Summary:

The purpose of this program is to support the maintenance of functioning wildlife habitats, the development and implementation of restoration projects, and the inventory and monitoring of priority habitats and species by tracking trends and use on public lands. To provide for the long-term conservation of wildlife and biodiversity on public lands, this program uses a science-based approach to manage public lands to identify projects that support meeting land health standards and desired resource objectives for priority species and habitats, as outlined in land use plans. This program also uses a multiscale approach that involves coordination with BLM offices and other programs; federal, state, and tribal governments; and non-governmental partners to accomplish projects and coordinated management.

This program is focused on addressing habitat connectivity issues and implementing projects that consider climate change impacts to short- and long-term objectives. The goals of this program include:

• Supporting wildlife habitat restoration projects that restore landscapes, address habitat land health standards, and improve connectivity for wildlife migration for big game and migratory birds
• Supporting projects with state and tribal wildlife agencies to provide information about the status and trends for wildlife on BLM lands by addressing data gaps and implementing coordinated regional monitoring
• Supporting projects that will assist BLM with using existing assessments or data to understand climate change impacts on landscape or priority ecosystems that are important to achieving short- and long-term habitat objectives

This program advances the funding agency's priorities to address the climate crisis, restore balance on public lands and waters, advance environmental justice, and invest in a clean energy future. Specific program priorities include:

• Protecting wildlife habitat, migration, and habitat connectivity to support biodiversity
• Increasing resilience to climate change and helping leverage natural climate solutions
• Contributing to conserving at least 30 percent of BLM lands and waters by the year 2030
• Supporting state agencies to meet state wildlife population objectives
• Engaging communities of color, low-income families, and rural and Indigenous communities to enhance economic opportunities related to wildlife
• Using the best science and data available to make decisions

This program will work with partner organizations to meet the program goals on a national or regional scale through:

• Activities that maintain or restore habitats for upland game, waterfowl, big game, pollinators, sensitive species, and watchable wildlife species
• Conserving priority wildlife habitat or reducing threats to habitat or species
• Monitoring and inventorying wildlife populations and habitats to provide complete, current, and accurate information on the distribution, abundance, and habitat of wildlife that depend on BLM-managed public lands
• Assessing wildlife habitat and measuring related resource management goals and objectives
• Enhancing the understanding of opportunities to conserve wildlife populations that depend on BLM managed lands
• Improving how BLM uses and integrates coordinated wildlife monitoring data such as Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) and North American Bat Monitoring Program (NaBat)
• Conducting new research on success in meeting the objectives of wildlife habitat land use plans at the ecosystem and watershed level
• Performing education projects to facilitate wildlife stewardship and conservation for species that depend on BLM-managed lands
• Increasing public awareness of wildlife resources, conservation challenges, and conservation successes on BLM-managed lands, including with a targeted focus on communities of color, low-income families, and rural and Indigenous communities