BLM’s mission and authorities require us to use the latest science and information to ensure that the lands and resources in our care are managed for generations to come. This is the next installment in a series of stories and videos highlighting how the agency is using science to improve decision-making.
It might make sense to hear that the Bureau of Land Management is using the best science and information available to accomplish the daunting task of managing our public lands for sustainable use today and for future generations. But what exactly does this mean and imply? Our new video provides an overview of what our restoration work entails in Washington’s Columbia Basin.
The region has a long history of agriculture, grazing and other human activities that have gradually transformed the landscape. The disruption of natural fire regimes and the introduction of non-native plants and invasive species pose challenges to land management. Over the past two decades, BLM has focused on restoring the natural shrub-steppe ecosystem to improve pasture health and productivity, benefit native wildlife, and reduce fuel that can trigger and strengthen forest fires.
BLM has restored thousands of acres of public lands in some of the most complex and sensitive areas in the Pacific Northwest. Much of this effort relies on collaboration between partners and entrepreneurs to collect and distribute native seed genotypes suited to this unique region.
Learn more about these dynamic efforts in this short video.
This story is part of the “Unleashing Science” series, showing how Department of the Interior offices produce and apply science to ensure responsible management decisions for our planet, today and for the future.