When I was offered a position with the BLM at the Boise District Four Rivers Field Office (FRFO) in April I immediately started looking for apartments. I’m one of two CLM interns at the FRFO under the guidance of a jovial wildlife biologist named Joe. If you live in the West long enough you come to learn that the BLM has something of a reputation. That reputation rests on a spectrum sliding from positive to negative depending on who you ask. In my opinion, the BLM is an agency at the center of an endless multi-stakeholder tug of war, hugging a rope thickly braided with the threads of duty, politics, litigation and time. Where the winner and agency is penalized for capture. So naturally, I was intrigued to get an insider’s perspective of what the BLM is like. Thus far, the people I’ve met are true stewards with a deep reverence for and knowledge of the lands, who diligently work to balance the values and needs of the many with limited resources.
My position is primarily tied to the Seeds of Success (SOS) program, where we collect seeds and inventory and map native plant populations. The focus of the SOS program at the FRFO is to bolster Greater Sage-Grouse and Sagebrush-Steppe conservation. So we are also tasked with conducting wildlife habitat assessments in order to discern the quality of Sagebrush habitat. The topic of Greater Sage-Grouse protection and listing is mentioned here on the radio and in print almost daily. Work has never felt more relevant or meaningful. This internship really is an opportunity to bear witness to a historic time in U.S federal conservation.
The David Bowie of Birds: Is he charismatic enough?
Wendell Berry, excerpt from At A Country Funeral
The decline of Greater Sage-Grouse seems quite paradoxical to the untrained eye, especially when you are standing in a seemingly endless sea of Sagebrush. But all one need do is look down and investigate the ground, for below the Sagebrush surface is a blanket of invasive weeds like Cheat Grass. This past week Dan, Joe and I have spent some full days conducting habitat assessments in a designated grazing allotment called Emigrant Crossing. So far, the data collected reveals what is already known, much of the Sagebrush-Steppe is suffering from overgrazing, low diversity and invasive weeds. Not a winning combination if this area wants to see Sage-Grouse return. We did see come across some old Grouse scat. Despite the current situation, Joe is hopeful that this area can return to a better condition. If nothing else, it is great to spend time in those places most of us only drive past, as Mary Austin once noted “treeless spaces uncramp the soul.”
Looking forward to meeting you all in Chicago!
Emile Newman, Boise District Four Rivers Field Office