RESILIENCE AND INTACTNESS A Manager’s Perspective

Why does it matter? Global change is occurring at an increasing rate Climate change Accelerating demand for resources Intact and Resilient Landscapes Support functioning habitats, species Absorb change Provide ecosystem services Alaska is largely intact How do we know? How do we maintain? Where and how do we authorize uses?

A Few Factoids BLM manages about 245 million acres and 700 million subsurface acres in the United States Over 70 million acres and 200 million subsurface acres in Alaska Multiple Use and Sustained Yield Energy, communications, mining, grazing Wildlife habitat, cultural and heritage resources Inherently landscape-scale

Landscape Approach – Major Components Monitoring for Adaptive Management Land Use Plans Regional Assessments Science and Geospatial Services Projects and Permits Regional Conservation and Development Strategies

Landscape Goals Maintain Viable Ecosystems Resilient to Global Change Climate change Development Fire Invasive species Provide Ecosystem Services Commodities – energy, minerals Quality of life – recreation, visual Community sustainability – subsistence, water quality

Landscape Management Assumes human footprint is the main threat Maintain remaining large intact areas The best of what’s left Areas of Critical Environmental Concern Concentrate uses in already disturbed areas Co-locate uses Create linear corridors Maintain or reconnect large intact areas Land acquisition, easements, etc. Restoration Movement corridors

Another way? ACECs with boundaries that adapt to changing conditions Locate uses in resilient areas/Conserve fragile areas Disperse uses in more resilient areas that can absorb change Avoid concentrated uses that may create barriers Alternatives that address different climate scenarios Consider alternative future scenarios Attribute based alternatives Manage for resources across time and space, not in fixed locations Mitigation based alternatives Restore as we go, identify limits of change Allow for cascading mitigation as conditions change

Managing Intact Landscapes How large is a large landscape? Static and dynamic landscapes What constitutes crucial habitat in an intact landscape? How much development could cause barriers or fragmentation? Should uses be concentrated or dispersed? How do we assess “other than development” impacts to intactness? How do we mitigate long-term projects on a changing landscape? How do we assist communities in adapting to global change?