness, 

Lower Salmon Falls Creek Wilderness Study Area, and

Sand Point Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). 

See Map 24 for locations of ROW exclusion areas.

LA-A-3. The following areas will be avoidance areas for ROWs (1,234,000 acres); ROWs can be allowed 

in accordance with the corresponding stipulations:

Areas within US Air Force (USAF) Military Operating Areas (983,000 acres): 

New ROWs must be consistent with USAF airspace restrictions.

Oregon National Historic Trail protective zone and Kelton and Toana Freight Road protective 

corridors (31,000 acres): 

New surface or overhead ROWs will follow existing ROW or disturbance corridors, as practicable. 

Underground ROWs will be allowed with mitigation for disturbance within the protective zone and 

corridors. Where the alignment of a new large-scale linear ROW with multi-jurisdictional impacts 

is constrained or determined by external factors which make avoidance impractical or infeasible, 

the ROW grant will require mitigation commensurate with impacts.

Eligible, suitable, and designated Wild and Scenic River corridors (30,000 acres): 

ROWs must maintain/enhance the river segment's outstandingly remarkable values, free-flowing 

condition, water quality, and tentative classification.

Upper Bruneau Canyon and Salmon Falls Creek ACECs (21,000 acres): 

New ROWs will be restricted to ROW corridors and locations of existing ROWs.

 Sage-grouse management area (990,000 acres): 

New tall structures (e.g., overhead power and phone lines, meteorological towers, communication 

towers) will be located more than four miles from occupied and unknown-status sage-grouse leks. 

In some cases, topographic screening may allow infrastructure to be placed at less than four

miles from leks.

Where the alignment of a new large-scale linear ROW with multi-jurisdictional impacts is 

constrained or determined by external factors which make avoidance impractical or infeasible, the 

ROW grant will require mitigation commensurate with impacts.

Several ROW avoidance areas overlap; where this occurs, all avoidance stipulations must be met. In 

addition, some ROW avoidance areas overlap with ROW exclusion areas; where this occurs, the more 

restrictive exclusion management applies. 
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See Map 25 for location of ROW avoidance areas.

LA-A-4. Designate the following ROW corridors for utilities (i.e., corridors for oil, gas, and hydrogen 

pipelines, electricity transmission, phone lines, and distribution facilities):

Pilgrim Gulch (Section 368 energy corridor) (3,500 feet wide; 3,000 acres), 

Shoestring (Section 368 energy corridor) (3,500 feet wide; 3,000 acres), 

Saylor Creek (Section 368 energy corridor) (3,500 feet wide; 7,000 acres), 

Balanced Rock (Section 368 energy corridor) (3,500 feet wide; 7,000 acres), 

Roseworth (1 mile wide; 2,000 acres), and

 Oil/gas pipelines (1 mile wide; 11,000 acres). 

Roseworth ROW corridor has a limited capacity due to topographic features where it crosses Lilly Grade.

See Map 26 for locations of ROW corridors. Section 368 energy corridors were designated in the Energy 

Policy Act of 2005.

LA-A-5. Commercial wind and solar energy developments will not be permitted inside the sage-grouse 

management area or within utility ROW corridors. 

Management Actions

LA-MA-1. Implement the Programmatic Policies and Design Features in the Record of Decision on Wind 

Energy Development on BLM-Administered Lands in the Western United States (2005) (Appendix A).

LA-MA-2. Interagency Operating Procedures, located in Appendix A, will be implemented for projects 

proposed within the Section 368 corridors.

LA-MA-3. The BLM will review all withdrawals on and classifications of public lands to eliminate all 

unnecessary withdrawals and classifications. Reviews will consider: 

For what purposes were the lands withdrawn? 

Are these purposes still being served? 

Are the lands suitable for return to the public domain?

LA-MA-4. Place new ROWs for oil and gas pipelines and overhead lines within ROW corridors where 

practical; other locations will be considered in areas not identified for ROW avoidance or exclusion, 

consistent with allocations listed above.

LA-MA-5. New ROWs will be located in areas of previous disturbance where practical.

LA-MA-6. New ROWs will meet Visual Resource Management class objectives.

LA-MA-7. Co-locate new communication sites with existing sites where practical; communication sites 

present in 2011 are located at:

Black Mesa, 

Blue Butte,

Frog Hollow,

Indian Butte, 

Lower Salmon Falls, 

Signal Butte, and

Yahoo Creek. 

See Map 23. Other locations will be considered, consistent with stipulations for ROW avoidance areas 

and outside ROW exclusion areas.

LA-MA-8. BLM management activities and authorized uses on lands with existing withdrawals will be 

consistent with the purposes of the withdrawal. Proposed BLM management activities and authorized 

uses that are not consistent with the purposes of the withdrawal will be evaluated to determine whether 

the proposal can be modified or whether the withdrawal is still necessary.
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LA-MA-9. Land use permits may be considered, on a case-by-case basis, consistent with resource 

objectives. 

LA-MA-10. Trespass resolution, as determined by the BLM authorized officer, may include (in order of 

resolution priority): 

 Removal and restoration (depending on the nature of the trespass), 

 Authorization of a ROW grant or land use permit with mitigation commensurate with impacts, or 

 Disposal of the affected land through sale or exchange (see Appendix G for lands identified for 

disposal). 

LA-MA-11. Existing land use permits for irrigation pivot crossings may be renewed, in accordance with 

policy and regulations, but are to remain unfarmed. New permits for irrigation pivot crossings will not be 

allowed.

LA-MA-12. Airport leases may be considered if proposals are outside ROW exclusion areas and 

consistent with stipulations for ROW avoidance areas and Federal Aviation Administration regulations. 

LA-MA-13. Access across non-BLM lands will be identified and obtained, where possible, through 

easements, ROWs, or acquisitions to accomplish BLM objectives.

LA-MA-14. Future access needs and priorities will be coordinated with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, 

Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, Idaho and Nevada State agencies, and local governments to ensure resource 

values are evaluated along with public needs.

LA-MA-15. Authorizations involving water use on BLM land must comply with applicable State water law. 

Final authorization to proceed with water developments on BLM lands will be withheld until compliance 

from the appropriate authorizing agency (i.e., Idaho Department of Water Resources) is obtained. Any 

new water right established on public land will be in the name of the United States.

LA-MA-16. New land use authorizations will avoid or minimize adverse effects on non-game fish, their 

habitats, and Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs).

LA-MA-17. For existing land use authorizations that prevent the achievement of the goals and objectives 

for riparian areas and wetlands, use existing authorities to redesign, modify, or apply mitigations to 

reduce impacts to non-game fish, their habitats, and RCAs.

LA-MA-18. During Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensing or relicensing of 

hydroelectric projects, terms and conditions that achieve the goals and objectives for riparian areas and 

wetlands over the new license term shall be submitted to the FERC.

LA-MA-19. Restrict ROW construction and maintenance activities to avoid disturbing special status 

species during important seasonal periods.

LA-MA-20. Outside the sage-grouse management area, locate new tall structures (e.g. overhead power 

and phone lines, communications towers, meteorological towers, and wind turbines) more than four miles 

from occupied and unknown-status sage-grouse leks. In some cases topographic screening may allow 

infrastructure to be placed at less than four miles from leks. Within designated ROW corridors, buffer 

distances for sage-grouse leks will not apply. BLM may impose constraints on timing of construction for 

routine maintenance.

LA-MA-21. New communication sites will avoid special status species habitat if the project will have an 

adverse effect, unless those adverse effects can be mitigated.

LA-MA-22. Outside the sage-grouse management area, renewable energy site testing, monitoring, and 

development shall avoid special status species habitat unless unavoidable adverse effects can be 

mitigated.

LA-MA-23. Implement the policies and relevant design features in the 2012 Record of Decision for Solar 

Energy Development in Six Southwestern States ( Appendix A).
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LA-MA-24. New road ROWs across public land for private purposes will be considered only after all other 

access possibilities have been exhausted. 

Land Tenure 

Goal

LT-G-1. Manage land tenure to provide for public ownership of lands with high resource and multiple use 

values and to improve management efficiency.

Objective

LT-O-1. Improve BLM's ability to manage the land base and resource values, and help meet resource 

objectives through land tenure adjustments.

Allocations

LT-A-1. Zone 1 consists of lands for retention that are not available for disposal (1,326,000 acres). Zone 

1 lands include: 

Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness;

Lower Salmon Falls Creek Wilderness Study Area; 

The Oregon National Historic Trail protective zone and Kelton and Toana Freight Road protective 

corridors; 

Eligible, suitable, and designated Wild and Scenic River corridors; 

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern; 

Saylor Creek Herd Management Area; and 

Other consolidated public lands.

See Map 27, Land Tenure Zones.

LT-A-2. Zone 2 consists of lands for consolidation within the planning area (32,000 acres). Zone 2 lands 

include: 

Selected lands near Glenns Ferry and Roseworth, 

Selected lands in the northeast corner of the planning area, 

Selected lands in the Jarbidge Foothills, and 

Selected lands between Clover Creek and Cedar Creek Reservoir.

See Map 27, Land Tenure Zones and Appendix G for legal descriptions.

LT-A-3. Zone 3 lands (13,000 acres) are available for Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA)

Section 203 sales (as listed in Appendix G) subject to NEPA compliance and consistent with other 

decisions in this RMP. Zone 3 lands include:

Selected lands near Blue Gulch, Glenns Ferry, Grindstone, Magic Waters, Bliss Dam, and Pasadena 

Valley.

See Map 27, Land Tenure Zones and Appendix G for legal descriptions.

LT-A-4. Lands identified for disposal in previous RMPs prior to July 25, 2000 (3,000 acres) will continue 

to be available for disposal under the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act of 2000 (FLTFA; 

Appendix G). Proceeds from the sale or exchange of these public lands may be used to purchase 

additional public lands, as provided for in FLTFA.

LT-A-5. Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) leases will be considered on lands in Zones 2 and 3.
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Management Actions

LT-MA-1. Public lands, in order to be considered for any form of land tenure adjustment (including 

exchanges, R&PP, fee or easement acquisitions, etc.), except for FLPMA Section 203 sales, will be 

evaluated and must meet one or more of the land ownership adjustment criteria (described in Appendix 

G), or one or more of the following criteria:

Is in the public interest; accommodates the needs of State, local, or private entities, including for the 

economy and community growth and expansion; and is in accordance with other land use goals, 

objectives, and planning decisions;

Results in net gain of important and manageable resource values on public lands such as crucial 

wildlife habitat, significant cultural sites, high-value recreation areas, high quality riparian areas, live 

water, special status species habitat, or areas key to maintenance of productive ecosystems;

Ensures the accessibility of public lands in areas where access is needed and cannot otherwise be 

obtained;

Is essential to allow effective management of public lands in areas where consolidation of ownership 

is necessary to meet resource management objectives; and/or

Results in acquisition of lands that serve a national priority as identified in national policy directives.

LT-MA-2. Initiate tribal consultation early in the process for any land tenure adjustments.

LT-MA-3. In general, lands with the following characteristics will be retained in Federal ownership: 

Endangered, Threatened, Proposed, and Candidate species habitat and designated and proposed 

critical habitat; 

Those lands specifically identified by the tribes as having special importance related to treaty and/or 

traditional uses/values; 

National Register of Historic Places eligible and listed properties; 

Wildlife tracts; 

Sage-grouse habitat;

Special Recreation Management Areas;

Extensive Recreation Management Areas;

Lands along the Snake River; and

Upland and Riparian Reference Areas.

These lands can be disposed of if the transaction helped achieve resource objectives; see the Cultural 

Resources section for additional guidance for disposal of lands containing National Register properties or 

other important cultural resources. Lands acquired under the Land and Water Conservation Fund must be 

retained.

Under limited circumstances, lands containing important resources may be exchanged for lands 

containing resources of equal or greater value within the planning area.

LT-MA-4. BLM’s acquisition priorities (not in priority order) will include:

• Land identified by Shoshone-Paiute Tribes or Shoshone-Bannock Tribes;

• Endangered, Threatened, Proposed, or Candidate species habitat; 

BLM Sensitive species habitat; 

Lands within special designations; 

Big game winter range; 

Riparian areas; 

Lands containing known archaeological, paleontological, or historical values determined by the BLM 

to be unique or of traditional or scientific importance;

Lands that will provide public access to public lands, including but not limited to river access; 

Lands that will help consolidate public land; 

Lands that will help improve livestock grazing management; and 

Lands adjacent to Zones 1 and 2.
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LT-MA-5. Vegetation treatments, construction of new range infrastructure, and other public land 

improvements in areas involved in a land tenure transaction will be kept to a minimum.

LT-MA-6. Disposal of public lands will be subject to all valid existing rights, including existing rights-ofway. Existing public access through those lands may be retained if necessary for BLM management or for 

accommodating uses.

LT-MA-7. Use land acquisition, exchanges, and conservation easements to support achievement of the 

goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands and facilitate restoration of native species and their 

habitat.

LT-MA-8. No new Desert Land Act or Carey Act applications will be accepted for lands. The Desert Land 

Act and Carey Act applications submitted prior to 2009 (Case numbers IDD-7401, IDI-7402, IDI-27888, 

and IDI-27889) will be processed within 10 years of the signing of the Record of Decision. 

LT-MA-9. Manage newly acquired lands and lands returned to BLM the same as adjacent BLM lands 

(e.g., acquired lands within wilderness will be managed as wilderness). 

LT-MA-10. Sales of public lands (as identified in Appendix G) meet one or more of the following criteria:

The parcel, because of its location or other characteristics, is difficult and uneconomic to manage as 

part of the public lands, and is not suitable for management by another Federal department or 

agency; 

The parcel was acquired for a specific purpose and is no longer required for that or any other Federal 

purpose; or 

Disposal of the parcel will serve important public objectives, including but not limited to, expansion of 

communities and economic development which cannot be achieved prudently or feasibly on land 

other than public land and which outweigh other public objectives and values. These include, but are 

not limited to, wildlife, grazing, recreation, cultural, and scenic values which will be served by 

maintaining such parcel in Federal ownership.

Minerals 

Leasable Minerals

Leasable minerals include oil shale, oil and gas, phosphate, potash, sodium, geothermal resources, and 

other minerals that may be developed under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended.

Goal

LE-G-1. Provide leasable mineral development opportunities where they are compatible with other 

resources.

Objective

LE-O-1. Facilitate reasonable, economical, and environmentally sound exploration and development of 

leasable minerals where compatible with resource objectives.

Allocations

LE-A-1. The majority of the planning area (1,276,000 acres) will be open to mineral leasing, subject to 

laws, regulations, and formal orders; the terms and conditions of the standard lease form; and stipulations 

for Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation and Cultural Resource Protection. Areas that will be 

subject to additional moderate or major constraints specific are as follows:

Moderate constraints (915,000 acres): Big game winter range, sage-grouse management area, and 

Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs) in bull trout spawning habitat and redband trout spawning 

habitat will be open to mineral leasing with seasonal restrictions. RCAs will be open to mineral 

leasing, consistent with goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands. 
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Major constraints (26,000 acres): The Oregon National Historic Trail (NHT) protective zone and the 

Kelton and Toana Freight Road protective corridors will be open to mineral leasing with no surface 

occupancy.

LE-A-2. The Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness, the Lower Salmon Falls Creek Wilderness Study Area, 

eligible, suitable, and designated Wild and Scenic River corridors; and the Areas of Critical Environmental 

Concern (ACECs) will be closed to mineral leasing (95,000 acres). 

See Map 28 for locations of leasable mineral allocations.

LE-A-3. Exploration and development of non-energy leasable minerals (e.g. phosphate) will follow 

allocations outlined above.

Management Actions

LE-MA-1. Geothermal exploration, drilling, utilization, and reclamation projects will incorporate 

stipulations, best management practices, and management procedures from the 2008 Record of Decision 

and Resource Management Plan Amendments for Geothermal Leasing in the Western United States 

(found in Appendix A).

LE-MA-2. The terms and conditions of the standard lease form (Form 3100-11, Offer to Lease and Lease 

for Oil and Gas) or future versions of the form will apply to all mineral leases.

LE-MA-3. The following stipulations for Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) Section 7 Consultation 

and Cultural Resource Protection will be used unless new stipulations are directed by BLM policy:

ESA Section 7 Consultation Stipulation – The lease area may now or hereafter contain plants, 

animals, or their habitats determined to be Threatened, Endangered or other special status species. 

The BLM may recommend modifications to exploration and development proposals to further its 

conservation and management objective to avoid BLM-approved activity that will contribute to a need 

to list such a species or their habitat. The BLM may require modifications to or disapprove a proposed 

activity that is likely to result in jeopardy to the continued existence of a proposed or listed Threatened 

or Endangered species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of a designated or 

proposed critical habitat. The BLM will not approve any ground-disturbing activity that may affect any 

such species or critical habitat until it completes its obligations under applicable requirements of the 

ESA, including completion of any required procedure for conference or consultation.

Cultural Resource Protection Stipulation – This lease may be found to contain historic properties 

and/or resources protected under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), American Indian 

Religious Freedom Act, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, Executive Order 

13007, or other statutes and executive orders. The BLM will not approve any ground-disturbing 

activities that may affect any such properties or resources until it completes its obligations under 

applicable requirements of the NHPA and other authorities. The BLM may require modification to 

exploration or development proposals to protect such properties, or disapprove any activity that is 

likely to result in adverse effects that cannot be successfully avoided, minimized, or mitigated.

LE-MA-4. Exceptions, waivers, and modifications may not be made for the following lease stipulations:

Controlled Surface Use Stipulation for Special Status Species Habitat: ESA Section 7 Consultation

and

Controlled Surface Use Stipulation for Cultural Resources: Cultural Resource Protection Stipulation.

LE-MA-5. Lease stipulations, conditions of approval, and actions will be developed to achieve resource 

objectives on a site-specific basis. 

LE-MA-6. Mineral leasing and development decisions also apply to geophysical exploration.

LE-MA-7. Exploration and development of non-energy leasable minerals will follow standard stipulations 

outlined above; additional stipulations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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LE-MA-8. Leasable mineral development activities will avoid special status species habitat if the activity 

will have an adverse effect, unless those adverse effects can be mitigated. Permits will include mitigation 

for adverse effects on special status species and their habitats. 

LE-MA-9. For those leasable mineral development activities conducted pursuant to valid existing rights 

that pose risks to achievement of management objectives, use existing authorities to mitigate and/or 

require, to the extent authorized, design features that will contribute to the maintenance of streambanks, 

shorelines, streambed configuration, water quality, amount and distribution of woody debris, thermal 

regulation, characteristic erosion rates, and amount and distribution of source habitats.

LE-MA-10. Locate leasable mineral project related infrastructure outside RCAs. Where there is no 

alternative, locate and construct the infrastructure to avoid impacts on RCAs. Keep the number of roads 

to the minimum necessary for the approved mineral activity. Decommission and revegetate roads no 

longer required for mineral management and related activities.

LE-MA-11. New leasable mineral management projects and operations will avoid or minimize adverse 

effects on non-game fish, their habitats, and RCAs.

LE-MA-12. Develop inspection, monitoring, and reporting requirements for leasable mineral activities 

within or affecting RCAs. Evaluate and apply the results of inspection and monitoring to modify mineral 

plans, leases, or permits as needed to achieve the goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands.

LE-MA-13. Exceptions, waivers, or modifications may be made for lease stipulations as described below:

No Surface Occupancy Stipulation for Oregon NHT protective zone and Kelton and Toana Freight 

Road Protective Corridors– Surface occupancy is not allowed within the Oregon NHT protective zone 

and Kelton and Toana Freight Road protective corridors.

Exception: After consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer, the BLM authorized 

officer may grant an exception if an environmental review demonstrates the action as proposed or 

conditioned will not impair the integrity of the trail.

Waiver: The BLM authorized officer may grant a waiver if an environmental review demonstrates 

the action as proposed or conditioned will only impact non-contributing trail segments.

Modification: This stipulation may not be modified.

Seasonal Restriction Stipulation for Big Game Winter Range, the Sage-Grouse Management Area, 

and Redband Trout Spawning Habitat– No surface use will be allowed (e.g., exploration, construction, 

and drilling) within big game winter range from December through March, the sage-grouse 

management area from March through June, or RCAs within redband trout spawning habitat from 

May through June.

Exception: The BLM authorized officer may grant an exception if an environmental review 

demonstrates the action as proposed or conditioned will not affect the species or habitat during 

the critical season. An exception may also be granted if the proponent, BLM, and State wildlife 

agencies negotiate compensation or mitigation that will offset the anticipated impact to the 

species or habitat.

Waiver: The BLM authorized officer may waive a stipulation if after discussions with State wildlife 

agencies it is determined the described lands are incapable of serving the long-term requirements 

of the species and these areas no longer warrant consideration of habitat.

Modification: The BLM authorized officer may modify the size and shape of the area under 

seasonal restrictions if an environmental analysis indicates the actual habitat suitability for the 

species is different. Time periods may be modified based on studies documenting local periods of 

actual use.

Seasonal Restriction Stipulation for Bull Trout Spawning Habitat – No surface use will be allowed 

(e.g., exploration, construction, and drilling) within RCAs with bull trout spawning habitat from August 

through November.

Exception: The BLM authorized officer may grant an exception if an environmental review 

demonstrates the action as proposed or conditioned will not affect the species or habitat during 

the critical season. An exception may also be granted if the proponent, BLM, US Fish and Wildlife 

Service (FWS), and State wildlife agencies negotiate compensation or mitigation that will offset 

the anticipated impact to the species or habitat.

Waiver: The authorized officer may waive a stipulation if after consulting with FWS and 

discussions with State wildlife agencies it is determined the described lands are incapable of 
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serving the long-term requirements of the species and these areas no longer warrant 

consideration of habitat.

Modification: The BLM authorized officer may modify the size and shape of the area under 

seasonal restrictions if an environmental analysis indicates the actual habitat suitability for the 

species is different. Time periods may be modified based on studies documenting local periods of 

actual use. 

Controlled Surface Use Stipulation for Riparian Areas and Wetlands – Surface use within RCAs must 

maintain or improve riparian and wetland conditions consistent with the goals and objectives for 

riparian areas and wetlands. 

Salable Minerals

Salable minerals include minerals and building materials such as sand, stone, gravel, pumice, pumicite, 

cinders, and clay.

Goal

SA-G-1. Provide salable mineral development opportunities where they are compatible with other 

resources.

Objective

SA-O-1. Provide salable minerals needed for community and economic purposes and facilitate their 

reasonable, economical, and environmentally sound development where available and compatible with 

resource objectives.

Allocations

SA-A-1. The Oregon National Historic Trail (NHT) protective zone and the Kelton and Toana Freight 

Road protective corridors (27,000 acres) will be closed to new salable mineral development. See NHTMA-8 and CR-MA-12. 

SA-A-2. The majority of the planning area will be open to salable mineral development (1,250,000 acres), 

subject to site-specific NEPA analysis, stipulations, and 43 CFR 3600 regulations, except for the following 

areas which are closed to salable mineral exploration and development (94,000 acres): 

The Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness;

Lower Salmon Falls Creek Wilderness Study Area; 

Eligible, suitable, and designated Wild and Scenic River corridors; 

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs); and 

Playas (300-foot buffer).

See Map 29 for locations of salable mineral allocations.

Management Actions

SA-MA-1. Promote the use of existing sites for mineral disposals.

SA-MA-2. Exploration will be allowed where appropriate under a letter of authorization from the BLM 

authorized officer. Exploration for new sites and rehabilitation will be the responsibility of the applicant. 

SA-MA-3. Salable mineral development activities will avoid special status species habitat if the activity will

have an adverse effect, unless those adverse effects can be mitigated. Permits will include mitigation for 

adverse effects on special status species and their habitats.

SA-MA-4. All mineral material sites will be reclaimed in accordance with resource objectives for the 

adjacent area as specified in the permit.

SA-MA-5. Site-specific terms, conditions, and special considerations will be included in all commercial 

salable mineral permits to protect resource values.

SA-MA-6. Stipulations for community pits will be developed on a site-specific basis. 
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SA-MA-7. For those salable mineral development activities conducted pursuant to valid existing rights 

that pose risks to achievement of goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands, use existing 

authorities to mitigate and/or require, to the extent authorized, design features that will contribute to the 

maintenance of streambanks, shorelines, streambed configuration, water quality, amount and distribution 

of woody debris, thermal regulation, characteristic erosion rates, and amount and distribution of source 

habitats.

SA-MA-8. Locate salable mineral project related infrastructure outside Riparian Conservation Areas 

(RCAs). Where there is no alternative, locate and construct the infrastructure to avoid impacts on RCAs. 

Keep the number of roads to the minimum necessary for the approved mineral activity. Decommission 

and revegetate roads no longer required for mineral management and related activities.

SA-MA-9. New salable mineral management projects and operations will avoid or minimize adverse

effects on non-game fish, their habitats, and RCAs. 

SA-MA-10. New sites may be developed if it is determined by the BLM authorized officer that an existing 

site will not meet the applicant’s needs and site impacts can be sufficiently mitigated.

Locatable Minerals

Minerals or materials subject to claim and development under the Mining Law of 1872, as amended. 

Generally includes metallic minerals such as gold and silver, and other materials not subject to lease or 

sale (some bentonites, limestone, talc, some xeolites, etc.).

Goal

LO-G-1. Locatable mineral development will not cause unnecessary and undue degradation of resources.

Objective

LO-O-1. Facilitate reasonable, economical, and environmentally sound exploration and development of 

locatable minerals.

Allocations

LO-A-1. The planning area, excluding the following areas withdrawn by statute (60,000 acres), will be 

available for location of mining claims: 

Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness and 

Designated Wild and Scenic River corridors administered as a wild river.

LO-A-2. Recommend the following area for withdrawal from mining laws for locatable exploration and 

development (20 acres):

Selected lands in the Bruneau River Canyon near Indian Hot Springs.

See Map 30 for locations of areas recommended for withdrawals and withdrawn by statute. 

Recommendations by BLM for withdrawal are subject to final consideration by the Secretary of the 

Interior.

Management Actions

LO-MA-1. Determine whether locatable mineral plans of operation cause unnecessary and undue 

degradation to resources, including habitat for sage-grouse and other special status species, on a caseby-case basis and identify stipulations or mitigation measures as appropriate.

LO-MA-2. Locate mineral project related infrastructure outside Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs). 

Where there is no alternative, locate and construct the infrastructure to avoid impacts on RCAs. Keep the 

number of roads to the minimum necessary for the approved mineral activity. Decommission and 

revegetate roads no longer required for mineral management and related activities.

LO-MA-3. New locatable mineral management projects and operations will avoid or minimize adverse 

effects on non-game fish, their habitats, and RCAs.
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LO-MA-4. Develop inspection, monitoring, and reporting requirements for locatable mineral activities 

within or affecting RCAs. Evaluate and apply the results of inspection and monitoring to modify mineral 

plans, leases, or permits as needed to achieve the goals and objectives for riparian areas and wetlands.

Special Designations

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) 

Goal

ACEC-G-1. ACECs will be managed to protect the important biological, cultural, scenic, and historic 

resources that meet the criteria for relevance and importance.

Upper Bruneau Canyon ACEC

Objective

ACEC-O-1. Protect and maintain habitat for California bighorn sheep, other special status wildlife, interior 

redband trout and non-game fishery, special status plants including Davis peppergrass, scenic, and 

cultural resource values.

Allocation

ACEC-A-1. Manage 18,000 acres of public land as the Upper Bruneau Canyon ACEC (Map 31). 

Management Actions

ACEC-MA-1. New developments will not be allowed within 300 feet of playas within the ACEC.

ACEC-MA-2. Areas within the ACEC with concentrated recreational use and livestock grazing will be a 

high priority for noxious weeds and invasive plants treatment with integrated weed management 

techniques for control, containment, and where practical, eradication. Special stipulations will apply for 

noxious weed and invasive plants treatments in Davis peppergrass habitat. Use of domestic sheep or 

goats to reduce noxious weeds will not be allowed within the ACEC to eliminate potential contact with 

bighorn sheep.

ACEC-MA-3. The ACEC will be a critical suppression area.

ACEC-MA-4. Minimum impact suppression tactics will be used to suppress wildland fires within the 

ACEC. Fire lines will be rehabilitated to help stabilize soils.

ACEC-MA-5. Manage the ACEC as Visual Resource Management (VRM) Class I.

ACEC-MA-6. If a conflict between authorized uses and bighorn sheep is identified, schedule authorized 

uses to avoid pastures that contain bighorn sheep habitat during breeding, wintering, and lambing periods 

to minimize disturbance during these important seasonal periods.

ACEC-MA-7. Adjust livestock seasons of use or stocking rates on a pasture-specific basis to minimize 

conflicts with Davis peppergrass during flowering and when playas are most likely to contain water 

(December through June).

ACEC-MA-8. Range infrastructure will be evaluated for retention, modification, or removal. New 

infrastructure will be allowed to the extent that it protects riparian habitat, cultural resources, botanical 

values, bighorn sheep, or other resource values. Prohibit placement of salt or other supplements within 

the ACEC to reduce livestock use of bighorn sheep habitat and protect big game winter range.

ACEC-MA-9. Monitor recreational use within the ACEC. If recreational use impairs the relevant and 

important values of the ACEC, implement protective measures appropriate to the type of recreational 

activity. Protective measures may include: 

 Seasonal restrictions for motorized use and 

 Designating camping areas outside the ACEC.
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ACEC-MA-10. Special Recreation Permits will be allowed within ACECs as long as the relevant and 

important values are protected. 

ACEC-MA-11. No new roads will be constructed and existing routes will not be substantially improved to 

minimize the level of human disturbance in bighorn sheep habitat. Some designated routes within the 

ACEC can have spot surface treatments to reduce resource damage and to improve public safety. 

ACEC-MA-12. The ACEC will be a right-of-way (ROW) avoidance area.

ACEC-MA-13. Lands within the ACEC will be in Land Tenure Zone 1; where practical, acquire private 

and/or State in holdings. The ACEC designation and management will apply to lands acquired within the 

ACEC boundary.

ACEC-MA-14. The ACEC will be closed to exploration and development of leasable or salable minerals.

Lower Bruneau Canyon ACEC

Objective

ACEC-O-2. Protect vertebrate and invertebrate paleontological resources; restore and protect special 

status plant habitat for Packard’s cowpie buckwheat, spine-node milkvetch, and rare desert annuals.

Allocation

ACEC-A-2. Manage 1,000 acres of public lands as the Lower Bruneau Canyon ACEC (Map 31). 

Management Actions

ACEC-MA-15. Restore native upland plant communities within the ACEC to improve habitat for special 

status species.

ACEC-MA-16. The ACEC will be a high priority for noxious weeds and invasive plants treatment with 

integrated weed management techniques for control, containment, and where practical, eradication.

ACEC-MA-17. The ACEC will be a critical suppression area.

ACEC-MA-18. Minimum impact suppression tactics will be used to suppress wildland fires within the 

ACEC.

ACEC-MA-19. Manage the ACEC as VRM Class III.

ACEC-MA-20. No surface-disturbing activities will be allowed in the ACEC unless they are directly related 

to restoration.

ACEC-MA-21. New infrastructure may be considered if it will not impair the relevant and important values 

of the ACEC. Any infrastructure will be located so that it does not increase or encourage impacts to fossilbearing areas and special status species. 

ACEC-MA-22. Lands within the ACEC will be in Land Tenure Zone 1.

ACEC-MA-23. The ACEC will be closed to exploration and development of leasable or salable minerals 

to protect vertebrate and invertebrate fossils.

Salmon Falls Creek ACEC

Objective

ACEC-O-3. Protect scenic values, redband trout habitat, golden eagle nests, special status wildlife, and 

native vegetation communities.

Allocation

ACEC-A-3. Manage 3,000 acres of public land as the Salmon Falls Creek ACEC (Map 31). 
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Management Actions

ACEC-MA-24. All actions within the portion of the ACEC that is also a Wilderness Study Area must be 

consistent with Management of Wilderness Study Areas (BLM Manual 6330). 

ACEC-MA-25. Restore vegetation within the riparian area to benefit redband trout habitat (e.g., 

increasing shade in the riparian area).

ACEC-MA-26. Use native species for any vegetation treatments within the ACEC, including for 

Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation. 

ACEC-MA-27. The ACEC will be a high priority for noxious weeds and invasive plants treatment with 

integrated weed management techniques for control, containment, and where practical eradication.

ACEC-MA-28. The ACEC will be a critical suppression area.

ACEC-MA-29. Minimum impact suppression tactics will be used to suppress wildland fires within the 

ACEC.

ACEC-MA-30. Manage the portion of the Roseworth ROW corridor within the ACEC as VRM Class III; 

manage the remainder of the ACEC as VRM Class I.

ACEC-MA-31. The ACEC will remain closed to livestock grazing.

ACEC-MA-32. Monitor recreational use within the ACEC. If recreational use impairs the relevant and 

important values of the ACEC, implement protective measures appropriate to the type of recreational 

activity.

ACEC-MA-33. The ACEC north and south of Lilly Grade crossing will remain closed to motorized vehicle 

use.

ACEC-MA-34. The ACEC will remain a ROW avoidance area; new ROWs will be restricted to the 

Roseworth ROW corridor or other existing ROWs.

ACEC-MA-35. Lands within the ACEC will be in Land Tenure Zone 1.

ACEC-MA-36. The ACEC will be closed to exploration and development of leasable or salable minerals.

Sand Point ACEC

Objective

ACEC-O-4. Protect the Oregon National Historic Trail, archaeological sites, vertebrate and invertebrate 

paleontological resources, and the Glenns Ferry geologic formation.

Allocation

ACEC-A-4. Manage 1,000 acres of public land as the Sand Point ACEC (Map 31). 

Management Actions

ACEC-MA-37. Manage paleontological resources within the ACEC in accordance with the 1988 Sand 

Point Natural History Management Plan or subsequent revision. Modify the 1988 plan to encompass the 

Morgan property extension and to be in conformance with the RMP. 

ACEC-MA-38. The ACEC will be closed to fossil collecting except under permit or by written approval by 

a BLM authorized officer. 

ACEC-MA-39. Limit BLM management activities and authorized and allowed uses that may contribute to 

wind or water erosion in the ACEC.

ACEC-MA-40. No surface-disturbing activities will be allowed in the ACEC unless they are directly related 

to research on the ACEC’s cultural, paleontological, or geological resources or unless they can be 

mitigated.
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ACEC-MA-41. The ACEC will be a critical suppression area.

ACEC-MA-42. Minimum impact suppression tactics will be used to suppress wildland fires to protect 

relevant and important values of the ACEC.

ACEC-MA-43. Manage the ACEC as VRM Class II.

ACEC-MA-44. New range infrastructure may be considered if it will not impair the relevant and important 

values of the ACEC. Any infrastructure will be located so that it does not increase or encourage livestock 

trailing across fossil-bearing areas, cultural resource sites, or Oregon National Historic Trail (NHT) ruts.

ACEC-MA-45. Salt or other livestock supplements will not be placed within 0.25 mile of fossil-bearing 

areas, cultural resource sites, or the Oregon NHT protective zone. Coordinate with permittees to identify 

appropriate salt and supplement sites.

ACEC-MA-46. Consider upgrading the Wilson Grade Road if there is increased need for access for fire 

suppression activities or research.

ACEC-MA-47. Structures directly related to the preservation or interpretation of the ACEC may be 

allowed (e.g., kiosks, protective barriers).

ACEC-MA-48. The ACEC will be a ROW exclusion area.

ACEC-MA-49. Lands within the ACEC will be in Land Tenure Zone 1.

ACEC-MA-50. The ACEC will be closed to exploration and development of leasable or salable minerals.

National Historic Trails (NHTs) 

Goal

NHT-G-1. The Oregon NHT National Trail Management Corridor will be managed to preserve and protect 

the historic, scenic, and recreational values associated with the trail.

Objective

NHT-O-1. Protect, preserve, and provide opportunities to experience the historic, scenic, and recreational 

values of the Oregon NHT.

Allocation

NHT-A-1. Manage two miles on either side of the Oregon NHT as the National Trail Management Corridor

(52,000 acres). Within the corridor, manage 0.25 mile on either side of the Oregon NHT or the visual 

horizon (whichever is narrower) as a protective zone (11,000 acres). 

See Map 32 for the location of the Oregon NHT.

Management Actions

NHT-MA-1. Update the BLM’s 1984 Oregon Trail Management Plan and ensure consistency with the 

National Park Service’s 1999 Oregon NHT Comprehensive Management and Use Plan. 

NHT-MA-2. Until the 1984 plan is updated and unless otherwise directed in this document, continue to 

manage the Trail in accordance with the 1984 plan and BLM policy, and in cooperation with the National 

Park Service.

NHT-MA-3. Manage the Oregon NHT protective zone as an avoidance area for surface-disturbing 

activities, including:
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Placement of salting, supplemental feeding, temporary watering, and temporary holding facilities for 

livestock;

Staging areas for recreational activities and events; and

Staging areas for fire suppression and rehabilitation activities.

NHT-MA-4. If use of a designated route within the Oregon NHT National Trail Management Corridor is 

degrading the trail or its setting, the route will be modified or closed.

NHT-MA-5. Design and implement restoration projects to mitigate the effects of natural and humancaused disturbances within the Oregon National Trail Management Corridor. When practical, remove or 

modify visually intrusive facilities within the Oregon National Trail Management Corridor.

NHT-MA-6. Lands within the Oregon NHT protective zone are not available for disposal; non-BLM lands 

within the corridor are a high priority for acquisition.

NHT-MA-7. The Oregon NHT protective zone is open to leasable mineral exploration and development 

with no surface occupancy.

NHT-MA-8. The Oregon NHT protective zone is closed to new salable mineral development. Existing 

salable mineral developments can be renewed but the footprint cannot be expanded.

NHT-MA-9. Adverse effects to the Oregon NHT related to land use authorizations will be prevented 

through avoidance of impacting activities or through mitigation when disturbance or destruction is 

unavoidable. 

NHT-MA-10. Developments such as roads, trails, pipelines, fences, and powerlines may be allowed to 

cross the Oregon NHT where the project is determined by the BLM, with the State Historic Preservation 

Officer concurrence, to not adversely affect the trail due to previous disturbance or visual intrusions. 

NHT-MA-11. Surface-disturbing equipment, such as bulldozers and road graders, cannot be used on 

contributing segments of the Oregon NHT, or within the protective zone of such segments, unless to 

protect life or property. 

NHT-MA-12. Use techniques that minimize surface disturbance within the Oregon NHT protective zone

during seeding projects (Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation, fuels treatments, or 

restoration). Trail remnants will not be disturbed during seeding operations.

NHT-MA-13. Use educational and public outreach programs to minimize or prevent human-caused 

damage to the Oregon NHT including vandalism, unauthorized surface collection of artifacts, and 

unintentional disturbances.

NHT-MA-14. Install and maintain signs identifying the routes of the Oregon NHT.

NHT-MA-15. Manage the visual corridor (two miles on either side of the trail) as Visual Resource 

Management (VRM) Class II, with the trail as the key observation point for visual contrast analyses 

related to new developments. Manage the existing right-of-way corridors as VRM Class III.

Wilderness 

Goal and Objective

WD-G-1. Manage the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness to protect wilderness values. 

Management Action

WD-MA-1. The Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness was designated by Congress in 2009 with the 

Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, Section G, P.L. 111-11. The 90,000 acre BruneauJarbidge Rivers Wilderness Area (63,000 acres within the planning area) will be managed according to 

the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Management Plan. 

See Map 34 for the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness location.
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Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSRs) 

Goal and Objective

WSR-G-1. Maintain or enhance the outstandingly remarkable values (ORVs), free-flowing condition, and 

water quality of designated, suitable, and eligible WSR segments.

Allocations

WSR-A-1. River segments designated as Wild and Scenic include:

A 38.1-mile segment of the Bruneau River from the downstream boundary of the Bruneau-Jarbidge 

Rivers Wilderness to the confluence with the West Fork of the Bruneau River, except for a 0.5-mile 

segment at the Indian Hot Springs public road access, to be administered as a wild river;

A 0.5-mile segment of the Bruneau River at the Indian Hot Springs public road access to be 

administered as a recreational river;

A 0.3-mile segment of the West Fork of the Bruneau River from the confluence with the Jarbidge 

River to the downstream boundary of the Bruneau Canyon Grazing Allotment to be administered as a 

wild river; and

A 27.9-mile segment of the Jarbidge River from the confluence with the West Fork of the Bruneau 

River to the upstream boundary of the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness to be administered as a 

wild river.

WSR-A-2. Segments recommended suitable for inclusion in the WSR system include: 

A 23.0-mile segment of the Bruneau River from Blackrock Crossing to 0.3 mile above the confluence 

of the West Fork of the Bruneau River and the Jarbidge River.

WSR-A-3. Segments eligible for inclusion in the WSR system include: 

A 39.0-mile segment of Salmon Falls Creek from the Nevada border to Salmon Falls Reservoir and 

from Salmon Falls Dam to Balanced Rock Park; 

A 25.0-mile segment of the Three Island, King Hill, and Hagerman reaches of the Snake River; 

A 10.2-mile segment of the Jarbidge River from the planning area boundary to the Jarbidge Forks; 

A 9.6-mile segment of the Jarbidge River, East Fork from the planning area boundary to Murphy Hot 

Springs and from Murphy Hot Springs to the Jarbidge Forks; 

A 2.7-mile segment of Dave Creek from private land boundary to Jarbidge River, East Fork 

confluence;

A 1.0-mile segment of Cougar Point Creek from the planning area boundary to Jarbidge River, East 

Fork confluence; and 

A 1.5-mile segment of Rocky Canyon Creek from its headwaters to Salmon Falls Creek, North Fork 

confluence.

See Map 35 for locations of designated, suitable, and eligible river segments.

WSR-A-4. Wild and Scenic River corridors are designated to extend either the average distance of 0.25 

mile from the high water mark on each side of the river segment; or the distance to the nearest confined 

canyon rim, whichever is shorter.

WSR-A-5. Wild and Scenic River corridors that are suitable or eligible extend outward from the ordinary 

high water mark 0.25 mile on both sides of the river.

Management Actions

WSR-MA-1. Manage the designated segments of the Bruneau and Jarbidge Rivers in accordance with 

the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Management Plan to maintain or 

enhance their ORVs, free-flowing condition, water quality, and classification.

WSR-MA-2. Manage the suitable segment of the Bruneau River to maintain or enhance its ORVs, freeflowing condition, water quality, and tentative classification until Congress acts.
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WSR-MA-3. Protect or enhance the qualifying values of eligible river segments pending a subsequent 

suitability determination or designation decision by Congress. Their free-flowing condition cannot be 

modified, their ORVs and water quality are to be maintained or enhanced, and their tentative classification 

is to be maintained.

WSR-MA-4. Conduct suitability studies and make suitability determinations on eligible river segments 

entirely within the planning area; coordinate suitability studies on segments forming the boundary with the 

Burley and Shoshone Field Offices. 

WSR-MA-5. The existing powerline south of Murphy Hot Springs on the East Fork of the Jarbidge River 

will be retained; designated, suitable, and eligible WSR corridors will be right-of-way avoidance areas.

WSR-MA-6. If, through legislation, Congress decides not to designate a suitable segment as part of the 

Wild and Scenic River System, the protective management outlined in this section will no longer apply 

and these segments will be managed according to direction in other sections of the RMP.

WSR-MA-7. Designated, suitable, and eligible WSR corridors will be closed to exploration and 

development of leasable or salable minerals.

Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) 

Goal and Objective

WSA-G-1. Manage and protect the Lower Salmon Falls Creek WSA to preserve wilderness 

characteristics so as not to impair the suitability for designation by Congress as wilderness.

Allocation

WSA-A-1. Manage 2,000 acres of public land as the Lower Salmon Falls Creek WSA. 

See Map 34 for the WSA location.

Management Actions

WSA-MA-1. Manage the Lower Salmon Falls Creek WSA according to the Management of Wilderness 

Study Areas (BLM Manual 6330) until Congress either designates the land as wilderness or releases it for 

other uses. 

WSA-MA-2. If the WSA is designated by Congress as Wilderness, manage it according to Congressional 

mandates and BLM’s Wilderness Manual 6340 until a Wilderness Management Plan is developed.

WSA-MA-3. If the WSA is released for other uses by Congress, manage the lands within the Area of 

Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) and Wild and Scenic River (WSR) corridor according to 

management specified for that ACEC and WSR corridor.

Social and Economic Features

Social and Economic Conditions 

Goal

SE-G-1. Management of the resources and uses of public lands will provide social and economic benefits 

to residents, businesses, visitors, and future generations.

Objective

SE-O-1. Provide opportunities for economic and social benefit while maintaining natural and cultural 

resource values.
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Management Actions

SE-MA-1. Planning for BLM management activities and authorized uses will consider whether the activity 

or action can be designed to support the social, economic, and environmental health and sustainability of 

affected communities of place.

SE-MA-2. Consider proposals from communities of place and interest that contribute to their social, 

economic, and environmental health and sustainability.

Hazardous Materials 

Goal

HM-G-1. Ensure hazardous substances on public lands remain a high priority for removal or mitigation.

Objective

HM-O-1. Mitigate issues related to hazardous substances.

Management Actions

HM-MA-1. Storage, treatment, or disposal of hazardous materials on public lands will not be allowed

unless otherwise permitted by law. 

HM-MA-2. Use law enforcement and public outreach to discourage the disposal of hazardous materials 

on public lands. 

HM-MA-3. Storage and use of hazardous materials on public lands will not be allowed without BLM 

authorization.

HM-MA-4. Responses to hazardous materials incidents and sites will be as outlined and approved by the 

latest contingency plans for hazardous materials incidents (e.g., 2013 Twin Falls District BLM 

Environmental Contingency Plan for Emergency Preparedness and Response to Oil and Hazardous 

Materials Incidents).

HM-MA-5. Identify and mitigate illegal hazardous material disposal sites and hazardous materials spills in 

accordance with applicable Federal, State, and local regulations.

HM-MA-6. Develop interagency agreements with local law enforcement agencies to facilitate the 

enforcement of illegal hazardous material disposal and hazardous material laws.

HM-MA-7. Coordinate with local government agencies during hazardous material prevention and 

response activities.

Interpretation, Outreach, and Environmental Education 

Goal and Objective

IOE-G-1. Working with partners, provide interpretation, outreach, and environmental education to 

highlight the natural, cultural, and historic features of the planning area and to further resource protection 

and public safety.

Management Actions

IOE-MA-1. Focus education, interpretation, and outreach on resources and activities occurring within the 

planning area.

IOE-MA-2. Partner with the tribes and Federal, State, and local agencies to educate the public on 

resource protection through activities such as education tours; kiosks at major entrances to the planning 

area; interpretive signs at off-highway vehicle staging areas; information on the identification, control, and 

prevention of noxious weeds and invasive plants; and programs such as Tread Lightly!® and Leave No 

Trace®.
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IOE-MA-3. Create displays highlighting natural, cultural, and historic features of the planning area for use 

at area fairs, schools, public lands day, and other events.

IOE-MA-4. Participate in events that educate youth about natural resources.

IOE-MA-5. Minimize or prevent human-caused damage to public land resources, including vandalism, 

illegal dumping, and unauthorized surface collection of fossils and artifacts, through educational and 

interpretive outreach programs.

IOE-MA-6. Foster the public's understanding of the role of fire in the ecosystem, the hazards associated 

with living in the Wildland Urban Interface, and wildland fire prevention and suppression activities through 

methods such as:

Using mass media, 

Providing outreach to local groups, 

Developing interpretive signs and kiosks, and

Participating in County Wildfire Protection Plans.

IOE-MA-7. Provide interpretation and education on unique resource areas such as the Oregon National 

Historic Trail, Saylor Creek Herd Management Area, Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, and Wild and 

Scenic Rivers.

IOE-MA-8. Provide education and outreach on resource protection for recreational users.

MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFECTIVENESS 

OF RMP DECISIONS

The regulations in 43 CFR 1610.4-9 require that land use plans establish intervals and standards for 

monitoring, based on the sensitivity of the resource decisions. Land use plan monitoring is the process of 

tracking the implementation of land use plan decisions (implementation monitoring) and collecting 

data/information necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of land use plan decisions (effectiveness 

monitoring). This section describes the process to be used for monitoring the implementation and 

effectiveness of the resource management plan (RMP) decisions; other monitoring BLM conducts for

other purposes are not described in this section. The monitoring activities described in this section are not 

RMP decisions themselves; rather, they are activities intended to assist BLM monitor implementation and 

effectiveness of RMP decisions.

Implementation Monitoring

Implementation monitoring is the process of tracking and documenting the implementation, or the 

progress toward implementation, of RMP decisions. Instruction Memorandum 2013-014, Revised 

Guidance for Establishing Implementation Priorities for Land Use Plans, contains the BLM policy for 

implementation monitoring. This policy directs offices to identify land use plan implementation priorities 

within one year of signing the Record of Decision. This policy improves consistency in Land Use Plan 

implementation; tracks and measures the progress of implementing plans by connecting workload 

accomplishments to Land Use Plans; provides stable and attainable targets; and provides a valuable tool 

for prioritization and workload planning. This policy will be used to monitor implementation of the revised 

Jarbidge RMP unless directed otherwise by new guidance in the future.

“Establishing Implementation Priorities for Land Use Plans” involves is a three-step process. The first step 

is identifying the work associated with implementing the Land Use Plan, the geographic location of work 

in the planning area, and the accompanying program elements that measure that work. During the 

second step, the priority of the work identified in step one is recorded in a plan implementation worksheet, 

which is updated annually. In step three, the field office schedules work into the out-years in the relevant 

columns of the plan implementation worksheet.
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Effectiveness Monitoring

Effectiveness monitoring is the process of collecting data and information as the plan is being 

implemented in order to determine whether or not desired outcomes, expressed as goals and objectives 

in the RMP, are being met or whether progress is being made toward meeting them. This information is 

used during the land use plan evaluation process, which typically occurs every five years following the 

Record of Decision.

The effectiveness of the Jarbidge RMP in meeting its desired outcomes will be assessed by collecting on 

a periodic basis data and information relevant to specific objectives in the plan. To obtain data in a costeffective manner; existing and ongoing monitoring activities will be used to the extent the data collected 

are pertinent to a plan objective. In most cases, effectiveness monitoring will be an annual effort, with a 

portion of the planning area being monitored each year in order to have sufficient monitoring data to use 

for each land use plan evaluation. 

The remainder of this section briefly outlines a monitoring strategy to evaluate whether desired outcomes 

are being achieved, including data to be collected and the methods and timeframes for collecting that 

data (Table 4). Following the Record of Decision, the strategy will be refined to reflect the desired 

outcomes contained in the Approved RMP as well as the budget and personnel constraints existing at 

that time. The strategy is subject to change if BLM later determines different data, methods, or timeframes 

will provide more useful information for assessing the effectiveness of RMP decisions; the strategy may 

also be modified as necessary to be consistent with changes in law, regulation, or policy. 

The nature of some of the goals and objectives do not lend themselves to effectiveness monitoring. 

Monitoring of the management direction contained in the following sections will be limited to 

implementation monitoring:

Land Use Authorizations; 

Land Tenure; 

Minerals; 

Social and Economic Conditions; 

Hazardous Materials; and

Interpretation, Outreach, and Environmental Education. 

Table 4. Monitoring Strategy for Assessing Effectiveness of RMP Decisions

Section Strategy for Determining Whether RMP Objectives are Being Met

Tribal Rights and 

Interests

Every five years, assemble and assess monitoring data for natural and cultural 

resources listed below.

Air and 

Atmospheric Values

Every five years, assemble and assess monitoring data collected by the Idaho 

Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in or near the planning area.

Geologic Features

Monitor visitor impacts to unique geologic formations in conjunction with recreation, 

cultural resource, Wilderness Study Area, and Wild and Scenic River monitoring 

listed below.

Soil Resources

Evaluate soil and vegetation conditions in allotments at ten-year intervals or when 

appropriate prior to grazing permit renewal for compliance with Idaho Standards for 

Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management. Use 

methods such as those described in Technical Reference 1734-6, Interpreting 

Indicators of Rangeland Health. 

Water Resources

Coordinate with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Department 

of Water Resources, and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to monitor 

water quality impaired streams or other priority streams as resource conditions 

warrant.

Upland Vegetation

Annually update the planning area vegetation map with new data resulting from fire 

or vegetation treatments; evaluate burned areas two years following fire. Annually 

evaluate up to 10% of the planning area to document vegetation changes due to 

natural succession.

Riparian Areas and 

Wetlands

Annually evaluate up to 20% of stream reaches with riparian vegetation and up to 

10% of areas with wetland vegetation. Use methods described in Technical 

Reference 1737-15, A User Guide to Assessing Proper Functioning Condition and 
Approved Resource Management Plan

the Supporting Science for Lotic Areas, and Technical Reference 1737-16, A User 

Guide to Assessing Proper Functioning Condition and the Supporting Science for 

Lentic Areas. As available, use Multiple Indicator Monitoring (MIM) as described in

Technical Reference 1737-23, Riparian Area Management Multiple Indicator 

Monitoring (MIM) of Stream Channels and Streamside Vegetation, to support 

Proper Functioning Condition assessments on perennial streams.

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Section Strategy for Determining Whether RMP Objectives are Being Met

Fish

Use riparian area monitoring described above to determine changes to habitat 

quantity and quality for native non-game fish. Annually monitor aquatic habitat 

condition in conjunction with riparian Proper Functioning Condition monitoring.

Wildlife

Use monitoring and assessments for riparian and wetland areas, upland 

vegetation, and Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for 

Livestock Grazing Management to determine changes to habitat quantity and 

quality for wildlife. 

Special Status 

Species

Use monitoring and assessments for riparian and wetland areas, upland 

vegetation, and Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for 

Livestock Grazing Management to determine changes to habitat quantity and 

quality for special status species. Monitor priority special status species according 

to current protocols, conservation agreements, and Endangered Species Act 

consultation requirements. Annually monitor aquatic habitat condition in 

conjunction with riparian Proper Functioning Condition monitoring.

Noxious Weeds 

and Invasive Plants

Evaluate vegetation conditions relative to presence of noxious weeds and invasive 

plants in allotments at ten-year intervals prior to grazing permit renewal for 

compliance with Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for 

Livestock Grazing Management. Use methods described in Technical Reference

1734-6, Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health. Monitor areas treated in 

previous years to evaluate treatment effectiveness; prioritize areas monitored 

based on resource issues. 

Wildland Fire 

Ecology and 

Management

Every five years, evaluate wildland fire size, the number of human-caused fires, 

and the number of acres burned within and outside the wildland-urban interface. 

Update Fire Regime Condition Class analysis when 20% of the planning area has

been disturbed by wildland fire or treated by fuels projects or every 5 years. Every 

five years, evaluate acres of fuels treatments and fire size in critical suppression 

areas to determine fuels treatment effectiveness.

Wild Horses Monitor population trends in accordance with BLM Handbook H-4700-1.

Paleontological 

Resources

Annually evaluate condition of up to five vertebrate fossil localities or scientifically 

important invertebrate or plant fossil localities based on level of threat; determine if 

localities are stable or deteriorating. Monitoring will be recorded through written 

and photographic documentation.

Cultural Resources

Annually evaluate the condition of up to 30 sites based on type of site and level of 

threat; determine if sites are stable or deteriorating. Monitoring will focus on 

National Register eligible and listed properties and Native American traditional 

cultural properties. Monitoring will be recorded through written and photographic 

documentation.

Visual Resources

Annually evaluate if preservation or retention of the existing character of 

landscapes on BLM-managed lands allocated for Visual Resource Management 

(VRM) Class I and II management have been met; partial retention of the existing 

character on lands allocated for VRM Class III management and major modification 

of the existing character of some lands allocated for VRM Class IV management.

Lands with 

Wilderness 

Characteristics

The BLM must maintain and update as necessary, its inventory of wilderness 

resources on public lands. An adequate record of the inventory and subsequent 

updates will be maintained to ensure proper documentation of inventory findings, 

including relevant narratives, maps, photographs, new information, and any other 

relevant information. 

Livestock Grazing

Evaluate soil and vegetation conditions in allotments at ten-year intervals prior to 

grazing permit renewal for compliance with Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health

and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management. Use methods described in 

Technical Reference 1734-6, Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health. Use MIM 
Approved Resource Management Plan

as described in Technical Reference 1737-23, Riparian Area Management Multiple 

Indicator Monitoring (MIM) of Stream Channels and Streamside Vegetation, to 

evaluate livestock use on riparian areas that are not at Proper Functioning 

Condition. Monitor livestock use according to allotment-specific grazing use 

indicators and criteria. Update geospatial data for range infrastructure as changes 

occur. Annually monitor 20% of reference areas to evaluate fence and vegetation 

condition; use methods appropriate to reference area resources.

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Section Strategy for Determining Whether RMP Objectives are Being Met

Recreation

Annually monitor visitor use in Special Recreation Management Areas including 

type of use, group size, visitor satisfaction, recreation caused resource effects or 

impacts, and facility and setting condition; monitor Extensive Recreation 

Management Areas to evaluate user health and safety, user conflicts, and resource 

protection.

Transportation and 

Travel Management

Following the signing of the Record of Decision for the RMP, the Travel 

Management Plan (TMP) shall be completed within five years. A monitoring plan 

will be developed in the TMP which will include monitoring needs related to a 

designated transportation and travel system:

• Unauthorized route development,

• Identification of maintenance needs,

• Fence and barrier conditions,

• Safety issues,

• Impacts to sensitive resources, and

• Sign and information kiosk condition and placement.

Areas of Critical 

Environmental 

Concern (ACECs)

Every five years, evaluate condition of relevant and important values within 

designated ACECs using monitoring data described above for natural and cultural 

resources.

National Historic 

Trails (NHTs)

Annually monitor segments of the Oregon NHT to assess the physical condition of 

the trail and its historic and recreational setting. Monitoring will be recorded through 

written and photographic documentation. Incorporate soil, vegetation, visual 

resource, and other pertinent resource monitoring data as appropriate.

Wilderness

Monitor wilderness character and ensure that all activities within the BruneauJarbidge Rivers Wilderness are in conformance with BLM Manual 6340, 

Management of Designated Wilderness Areas; the Owyhee Canyonlands 

Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Management Plan; and Measuring 

Attributes of Wilderness Character: BLM Implementation Guide. 

Wild and Scenic 

Rivers (WSRs)

Annually monitor eligible and suitable (WSR) segments to evaluate whether the 

free-flowing condition, water quality and outstandingly remarkable values are being 

maintained. Designated WSR segments will conform to the monitoring strategy to 

maintain desired conditions contained within the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness 

and Wild and Scenic Rivers Management Plan. 

Wilderness Study 

Area (WSA)

Monitor the WSA monthly in accordance with BLM Manual 6330, Management of 

BLM Wilderness Study Areas. 

Note: Where specific protocols, technical references, manuals, and handbooks are noted, updated versions will be 

used as they become available.
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LIST OF PREPARERS

The following table contains a list of the individuals who prepared of the Jarbidge ROD and Approved 

RMP.

List of Preparers

Name Role and Responsibility

Core Team

Heidi Whitlach RMP Project Manager

Lisa Claxton Realty Specialist

Kate Crane Fisheries Biologist

Ken Crane Supervisory Rangeland Management Specialist

Michael Haney Botanist

Jim Klott Wildlife Biologist

Bonnie Ross GIS Specialist

Jeff Ross Archaeologist

Max Yingst Outdoor Recreation Planner (Retired)