Goals
The NRLS workgroup seeks to move beyond project-by-project and agency-by-agency management of the landscape and develop a collaborative landscape level strategy. The workgroup's main goals are:
- Influence land use decisions and patterns in ways that promote ecosystem health, emphasize connectivity of wildlife habitat and maintain the rural and agricultural character of the region.
- Support the survival of the Gunnison sage-grouse in the NRLS area through improving habitat, protecting birds, reducing stressors and establishing linkages between populations to promote genetic diversity.
- Provide an environment that promotes natural fire while protecting life and property.
- Manage human uses on the landscape in ways that benefit the health of the land and native species.
- Manage habitat for the benefit of wildlife species in ways that promote a balance of diversity and overall landscape health.
The management issues of concern identified by the workgroup include:
- Impacts from current human development and the potential for expansion in the future.
- Decline in overall ecosystem health and natural functions:
- Increase in invasive species;
- Loss of old growth pinyon-juniper;
- Lack of aspen regeneration; and
- Increase in insects and disease in tree species.
- Risk of uncharacteristically severe wildfire.
- Potential threat to life, property and other infrastructure from wildfire.
- Fracturing of the ecosystem to the extent that natural processes, specifically fire, cannot be managed at an appropriate scale or intensity.
- Impacts from current recreational use and the potential for increased use in the future.
- Impacts from the current number of roads and trails and the potential for additional user-created routes in the future.
- Potential threat to the health of native wildlife species.
- Potential threat to the health of Gunnison sage-grouse populations and habitat.
- Current elk distribution and their potential disproportionate use of public and private lands.
- A lack of understanding of the impacts of livestock and big game presence and grazing activities on Gunnison sage-grouse habitat and their key life processes such as nesting and brood-rearing.
- Impacts from shed antler collecting activity during critical wildlife periods.
- Limited water availability for wildlife.
- Potential threat to cultural and historical sites.
The NRLS workgroup has initiated a Coordinated Weed Management Area effort for the area. To learn more about this, click on the image below to download an executive summary.
