Letter From the Forest Supervisor GREETINGS of them for their hard work and • We took a lead role in organizing persistence in leveraging limited quarterly interagency natural STAKEHOLDERS funds. resources briefings for Nevada congressional and governor’s So here are a few 2016 highlights: he Humboldt-Toiyabe office staff. We also attended National Forest is dedicated • We completed numerous every meeting of the Nevada Tto working with our communities recreation site improvements, Legislative Committee on Public and other stakeholders to “care for 4,500 acres of weed treatment Lands to provide an overview the land and serve people.” We are and control, and almost of district, forest-wide, and all committed to sustain the health 26,000 acres of forest health regional programs, activities, of the Forest to provide multiple and hazardous fuel reduction and priorities. benefits. projects. I look forward to another exciting We are focused on building • We accomplished more than year in 2017. And as always, I invite dynamic and proactive partnerships 19,700 acres of sage-grouse you to visit the Humboldt-Toiyabe with nonprofits, businesses, habitat improvement, including National Forest to enjoy the variety communities, tribes, states, and removal of pinyon pine and of recreation opportunities and other federal agencies to achieve juniper, control of invasive scenery it has to offer. these goals. By working together, plants, fence marking, and we can provide diverse and meadow restoration. Sincerely, sustainable watersheds, vegetation, wildlife habitats, and recreation • With substantial public input, opportunities for present and future we finalized a joint Bi-State generations. Sage-Grouse Conservation Record of Decision with Bill Dunkelberger To learn more about the Forest’s the Nevada Bureau of Land Forest Supervisor key activities and accomplishments, Management (BLM) in May of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest I invite you to review the 2016. This revised management Humboldt-Toiyabe National plan along with the Bi-State Forest’s 2016 Forest Report. Action Plan helped prevent the listing of the species. While reading this report, remember that the success of the Forest is • We developed new monitoring largely due to our employees and programs for the 1986 Humboldt partners. I would like to thank all and Toiyabe Forest Plans. Land Management f Fuels Treatments Focus on Restoring Sage-grouse Habitat - The Forest’s fuels accomplishments for 2016 totaled 25,622 acres of treatments. Fuels and vegetation treatments were focused within the wildland urban interface and identified sage- grouse habitat areas. Objectives of these treatments included reducing fuel loading, modifying potential fire behavior, improving Mountain Districts’ respective SAGE-GROUSE forest health, restoring vegetative land management plans, the Forest communities, and creating a CONSERVATION Service and BLM sought to provide regulatory mechanisms that would more resilient landscape. Multiple he Humboldt-Toiyabe serve as conservation measures to methods of treatment were used National Forest and BLM prevent the listing of the Bi-State that included a combination of Tpublished their Bi-State Sage- sage-grouse. This effort was one hand thinning, prescribed burning, grouse Record of Decisions (ROD) of the reasons the U.S. Fish and mastication, chipping, grazing in May of 2016. These RODs Wildlife Service (USFWS) decided with goats/sheep (Carson Ranger provide consistent management that the Bi-State sage-grouse was District), and public green/dead direction across federal lands on not warranted for listing in April of fuelwood removal. how to conserve, enhance, and 2015. f Conservation Credit System restore sagebrush and associated Agreement Signed - The Forest habitats of the greater sage-grouse The Forest Service and BLM will Service, BLM, and Nevada Bi-State distinct population continue to partner with local, state, Department of Conservation and segment on public lands in Nevada federal, and tribal partners in both Natural Resources finalized a and California. Nevada and California to ensure that there is seamless management memorandum of understanding The U.S. Forest Service, BLM, direction for all sage-grouse issues outlining the use of Nevada’s and other stakeholders have been across agency boundaries and Conservation Credit System actively conserving Bi-State sage- populations. Both agencies have to help improve sage-grouse grouse for many years following a already implemented numerous habitat on Forest Service and set of science-based management projects in the Bi-State Action Plan. BLM lands in the state. The state practices. The plan amendments in of Nevada developed the credit The small Bi-State sage-grouse the RODs formally establish many system to preserve and maintain distinct population of greater sage- of those management practices and greater sage-grouse habitats on grouse is found in Alpine, Inyo, ensure that Bi-State sage-grouse private and public lands. It is an and Mono Counties in California conservation efforts continue far innovative, science-based tool into the future. and Douglas, Esmeralda, Lyon, and Mineral Counties in Nevada. developed to quantify and account In developing the plan amendments About 426,000 acres of the birds’ for impacts to sage-grouse habitat to the Toiyabe National Forest sagebrush habitat is found on lands and the conservation actions put and BLM Carson City and Battle managed by the Forest Service. in place to offset these impacts. Community Engagement f Las Vegas Hispanic Community Engaged - The Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA) hosted a Cultural Learning Day for members of the greater Las Vegas area Latino community. The event’s goal was to build connections with community members and learn how the Forest Service can best serve Photo Courtesy of Reno Sparks Indian Colony this segment of the public. The LEARNING partners provided the catalyst Forest Service, in conjunction OPPORTUNITY to make the summit a success. with Outside Las Vegas, Great Participants recognized the Basin Institute, Southern Nevada he Nevada Indian value of integrating traditional Conservancy, Clark County, and Commission, in conjunction ecological knowledge with best Metropolitan Group, designed Twith the Bi-State Sage Grouse science practices to achieve better and employed strategies Executive Oversight Committee, outcomes for both the land and that addressed barriers to hosted a Traditional Ecological people. Also, steps were identified communications and access, and Knowledge Summit in June of on how to improve communication surfaced shared values. 2016 in Carson City, Nevada. Over and ensure integration. f 200 tribal leaders and members, A Different Look at Recreation as well as land management In addition, the Traditional - The SMNRA hosted the professionals, were in attendance at Ecological Knowledge Summit Valuing Outdoor Experiences the three-day forum. was a great opportunity for state Demonstration Areas (VOEDA) and federal agencies to listen and Kick-Off Meeting that took place The focus of the summit was to learn from tribal partners. in Las Vegas. The two-day discuss and identify how best to meeting focused on strengthening The Bi-State Sage Grouse incorporate Traditional Ecological and deepening connections Executive Oversight Committee Knowledge into the adaptive with the public through outdoor consists of agency executives from management of sagebrush and experiences by advancing the pinyon juniper ecosystems in the Forest Service, BLM, USFWS, Natural Resources Conservation “high-five” recreation priority identified Bi-State sage-grouse shifts at several demonstration habitat. Agenda topics were Service (NRCS), U.S. Geological Survey, Nevada Department of areas across the National Forest derived from the concerns federal System (NFS). The SMNRA is agencies heard while conducting Wildlife (NDOW), and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. a VOEDA demonstration area listening sessions in tribal for modernizing the recreation communities who call the Bi-State All these agencies are working special uses program and sage-grouse habitat area home. together to restore and conserve the Bi-State sage-grouse that increasing capacity and focus on The interagency cooperation inhabits the eastern Sierra Nevada community service and volunteer demonstrated between the Nevada region, straddling northern Nevada programs. Indian Commission and federal and eastern California. Partnership INTEGRAL serve to set the stage for effective assisted archaeologists with TO MISSION collaboration. Leveraging funds, field surveys, participated in or more than a century, expertise, and mutual passion for saw training, and attended the Forest Service has worked land stewardship can more than the Traditional Ecological Fin partnership with community double the Forest’s investments in Knowledge Summit. the land while creating a sense of stakeholders; local and national • Partnership Reducing organizations; and county, state, ownership for the community as a whole. Pinyon Pine and Juniper federal, and tribal government Encroachment - Mountain agencies in an effort to honor its The following are examples of City-Ruby Mountains- mission of ‘caring for the land and successful 2016 Forest partnerships: Jarbidge Ranger District serving people.’ has developed a partnership • Forest and Bridgeport Indian The joining of resources through project with the BLM, NDOW, Colony Sign Participating forging partnerships has greatly and Bald Mountain Mine