Rangeland Watershed Initiative Handbook...Watershed Initiative Handbook V1.1. Point Blue...

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Rangeland Watershed Initiative Handbook for Partners and Collaborators Interested in the Partner Biologist Model

Transcript of Rangeland Watershed Initiative Handbook...Watershed Initiative Handbook V1.1. Point Blue...

Page 1: Rangeland Watershed Initiative Handbook...Watershed Initiative Handbook V1.1. Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California. This is Point Blue Contribution No. 2224 About

Rangeland Watershed Initiative

Handbook

for Partners and Collaborators Interested in the

Partner Biologist Model

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The Rangeland Watershed Initiative: for Partners and Collaborators Interested in the Partner Biologist Model

V 1.1

April 2019

Suggested Citation: Garbach, K., Owens, B., Geupel, G., and W. Gilgert. 2019. The Rangeland Watershed Initiative Handbook V1.1. Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California. This is Point Blue Contribution No. 2224 About the Cover: Producer Adam Cline and Partner Biologist Corey Shake discuss rangeland management in Capay Valley. Photo credit: Phil Hogan (NRCS). Acknowledgements: The authors thank Libby Porzig, Grant Ballard, Alicia Herrera, Luke Petersen, Bonnie Eyestone, and Beverly Cherner for comments that helped improve earlier drafts of this handbook. Table of Contents

1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 3

2. Point Blue ………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………….. 3

3. RWI Vision & Program History …………………………………………………………………………………….. 4

4. NRCS/Point Blue Partnership ………………………………………………………………………………………. 5

5. The Partner Biologist Model ………………………………………………………………………………………… 8

6. Land Stewardship based in a Land Ethic …………………………………………………………………….. 10

7. Ecological Monitoring …………………………………………………………….………………………….……… 14

8. The Focal Species Concept ……………………………………………………………................................14

9. Landowner Letters …………………………………………………………………..................................... 15

10. NRCS Evaluation/Monitoring Tools ……………………………………………………………………………. 16

11. NRCS Planning Tools ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17

12. Conclusion ……………………………………………………...………………………………………………………... 19

13. Literature Cited …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19

Appendix 1: Point Blue/ NRCS Partner Biologist job description, including duties and attributes ……………………………………………………………………………………… 20

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1. Introduction This handbook provides an overview of the Rangeland Watershed Initiative (RWI) program structure, vision, activities, and approaches for conservation planning, implementation support, and ecological monitoring on rangelands. Developed by Point Blue Conservation Science in partnership with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), RWI advances the sustainability and conservation of working lands through value-added Partner Biologist positions. The examples provided throughout this handbook stem from our RWI program, in which Partner Biologists are hired by Point Blue in coordination with NRCS and supported in part by a Contribution Agreement between the two organizations. Partner Biologists are seated in NRCS Field Offices, where they provide biological expertise while working with NRCS teams, ranchers, farmers, and other conservation professionals. They are skilled in ecological monitoring and trained in the application of NRCS planning, assessment, and conservation tools. As Partner Biologists typically make a minimum three-year commitment to their positions and also live in the communities where they work, they are a valuable community resource. Over time, many serve as both catalysts and organizers for locally-based and regional conservation projects and activities. This handbook is intended for anyone that is interested in a model for how Partner Biologists can advance multi-benefit conservation actions on working lands. The examples provided describe how RWI advances Point Blue’s work in climate-smart conservation. The partnership descriptions are intended as a starting point for conversations about program vision, structure, strategies, collaborations, and activities that can advance conservation science and outcomes in working farms and ranches. 2. Point Blue Point Blue’s mission is to advance the conservation of birds, other wildlife, and ecosystems through science, partnerships, and outreach. Our 160 scientists, restoration specialists, and educators work to reduce the impacts of habitat loss, climate change, and other environmental threats while promoting nature-based solutions for wildlife and people, on land and at sea. Because of the collaborative climate-smart conservation work we do today, we envision healthy ecosystems that continue to sustain thriving wildlife and human communities well into the future. We define climate-smart conservation as addressing climate change impacts and other threats by using nature-based approaches to:

Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Enhance the benefits nature provides to humans—clean air, fresh water, fisheries, pollination, recreation, climate and flood control.

Improve the abilities of wildlife and people to adapt to the rapidly changing climate.

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Working Lands: A Strategic Priority RWI is a significant part of Point Blue’s strategic priority on Working Lands. Sustaining Working Lands is one of six major initiatives in our five-year strategic plan, and is being significantly advanced through our collaborative work with NRCS and agricultural producers. We believe that by working together, we can help ensure that plans, policies, and actions maximize nature’s benefits for humans as well as wildlife. Point Blue engages farmers, ranchers, foresters, NRCS, the U.S. Forest Service, and other partners to increase groundwater storage, gradually filter and release water downstream, increase soil carbon storage, sustain birds and other wildlife, and make working lands more economically productive. We achieve this by advancing wildlife-friendly grazing, farming and forestry practices, and developing metrics to document, improve, and replicate our shared successes. 3. RWI Vision & Program History The vision of the Rangeland Watershed Initiative (RWI) is that California’s working lands will be characterized by highly functional water, nutrient, and energy cycles and provide for healthy human and wildlife communities. The RWI team partners with livestock producers to implement management actions designed to improve soil health by increasing soil organic matter and water holding capacity, reduce soil compaction; improve vegetation communities and wildlife habitat; and conserve land in open space and wildlife corridors, while increasing ranch productivity and allowing ranchers to realize a profit. RWI aims to facilitate implementation of collaborative, science-based management strategies to enhance and conserve rangelands to benefit wildlife and human communities. The RWI program, at its core, is a partnership effort with farmers and ranchers and NRCS to plan, design, implement, adaptively manage, and assess (monitor) conservation strategies through a systems-based approach on farm and ranchland. Since its inception in 2011, the 14 RWI Partner Biologists positions have been held by 24 outstanding biologists who have engaged with more than 1000 producers; supported planning and implementation of conservation practices on 763,647 acres; and helped leverage $30.4 million in Farm Bill funds. Generally this is matched 1:1 by producers’ investment, for a total of ~$60.8 million in working lands conservation implementation investments through EQIP and other Farm Bill conservation programs (2011 – 2018).

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4. NRCS/Point Blue Partnership Point Blue/NRCS Partner Biologists are jointly managed positions that provide value-added conservation support to NRCS Field Offices and communities. The current model relies on a contribution agreement between Point Blue and NRCS; this allows us to have cost-share positions that are supported by a mix of public and private funds. In partnership with NRCS, Point Blue fosters land stewardship through combined use of the 9-step Conservation Planning Process, and Climate-Smart Principles. Figure 1. NRCS Nine- Step Conservation Planning Process.

Image from USDA- NRCS. RWI Partner Biologists work in partnership with NRCS field office staff to integrate a wildlife and fish perspective into the conservation planning process as well as into Farm Bill program planning, design, and implementation. Partner Biologists bring a value-added skill set to their respective Field Offices, with their knowledge of wildlife and habitat requirements and ability to monitor responses in bird use, vegetation community, and soil properties to conservation practice implementation. Part of this value-added work includes incorporating Point Blue’s Climate-Smart Principles. These principles were adapted from the National Wildlife Federation’s Climate Change Adaptation Principles (Stein et al., 2014), which Point Blue participated in developing:

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Focus Goals on Future Conditions: “Stop trying to prevent ecological change;” incorporate extremes; use plausible scenarios with modeled projections to address uncertainty in near- and long-term timeframes.

Design Actions in Ecosystem Context: Prioritizing ecosystem function and ecological diversity focused for multiple species benefits in broader geographic scope (e.g., watersheds); think and link beyond current protected areas, including private lands.

Employ Adaptive and Flexible Approaches: For most timely, effective responses to continual change in climate, ecology and economics, include adaptive management framework with regular monitoring and reassessments to actively apply learning from what works and what doesn't.

Prioritize Actions: Based on best available science, across multiple plausible scenarios (including extremes, worst cases) and across multiple species to best prepare for ongoing change and to produce greatest benefits to wildlife and people.

Collaborate and Communicate Across Sectors: To establish and expand non-traditional alliances to accelerate effective problem-solving (e.g., between/among public and private resource managers, scientists, decision-makers); share knowledge openly and actively; regularly and clearly communicate to the public on the science as well as a range of solutions; convey hope; engage and educate local communities, e.g., youth, to instill conservation ethic for long term success.

Practice the Ten Percent Rule: By using 10% (or more) of our time every day to develop and try out creative new approaches at every level of natural resource conservation to address climate change impacts and increasing variability and extremes.

Through the NRCS Conservation Planning Process and use of Point Blue’s Climate-Smart Principles, Partner Biologists work with producers, NRCS colleagues, and other partners to support the development of whole ranch, grazing, and farm conservation plans. Partner Biologists continually synthesize NRCS and Point Blue approaches with models from current scientific literature and cutting-edge management practices, such as the Holistic Management Thought Model (Savory and Butterfield, 2016). The intended outcome of conservation planning activities is to enhance resilient landscapes for the benefit of people and wildlife.

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Figure 2. RWI Partner Biologists Integrate Climate-Smart Principles (green boxes) with the NRCS 9-Step Planning process (blue boxes). This synthesis (grey boxes) enhances resilient landscapes for the benefit of people and wildlife. An earlier version of this figure highlighting relationships between the NRCS Planning process and Climate-Smart Principles was developed by Partner Biologist Suzie Winquist for a workshop on Climate-Smart Restoration (2019).

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5. RWI Partner Biologist Model The Rangeland Watershed Initiative places Partner Biologists in NRCS offices within key watersheds in California who work on the local level to facilitate the implementation of conservation practices and provide feedback to producers through monitoring of indicators of rangeland health. Our efforts focus on landscape-level approaches for ranch sustainability and keeping common wildlife common. RWI Partner Biologists work in several key ways:

1) Leverage financial incentives through the USDA Farm Bill and other working lands conservation programs to support the adoption of beneficial management practices.

2) Foster the inherent land stewardship ethic, in the tradition of Aldo Leopold, in

producers and others in their communities, building on their desire to protect their land and to sustain their families, community, and the ecosystem well into the future.

3) Provide feedback for producers of key rangeland performance indicators, including bird

focal species, water infiltration, soil bulk density, soil organic carbon, and plant community composition.

4) Live in their local community and are leaders and organizers of workshops, field days,

and other collaborative conservation efforts. The positions are recommended to be full-time, with an expectation of a minimum of a three-year commitment. Training, mentorship, additional supervision, and program support is provided by Point Blue Working Lands leadership and Senior Partner Biologists.

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Figure 3. Theory of Influence and Change. This figure describes the key inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes of the Partner Biologist model at Point Blue.

*refers to both NRCS conservation practices and actions supported by technical assistance that are used by producers to enhance productivity and biodiversity directly or indirectly. Partner Biologists work across communities of practice, integrating their perspectives as biologists, recent findings from the scientific communities, local knowledge, and on-the-ground conservation practice. This integration of multiple perspectives helps the program to be deeply grounded in sustainability as it links local culture with land health, community health, and economic health of working landscapes. One important aspect of Partner Biologists’ formation is training as “land doctors” through mentorship with senior conservationists. Just as a medical doctor is taught to read the body systems and processes, a land doctor is taught to read patterns in soil, water, vegetation, wildlife using both abiotic and biotic cues to determine the overall health of the land. Partner

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Biologists are community catalysts for working lands conservation providing conservation facilitation, technical assistance, conservation design, planning, and assistance, funding coordination, and monitoring among other community and Field Office-specific supportive tasks.

“Once you learn to read the land, I have no fear of what you will do to it, or with it. And I know many pleasant things it will do to you.” – Aldo Leopold

Roles of Partner Biologists:

Cost-shared positions (public – private funding)

Recommended to be full- time, with a minimum three-year commitment, noting that ideally Partner Biologists may hold their positions for longer than three years. Members of the community (a community resource)

Housed in NRCS offices, with full access to contacts, and working with a variety of agencies

Certification as NRCS Conservation Planners

Build trust with private landowners/producers

Recommend and implement Farm Bill conservation practices

Evaluate practices through monitoring, with 25% of time devoted to effectiveness monitoring

A full Partner Biologist job description, including an expanded list of responsibilities, is included in Appendix 1. 6. Land Stewardship Based in a Land Ethic The Rangeland Watershed Initiative is grounded in the concept of building land stewardship based in a land ethic. Merriam-Webster defines stewardship as “the conducting, supervising, or managing of something especially the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care stewardship of natural resources.” The RWI approach to a land ethic is inspired by the life and work of pioneering conservationist Aldo Leopold. Partner Biologists

Partner Biologist Alicia Herrera guides a

producer through soil sampling.

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work to develop, cultivate, and encourage land stewards in the tradition of Aldo Leopold. The following are ideas to get started on identifying land stewards; examples of some of the activities and approaches to their cultivation, encouragement, and growth; and ideas for starting conversations based in stewardship. Many of these ideas come from Aldo Leopold’s seminal book published in 1949, A Sand County Almanac. The authors of this handbook have explored these principles more fully in conversations co-hosted by the Aldo Leopold Foundation and their excellent workshops on land stewardship.

“When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” – Aldo Leopold

Image from Creative Commons, Ego vs. Eco.

“The best learning experiences of my life have come after being led to someone who is truly good at something and then watching and learning.” – Burke Teichert, rancher and author

Land Steward Characteristics:

Can be a landowner, manager, partner, and colleague

Is a leader (in community, industry, organization), engaged with others

Is passionate about what they do

Lifelong learner, curious, inquisitive, interested

Displays Leopold’s Land Ethic Leader credo of Observe, Participate, and Reflect

Innovator/early adopter, creative, experimenter, and willing to make mistakes

Has holistic and integrated vision of natural, social, cultural, economic landscape/geography

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Has perspective, takes the long view

Exercises and exhibits patience

Active community member, engages neighbors

Humble and thoughtful with decision-making

Passes on knowledge, experience, and perhaps land and material goods to family

Peer to peer collaboration; invests in mentorship

Invests in multigenerational stability

Has a deep sense of place

Can balance competing values

Practices empathy

Is detail oriented and sees the big picture, works across the spectrum

Partner Biologist Kelly Weintraub explores A Sand County Almanac with a producer and his

young son.

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Techniques to enhance, cultivate, encourage & grow Leopoldian Land Stewards:

Become the producer, landowner, partner, colleague; walk in their shoes (find common ground)

Offer to help

Demonstrate interest/ observations in and about their world (John Deere Tractor/ livestock breed/ wildlife/ antiques, etc.)

Ask good questions, build trusting relationships

Learn/speak their language, establish a common vocabulary

Be genuine and transparent

Compliment people on what they do well

Use land stewards as examples for others

Be part of the community, be human

Present information, then let them come to their own conclusion(s)

Ask to learn from them

Host workshop to build community/ranch field trips

Answer questions honestly…don’t embellish. It’s okay to say, “I don’t know”

Maintain integrity, keep your word

Utilize storytelling

Get out and walk the land

Stick to what you know

Be willing to take the time/make the investment

Use nonverbal signals and open, relaxed body language.

Share failures, show/share examples of success

Recognize achievement(s) Toolbox for land stewardship conversations:

Don’t preach (be humble, don’t be a know-it-all, don’t tell them what to do unless asked)

Question yourself, allow space to be wrong and update your ideas

Empower landowners to develop solutions

Be aware of neighbor concerns in the context of the landscape

Clarify expectations

Be genuine and intentional, take the time to be neighborly

Accommodate their schedule, join in and help whenever possible

Be inclusive, be available

Lead by example, model behavior

Host potluck, share meals

Work together

Connect with elders, explore with children

Cultivate new voices (e.g., new producers, first generation producers)

Create context for understanding by taking the time to listen

Relate your values to their values, don’t impose yours

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7. Ecological monitoring Monitoring provides real-time information on land health, productivity, and the management trajectory that’s guiding a piece of land and the livelihoods and ecosystem benefits supported by it. Documenting the outcomes of management is often best done through monitoring. Equally important are analyzing and interpreting data and follow-up communication in order to translate the data into meaningful information to managers. These steps are critical to informing adaptive management, which hinges on the ability to be able to set a plan and monitor outcomes.

“If there isn’t a plan to start with and a target that you’re aiming at, then the data you collect is just noise.” – Dave Pratt, rancher, author and founder of the Ranching for Profit School

Table 1. Monitoring timeline with respect to other activities and trainings relevant to Partner

Biologists.

8. The focal species concept Bird focal species are those that are indicators of system health based on their presence or absence. Birds utilize a range of habitat types (i.e. grassland, shrubland, savannah, woodland, riparian) and differing features across landscapes (i.e. herbaceous layers, canopy layers, snags). These habitat types, vegetation layers, and habitat attributes are dependent on a functioning system, which includes regular disturbance (i.e. grazing, logging, burning) and rest to create varied habitat conditions to support differing species.

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Partner Biologists draw on the focal species approach, which is used by conservationists to facilitate the complex task of biodiversity protection by choosing a subset of species from a larger community to help them plan their conservation objectives. Knowledge about these species’ life history and biology then is used to guide habitat restoration and management efforts, with the assumption that the implementation of these recommendations will maintain overall biodiversity (Chase and Geupel, 2005). In the context of private lands monitoring, the presence and abundance of focal species can provide important information related to habitat conditions. In addition to training in monitoring focal bird species using point counts, Partner Biologists receive training in conducting surveys of vegetation and sampling soils using the methods outlined in the Rangeland Monitoring Network handbook (Porzig et al., 2018). These data are communicated in several ways, guided by key audiences. Landowners that collaborate on monitoring receive personalized annual letters with data, and management considerations related to them, for their property. Additionally, broader data trends across watersheds, counties, and regions of California are shared with the broader science community through talks, papers, and presentations. 9. Landowner Letters Individualized landowner letters created by Partner Biologists report the outcomes of the ecological monitoring that they conduct. As conservation practices are implemented, Partner Biologists document changes in vegetation communities, indicators of soil health, and use point counts of birds as an indicator of biodiversity response. These data are used to describe the relationships between management practices and ecological function, taking a whole systems approach to understanding the outcomes of conservation practices and their support for conservation and production goals. These responses are reported back to landowners in individualized annual letters with summary tables and graphics describing baseline ecological conditions. When ranchers participate over multiple years, the landowner letters report how conditions change over time. The model through which Partner Biologists engage ranchers in conservation planning centers on biologists and ranchers working together to understand goals, questions, and information needs. Collaborative activities, such as those described above, build shared meaning across organizations, which are thought to provide critical support for conservation practices and other environmental stewardship activities (Briske, 2012). The individualized annual letters are innovative in that they make site-specific, scientific data available with personal follow-up. The resulting recommendations are directly available to property owners every year.

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The landowner letter is meant to be a conversation starter to be followed up with a land walk to discuss areas of interest, challenges, and changes to be made. The letters aim to expand the pool of information that a producer has so that they are empowered to make beneficial, adaptive management decisions. A typical landowner letter includes a map of the monitored property that displays monitoring points, and summary data about the monitored area. The letter’s text thanks the landowner for partnering with Point Blue to participate in monitoring. Next the letter provides summary data in both graphical and written form for all aspects of monitoring that have been conducted on the property, which may include observations of focal bird species, vegetation, and/or soils. Throughout the text, landowner letters strive to provide data interpretation and potential management considerations and recommendations. Landowner letters are one type of conservation planning and monitoring communication template. NRCS has a variety of additional conservation planning templates including: Wildlife Habitat Management Plans; Grazing Management Plans; and Carbon Farm Plans. We can cross-reference information across templates as each template provides a unique lens, but with the shared goal of advancing conservation planning. It’s important to note that Point Blue protects confidential landowner information and we never release identifying information of ranchers or their property (e.g., name, address, or species status at a site) without prior written consent. Earning and maintaining trust with collaborating landowners and managers is a top priority. We are legally and ethically obligated to safeguard their information. 10. NRCS Evaluation/Monitoring Tools Partner Biologists receive detailed training in NRCS evaluation and monitoring tools which include the Wildlife Habitat Assessment Guide, Indicators of Rangeland Health Evaluation, Stream Visual Assessment Protocol 2. Wildlife Habitat Assessment Guide (WHEG): The WHEG helps conservation planners assess or evaluate wildlife habitat for multiple species in a planning area. One objective of the WHEG is to ensure the conservation planner is taking time to evaluate the main habitat characteristics of each land use found on the property, which helps inventory resources and identify resource concerns. The guide assumes the planner has some background knowledge of plants and some sense of what that land use should look like in different circumstances. To use the guide, a planner assigns the number of acres on the property to different condition values of habitat characteristics. Each condition value has a weighted point from 0.1 to 1 that is multiplied by the number of acres to calculate the score for the habitat characteristic. After totaling the weighted points for all habitat characteristics, the planner has a final WHEG score for the property. To be successful in using this document, current Partner Biologists suggest learning the common plant

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species in the area that will be surveyed and if necessary, printing out a list of common native species found in the land to be assessed. Indicators of Rangeland Health Evaluation Sheet and Matrix: This assessment tool uses 17 indicators to assess the condition of California rangelands at the property level (Pellant et al., 2005). The indicators are mostly focused on soil health/condition and the vegetation community. To rate the indicators, the planner determines how different the site condition is from what is expected. For each indicator the site is evaluated. If the indicator is not different than expected, then it is given the score of None to Slight, and if the indicator is very different then it is given the score of Extreme to Total. These results help planners inventory resources and determine resource concerns. This tool is useful for non-soil scientists to assess the condition of the soil and help justify any claims that there is a resource concern on the property. The tool assumes the planner has some background in plant identification and functional plant groups. Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP2): The SVAP2 is a tool for evaluating the condition of wadeable streams, the associated riparian zone, and instream habitat. It is a national tool and because it is not designed to work perfectly for all sites, conservation planners are encouraged to alter the protocol to fit local conditions when necessary. This protocol evaluates 16 stream elements as indicators of stream health. The elements are rated by the planner from severely degraded (a score of 1) to excellent (a score of 10) by reading the description and comparing it to site conditions. The scores are then totaled and averaged to get the SVAP2 score. A planner can use this tool to see what elements are degraded and what resource concerns those elements are associated with. The SVAP2 provides a strong inventory process that makes sure all important habitat elements are evaluated. This increases the quality of conservation planning. Partner Biologists that have used the SVAP2 tool highlight that first-time users should go out with someone who is experienced in SVAP2 because the protocol is long and can be confusing. It is also wise for first-time users to calibrate scores with an expert to ensure consistency. 11. NRCS Planning Tools Partner Biologists receive training in a variety of conservation planning tools and use these to support conservation plans with the landowners with whom they partner. NRCS Conservation Planning Course: This course is designed to provide conservation planning training for working with individual clients or with groups that basically function as an individual. The course emphasizes the conservation planning process; developing quality, complete plans on the entire unit; consideration of ecological, economic, and social concerns; on-site assistance; the effects and impacts of planned actions on-site and off-site; and partnership involvement. The course is based on current conservation planning policy, the

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procedures and guidelines in the National Planning Procedures Handbook (NPPH) and the supporting technology and tools to carry out the planning process and the locally led process. Electronic Field Office Technical Guide (eFOTG): Technical guides are the primary scientific references for NRCS. They contain technical information about the conservation of soil, water, air, and related plant and animal resources. Technical guides used in each field office are localized so that they apply specifically to the geographic area for which they are prepared. These documents are referred to as Field Office Technical Guides (FOTGs). Parts of the Field Office Technical Guides are automated as databases, computer programs, and other materials, which are available online: https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/treemenuFS.aspx. Section 1, General References; Section 2, Natural Resources Information; Section 3, Conservation Management Systems; Section 4 Practice Standards and Specifications; Section 5, Conservation Effects. National Planning Procedures Handbook: The purpose of the handbook is to provide guidance on the planning process used by the NRCS and many of its partners for developing, implementing, and evaluating individual conservation plans and area-wide conservation plans. The handbook overview is available: https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/OpenNonWebContent.aspx?content=36483.wba Web Soil Survey: Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It is operated by NRCS and aims to provide access to the largest natural resource information system in the world. NRCS has soil maps and data available online for more than 95 percent of the nation’s counties. NRCS promotes this site “as the single authoritative source of soil survey information.” The website overview is available: http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm Ecological Site Descriptions: NRCS uses Ecological Site Descriptions(ESDs) to “provide a framework for classifying and describing rangeland and forestland soils and vegetation, aiming to delineate land units that share similar capabilities to respond to management activities or disturbance. ESDs provide land managers the information needed for evaluating the land as to suitability for various land-uses, capability to respond to different management activities or disturbance processes, and ability to sustain productivity over the long term.” ESDs provide information in four main areas: site characteristics (physical, climate, soil, water features); plant communities (plant species, vegetation states, ecological dynamics); site interpretations (management alternatives for the site and its related resources); and supporting information (relevant literature, information and data sources). ESDs are not available for all counties; existing ESDs are stored in the Ecological Site Information System (ESIS), and are publicly available online: https://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/Welcome/pgReportLocation.aspx?type=ESD. Current Partner Biologists have highlighted that not all counties have ESDs or reference sheets; without reference sheets, ESDs are not useful or applicable as they are intended to be. Customer Service Toolkit: The Customer Service Toolkit is a collection of software tools for their employees who work with the public, primarily with farmers and ranchers. The Toolkit

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helps natural resource planners provide information to the public, resulting in conservation of the land. The tools incorporate commercial software products that let conservationists provide natural resource information in professional-looking products. Current Partner Biologists have highlighted that learning to use Toolkit requires in-person trainings with a Toolkit specialist. 12. Conclusion This handbook was designed to provide an overview of the Rangeland Watershed Initiative program structure, vision, and activities and approaches for conservation planning, implementation, and ecological monitoring on rangelands. The examples provided here stem from our current RWI program structure, in which Partner Biologists are hired by Point Blue in consultation with NRCS and supported by in part by a formal contribution agreement. Partner Biologists are seated in NRCS offices, where they provide value-added biological expertise to NRCS teams, and are trained in the application of NRCS planning and conservation tools. As Partner Biologists also live in the communities where they work, they are a valuable community resource and over time, many serve as both catalysts and organizers for conservation activities. We hope that these examples of program structure will be interesting and useful to programs and people that are interested in expanding Point Blue’s approach and model for Partner Biologists. 13. Literature Cited Briske, D. 2012. Translational Science Partnerships: Key to Environmental Stewardship. Bioscience (62): 5, 449-450.

Chase, M. and G. R. Geupel. 2005. The Use of Avian Focal Species for Conservation Planning in California. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-191.

Leopold, A. 1949. A Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press: New York.

Pellant, M., P. Shaver, D.A. Pyke, and J.E. Herrick. 2005. Interpreting indicators of rangeland health, version 4. Technical Reference 1734-6. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, National Science and Technology Center, Denver, CO.

Porzig, E., N.E. Seavy, R. T. DiGaudio, C. Henneman, and T. Gardali. 2018. The Rangeland Monitoring Network Handbook V2.0. Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California.

Savory, A. and J. Butterfield. 2016. Holistic Management, Third Edition: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment. Third Edition. Island Press: Washington, D.C.

Stein, B.A., P. Glick, N. Edelson, and A. Staudt (eds.). 2014. Climate-Smart Conservation: Putting Adaptation Principles into Practice. National Wildlife Federation, Washington, D.C.

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Appendix 1: Point Blue/ NRCS Partner Biologist job description, including duties and attributes

Expanded Job Duties and Attributes of a Point Blue/ NRCS Partner Biologist

Required: Training and certification as an NRCS Conservation Planner

Plan management and conservation practice recommendations based on conversations and resource assessments conducted through the conservation planning process with producers. Utilize their skills, knowledge, abilities, and networks to offer broad resources to producers in an effort to facilitate working lands conservation and management. Implement conservation practices, (fencing, water facilities, brush management for tree mortality projects, seeding, invasive species management, compost applications, hedgerow planting, riparian forest buffers, etc. Field data, collection, analysis and interpretation to landowners and managers that is an integral part of an adaptive management strategy Cultivate, nurture, enable and encourage Leopoldian Land Stewards Community organizers, conservation resource and champions of land stewards in their communities Trained to use NRCS assessment tools including:

Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Guide (WHEG)

Stream Visual Assessment Protocol 2 (SVAP2)

Indicators of Rangeland Health

Resource Management Systems

Field Office Technical Guides (eFOTG)

Ecological Site Descriptions (ESDs) Trained in the following NRCS planning programs:

Customer Service Toolkit

Protracts

Comet Farm Planner (carbon farm planning platform)

Soil, Water, Air, Plants, Animals, Humans and Energy (SWAPA+HE) quality criteria and resource concerns

Familiar with and uses Farm Bill Programs including:

Wetland and Agricultural Land Easement Programs (ALE/WRE)

Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)

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Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Create and Manage Farm Bill contracts: (This component takes up to 75% of the Partner Biologist’s NRCS time)

Knowledge of Farm Bill eligibility requirements and ability to work with Farm Services Agency (FSA) to get producers eligible

Guide applicant through NRCS Program Farm Bill Applications

Conduct site visits to assess resource concerns, use GPS for existing farm/ranch infrastructure and planned infrastructure, discuss practice alternatives with producer to address resource concerns

Team plan and field visits with NRCS engineers and soil/range conservationists when needed

Screen and rank applications using various ranking criteria for project type (rangeland, forestry, irrigation, organic, dairy, etc.)

Design conservation plans in NRCS’s Customer Service Toolkit (CST) platform in ESRI ArcGIS

Write Farm Bill contracts (EQIP, CSP)

Certify completed contract items on-site and in NRCS ProTracts for payment

Track producer’s accomplishments in CST by making as-built maps

Complete NRCS’s NEPA Compliance documents for each contract (CPA-52)

Compliance monitoring for threatened and endangered species, plants and animals

Flexibility to develop work in various agricultural systems: row crops, vineyards, dairies, orchards, citrus, wetlands, rangeland, forestry, hobby farms, etc.

For farmers, develop comprehensive Resource Management System level Farm or Ranch Conservation Plans

With ranchers, develop comprehensive Resource Management System level Grazing Management Plans

Utilize numerous Conservation Practices Standards and Specifications

Develop comprehensive Wildlife Habitat Management Plans

Develop comprehensive Carbon Farm Plans

Assist NRCS Field Office Conservationists with development of all of the above

Coordinate with BLM, USFS, USFWS, CDFW and other applicable agencies on project planning and implementation if contracts with producers fall under their land or resource jurisdiction

Have access to all landowner/producer files in the NRCS Field Office Have e-Authorization to utilize the USDA computing system

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Must utilize AGLearn to complete Annual Security Awareness, Annual EEO/Civil Right and Conservation Planner training requirements. Certified Cultural Resources Technicians, trained to complete cultural resource surveys in the field prior to practice implementation Attend workshops/trainings/conferences/field days for continuing education and training purposes covering broad natural resource and working lands topics Identify and promote projects that integrate with other Point Blue programs/initiatives such as Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (STRAW), Sierra Meadow Partnership, Climate-Smart Restoration, Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership, private lands forest practices etc. Participate in various community groups, professional societies, land trusts, etc. including holding board and committee positions. Support and participate in community outreach events related to conservation and working lands Present posters or talks at various conference on program activities. Partner with other NGOs, University of California Cooperative Extension, Resource Conservation Districts, and agencies and coordinate multi-stakeholder efforts/groups, serve as Principal Investigators and/or project coordinators on CDFA Healthy Soils demonstration projects Support and coordinate workshops, field days, field tours and site visit for ranchers, other partners, funders, agency staff, etc. Intensively collect, enter, analyze, and interpret data on birds, soil, and vegetation on a subset of ranches (to be determined with leadership) to provide in-depth analysis through annual landowner letters, reports, and discussion with ranchers to inform comprehensive ranch management plans and discuss future strategies in adaptive management context. Actively participate and/or contribute to scientific presentations and publications that involve the monitoring described above. Help identify and secure additional funding sources for project/conservation practice coordination, planning, and implementation. Organize volunteer days to support practice implementation.