Joshua trees at sunset

Southern Nevada District Mapping Restoration Opportunities

Bureau of Land Management

Welcome! The BLM Southern Nevada District Office is developing a restoration opportunities map. This website explains 1) why we are mapping restoration opportunities, 2) how we have mapped restoration opportunities so far, 3) answers to frequently asked questions, 4) how the public can get involved, and 5) the BLM’s next steps.

We will host a public information forum on August 31, 2022, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (Pacific daylight time). Registration for our forum is required. You may register  here .

1.  Why is the BLM mapping restoration opportunities?

The Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful campaign has an ambitious goal to conserve, connect, and restore 30 percent of public land by 2030. As part of this campaign, the BLM Southern Nevada District Office is studying which areas in the district have the best opportunities for restoration.

Mapping restoration opportunities will help ensure success by identifying areas that:

  • Are important for conservation
  • Have existing disturbances (otherwise, they would not need restoration)
  • Do not have valid existing uses or proposed or potential uses that would prevent restoration

Mapping these types of uses will help ensure restoration success.

The BLM also wants to identify locations where restoration efforts would have other benefits, such as:

  • The restored habitat would be able to support threatened, endangered, candidate, or BLM sensitive species.
  • A small amount of restored habitat would have a large influence on a species' survival (for example, a desert tortoise habitat corridor).
  • Restoration efforts would prevent further environmental impacts, such as treating annual invasive grasses and thereby preventing other areas from being infested.

This restoration opportunities map identifies areas where restoration can maximize conservation outcomes and optimize the use of funds.  

The study area includes BLM-managed public lands in the Southern Nevada District, except the Dry Lakes and Amargosa Valley Solar Energy Zones, the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act disposal boundary, and the Nevada Test and Training Range (BLM GIS data 2022).


2. How has the BLM mapped restoration opportunities so far?

The BLM has mapped areas with low to high opportunities for restoration using ArcGIS software, BLM GIS data, BLM staff experience, and data from other government agencies, stakeholders, and the public.

To map restoration opportunities, the BLM grouped data into resources, disturbances, and areas undesirable for restoration. Data sets within the resources and disturbances groups were weighted according to how important the resources are and how important the disturbances are. The areas undesirable for restoration were all weighted the same. Then, these three heat maps were added using the ArcGIS tool Raster Calculator to form our restoration opportunities heat map.

2.1 How did we incorporate public input?

The public comment period was open from February 16 to April 8, 2022. We received 13 substantive comments, primarily from The Nature Conservancy and the Desert Tortoise Council.

Based on these comments, we incorporated data on groundwater ecosystems and desert tortoise habitat connectivity. Other datasets proposed were not available as of May 2022.

2.2 Resources

Resources are important plants, wildlife, and habitats that are priorities for conservation and restoration.

Data sources for the resources include:

  • Observations and modeled data of threatened, endangered, and BLM sensitive species' habitats
  • Mojave mid-elevation mixed desert scrub, including Joshua trees
  • Mesquite acacia habitat
  • Wetland, riparian, and playa habitat
  • Observations of threatened, endangered, and BLM wildlife species
  • Big game corridors
  • Desert tortoise habitat corridors from the US Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Desert tortoise habitat connectivity from Conservation Science Partners

The BLM weighted resources on a scale of 0 to 100. Then, all the data sources were combined into the resources heat map, shown below.

On this resources heat map, orange and yellow indicate a high presence of resources, while darker shades of blue indicate a low presence of resources (BLM GIS data 2022).

The legend for the resources map above.

2.3 Disturbances

Disturbances are areas where the natural habitat has been altered by human uses or influences, or other natural events. The mapped disturbances include infrastructure, burned areas, and noxious weeds.

Data sources for disturbances include:

  • Formerly used defense sites
  • Areas between 25 and 200 feet from a road
  • Areas with a high road density
  • Areas where the vegetation condition class is different or very different from the historical vegetation reference condition
  • Areas that have burned less than 8 years ago
  • Areas with Sahara mustard infestations
  • Areas where the predicted cheatgrass cover is 30 percent or more

Disturbances were weighted on a scale of 0 to 100. Then, all the data sources were combined into the disturbances heat map, shown below.

On this disturbances heat map, red and orange indicate highly disturbed areas; blue indicates low disturbance (BLM GIS data 2022).

The legend for the disturbances map above.

2.4 Areas undesirable for restoration

Areas undesirable for restoration include existing disturbances, such as roads, recreation areas, and rights-of-way; BLM lands available for sale; and BLM lands with potential uses, such as applications for solar or wind projects. These areas are prioritized for uses other than restoration or conservation.

Data sources for areas undesirable for restoration include:

  • Highways, roads, and railroads
  • Off-highway vehicle open areas
  • Renewable energy project areas
  • Communication sites or substations
  • BLM land available for sale

The BLM weighted areas undesirable for restoration as 0 to 100. Then, all the data sources were combined into the undesirable heat map, shown below.

Areas considered undesirable for restoration are indicated by the purple color, while the yellow color indicates areas possibly desirable for restoration (BLM GIS data 2022).

The legend for the undesirable areas map above.

2.5 Restoration opportunities

The heat maps for the resources, disturbances, and areas undesirable for restoration were combined into the restoration opportunities heat map, shown below.

Areas considered ideal for restoration are indicated by the yellow and orange colors, while the pink and purple colors indicate areas less ideal for restoration (BLM GIS data 2022).

The legend for the restoration opportunity map above.

Restoration opportunities have a high presence of resources, existing disturbances that could benefit from restoration, and a lack of valid existing uses or other prioritized uses.

Focusing the BLM's restoration efforts on these areas could increase sensitive plant and wildlife populations, connect wildlife habitats, decrease noxious weeds, and rehabilitate burned areas.


3. Frequently asked questions

Question: How will the BLM use this study? The BLM will use this study to develop a GIS tool to identify restoration opportunities that have the greatest benefit to threatened, endangered, or candidate species, and migratory birds. The BLM may use this tool and other information to focus future restoration locations.

Question: Is the study covered under the National Environmental Policy Act? No. This study is not a BLM decision. Future restoration projects that result from this study will be subject to the appropriate environmental analysis at the initiation of those projects.

Question: Does this study include a biological assessment to consult with the US Fish and Wildlife Service on Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act? No. This study is not a BLM action. The BLM will consult with the US Fish and Wildlife Service on future restoration projects that result from this study, as appropriate.

Question: How does this study fit with the BLM’s mitigation program? The BLM Southern Nevada District Office’s restoration efforts are funded in part through compensatory mitigation funding. This is when a project proponent (such as a solar developer) offsets adverse impacts of a proposed action off-site. The BLM wants to find the best places to implement off-site mitigation, and this restoration opportunities map may help with that effort.

Question: Will the mapped restoration opportunities include recreation areas or proposed recreation areas? Yes. However, this study will not remove any valid existing recreation uses. Trails that are open for hiking or routes that are open to motorized or mechanized vehicles will remain open. This study will consider restoration opportunities within and next to recreation areas. In these cases, the restoration efforts may not only enhance natural habitats but also enhance the recreation experience by making a more scenic landscape in the long term.

Question: What restoration activities will the BLM consider? The BLM will consider the restoration activities described in an area’s resource management plan. No restoration activities will be authorized as part of this study. Examples of relevant restoration activities include planting native plants, removing invasive species, and rehabilitating closed roads.

Photo by BLM Nevada of BLM natural resource specialist Matt Murphy drilling holes for shrub seedlings

Question: Are new BLM designations being considered as part of this study? No. Cultural areas, wilderness, wilderness study areas, lands with wilderness characteristics, national monuments, and areas of critical environmental concern may benefit from any habitat restoration resulting from this study. However, the BLM is not considering new designations in this study.

Question: Does this study amend or supplement current resource management plans? No. However, this study may be used for analysis in future planning efforts.


4. How can you get involved?

You may attend our information forum on August 31, 2022, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (Pacific standard time). Register  here .

You may provide input verbally during the meeting. You may also submit written input  here . Please provide input before September 16, 2022. If you have problems using this website, email  BLM_NV_SNDO_RestorationMap@blm.gov .

Public input that would be most helpful to the BLM is on-the-ground information about important conservation areas or about disturbed areas; both could be opportunities for restoration.

This table describes what public input will be most helpful and less helpful for our study.

The slides from our August 31 virtual public meeting may be downloaded from the ePlanning website  here .

The resources, disturbances, unsuitable areas, and restoration opportunities GIS heat maps may be downloaded from the BLM's ePlanning website  here .

The substantive input from the spring 2022 public input period and the BLM's responses may be viewed  here 


5. What are the BLM’s next steps?

The BLM is accepting public input from August 17 through September 16, 2022. To provide public input, click  here .

Thank you for visiting!

Credits

BLM Southern Nevada District Office and EMPSi

[1] The Southern Nevada District is covered by these three resource management plans:

1. 1998 Las Vegas Resource Management Plan (1998; https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/78155/570)

2. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Resource Management Plan (2005; https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/108540/570)

3. Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Resource Management Plan (2006; https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/101118/510)

The study area includes BLM-managed public lands in the Southern Nevada District, except the Dry Lakes and Amargosa Valley Solar Energy Zones, the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act disposal boundary, and the Nevada Test and Training Range (BLM GIS data 2022).

The legend for the resources map above.

The legend for the disturbances map above.

The legend for the undesirable areas map above.

The legend for the restoration opportunity map above.

Photo by BLM Nevada of BLM natural resource specialist Matt Murphy drilling holes for shrub seedlings

This table describes what public input will be most helpful and less helpful for our study.