Get reliable science

The Soils and Range disciplines of BLM�s Miles City Field Office (MCFO) developed Ecological Site groups independently and almost simultaneously. Each identified the need for a landscape unit useful at the Field Office and project management levels in response to the 2015 MCFO�s Approved Resource Management Plan (ARMP). The ARMP directed using the Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy for Land Use Plan (LUP) effectiveness monitoring. In addition, the ARMP integrated using data collected under the AIM Strategy to inform the Habitat Assessment Framework (HAF) for greater sage grouse. To implement ARMP requirements, the MCFO needed to develop a LUP monitoring design based on meaningful sample strata that fit the AIM Strategy and integrated many years of legacy monitoring data, some of which has been regularly collected since the 1960�s. Data collected would inform the HAF, land health assessments, and reclamation success of surface disturbing projects across the MCFO. Grouping Ecological Sites by common soil properties and plant species proved to be the most ecologically relevant strata useful at different management scales and needs. The cooperative result was six strata representing the soils and vegetation across the MCFO�s 2.7 million acres.