Mule Deer Foundation

NOFO L23AS00308GOALS:ANNUAL OPERATING PLAN APPROVED (YEARLY)DATA COLLECTIONS FOR IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF POTENTIAL PRIORITY AREA AND PROJECT LOCATIONS, PRELIMINARY HABITAT PROJECTS IDENTIFIED WITH PLANNING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS THAT ARE NEPA READYMDF HABITAT PARTNERSHIP COORDINATORS HIREDIDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITY RANKING OF POTENTIAL PROJECT AREAS BASED ON RISKS NEEDSYEARLY COORDINATION MEETING WITH BLM AND STATE FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCIESIMPLEMENTATION OF HABITAT PROJECTS IDENTIFIED BY THE RISK NEEDS ASSESSMENTANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT (YEARLY)END OF PROJECT PUBLICATION OF PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

COLORADO STATEWIDE STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS

SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO SHRUB RESTORATION

MDF SOUTHERN IDAHO SHRUB RESTORATION FOR SAGE-GROUSE AND MULE DEER HABITAT

PROJECTS COMPLETED UNDER THIS AWARD WILL FOCUS ON HIGH PRIORITY WORK SUCH AS ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE FOREST AND WOODLAND HEALTH SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT FIRE RESILIENCY BIOMASS UTILIZATION FOR BIOENERGY HABITAT CONSERVATION NEEDS AND INSECT DISEASE AND FIRE RECOVERY ON PUBLIC LANDS. THESE ACTIVIEST ARE PRE COMMERCIAL AND COMMERCIAL THINNING SALVAGE SANITATION FOREST TREATMENT FUELS REDUCTION PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS CONTROL OF NON NATIVE VEGETATION RIPARIAN OR UPLAND RESTORATION PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND LAY PLANNING ANALYSIS AND DOCUMENT PREPARATION NEEDED IN CONCERT WITH OR TO CARRY OUT NEPA ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT OR CULTURAL CLEARANCES DATA COLLECTION AND MONITORING.

HENRY MOUNTAIN HABITAT PARTNERSHIP, UTAH (STEWARDSHIP)

THE MULE DEER FOUNDATION (MDF) PROPOSES TO ADDRESS THESE RISKS BY IMPLEMENTING SCIENCE BASED FUELS REDUCTION AND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES EXCLUSIVELY ON BLM-ADMINISTERED LANDS IN ARIZONA. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL ENHANCE HABITAT QUALITY, IMPROVE LANDSCAPES AND WATERSHED CONDITIONS, AND PROTECT COMMUNITIES FROM WILDFIRE. WORK WILL INCLUDE THINNING OF WOODY VEGETATION, REMOVAL OF INVASIVE SPECIES, AND RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT DIVERSE WILDLIFE WHILE REDUCING HAZARDOUS FUELS. THROUGH ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH BLM, MDF DELIVERS STRATEGIC AND COST-EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT THAT ACCELERATES FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES. THESE FOCUSED EFFORTS IMPROVE THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF BLM PRIORITY LANDSCAPES, PROVIDE LONG-TERM PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, HELP STREAMLINE GOVERNMENT PROCESSES, ASSIST FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WITH OVERCOMING CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS, AND ACCELERATE PROJECT TIMELINES AND DELIVERY. MDF SEEKS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES THROUGH STRONG, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS. WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES, FEDERAL AGENCIES, AND OTHER NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS) ALLOWS MDF TO INCREASE THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE A GREATER IMPACT IN THE RESTORATION OF DEGRADED ECOSYSTEMS. THESE PARTNERSHIPS RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN FUNDING AND ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO ACCOMPLISH WORK THAT NEITHER PARTY COULD DO ALONE. MULTI-PARTY CONTRIBUTIONS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND VOLUNTEER EFFORTS ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE PARTNERSHIP. MDF S COLLABORATIVE APPROACH IN ARIZONA COULD SERVE AS A MODEL THAT CAN BE SCALED TO OTHER BLM REGIONS ACROSS THE WEST, ADDRESSING SIMILAR WILDLIFE HABITAT CHALLENGES. THE PROJECT ALSO HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT RELATED TO WILDLIFE ON THE LOCAL RURAL ECONOMIES WHERE THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED DUE TO INCREASED SPENDING ON LODGING, FOOD MEALS, FUEL, AND OTHER EXPENDITURES BY MDF AND HABITAT CONTRACTING CREWS. PROJECT WORK WILL TAKE WEEKS AND DURING THAT TIME EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT WILL BE SPENDING MONEY AT LOCAL MERCHANTS. LOCAL JOBS CAN ALSO RESULT FROM EFFORTS AS WORKERS IN THE PROJECT AREA CAN BE PART OF THE EFFORTS. THESE PROJECTS PROVIDE BROAD PUBLIC BENEFITS BY IMPROVING ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION, REDUCING WILDFIRE THREATS TO NEARBY COMMUNITIES, AND SUPPORTING WILDLIFE HABITAT. BLM PROGRAM PRIORITIES ADDRESSED INCLUDE: FUELS MANAGEMENT AND HAZARDOUS VEGETATION REDUCTIONRESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF FIRE-ADAPTED ECOSYSTEMSPROTECTION OF RECREATION AND WILDLIFE USE AREASALL PROJECTS COMPLETED THROUGH THIS AGREEMENT WOULD BE DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, OR LEAD BY, ARIZONA BLM FIELD OFFICES. THE BLM WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN IDENTIFYING AND PRIORITIZING WORK, CREATING DESIGN ELEMENTS AND PLANNING WORK. THIS ENSURES THAT ALL PROJECT WORK COMPLETED ON BLM LAND IS IN LINE WITH THE BLM S GOALS, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS (RMPS), NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) AND OTHER FEDERAL GUIDANCE. MDF WILL REQUIRE APPROVAL FROM THE APPROPRIATE BLM PARTIES BEFORE INITIATING INVOICING TO ENSURE THAT BLM STANDARDS HAVE BEEN MET.

MDF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SAGEBRUSH ENHANCEMENT PROJECT

HQ MDF CONSERVATION OF MULE DEER MIGRATION CORRIDORS AND WINTER RANGE ON BLM PUBLIC LANDS

THE PURPOSE OF THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT (AGREEMENT) IS TO PROVIDE FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING SO THAT THE MULE DEER FOUNDATION (MDF) CAN PARTNER WITH THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM (PFW) TO DELIVER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT BIG GAME MIGRATION CORRIDORS AND WINTER RANGE HABITAT DIRECTLY TO PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, THROUGH SUBRECIPIENT AGREEMENTS (TO BE DEVELOPED). THIS AGREEMENT SUPPORTS THE ENHANCEMENT OF BIG GAME MIGRATION CORRIDORS AND WINTER RANGE HABITAT IN ALIGNMENT WITH SECRETARIAL ORDER 3362 IMPROVING HABITAT QUALITY IN WESTERN BIG-GAME WINTER RANGE AND MIGRATION CORRIDORS, WHICH DIRECTS FEDERAL AGENCIES TO WORK WITH STATES AND PRIVATE PARTNERS TO CONSERVE AND RESTORE CRUCIAL HABITATS THAT SUSTAIN ROBUST BIG-GAME POPULATIONS AND PROMOTE RECREATIONAL HUNTING AND FISHING OPPORTUNITIES.WORK UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, SUPPORTS SEVERAL OF THE GOALS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIORS FY 2026-2030 STRATEGIC PLAN DRAFT FRAMEWORK: UNDER GOAL 2 OF THE FRAMEWORK IS OBJECTIVE 2.1, INTERIOR RESOURCES PROTECT PEOPLE AND PROPERTY. PROPOSED WORK UNDER BRUSH MANAGEMENT PROJECTS FOR GRASSLAND RESTORATION WILL REDUCE HAZARDOUS FUELS AND THREAT FROM WILDFIRE, PROTECTING HUMAN HABITATION WHILE ALSO REDUCING SUBSEQUENT EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION, THUS PROVIDING ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL SAFETY. UNDER GOAL 3 OF THE FRAMEWORK IS OBJECTIVE 3.3: RESTORE LANDS AND WATERS. THE GOAL OF THIS AGREEMENT IS TO RESTORE OR ENHANCE HABITAT ON PRIVATELY OWNED UPLANDS. UNDER GOAL 4 OF THE FRAMEWORK IS OBJECTIVE 4.2: WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH STATES, PARTNERS, AND GOVERNMENTS. UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, THE SERVICE WILL BE WORKING WITH STATE PARTNERS AND PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN HIGH-QUALITY HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS ON PRIVATE LANDS.THIS PARTNERS PROGRAM AGREEMENT SUPPORTS THE DIRECTORS SEVEN LINES OF EFFORT BY DELIVERING RESPONSIVE, COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS WITH STATES, TRIBES, AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND APPLYING THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE TO ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE HABITAT RESTORATION. THROUGH INNOVATIVE, STREAMLINED APPROACHES THAT REDUCE UNNECESSARY REGULATORY BURDENS AND BY PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING SPECIES AND HABITAT NEEDS, THE AGREEMENT CONTRIBUTES TO IMPROVED ESA IMPLEMENTATION AND ADVANCES SHARED CONSERVATION PRIORITIES.

SUPPORT AND SPONSOR THE INTERNATIONAL DEER BIOLOGY CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN THE SUMMER OF 2017