Restoration
The Land Treatment Exploration Tool and Adaptive Management Planning: Examples in Post-Fire Restoration
Case Study by the Conservation and Adaptation Resources Toolbox
Status
Completed

Location

States

Idaho

Ecosystem

Prairie

Subject

At-risk species
Birds
Drought
Fires
GIS
Plants
Restoration
Sagebrush
Soil management
Vegetation

Introduction

Screenshot of the interface of Land Treatment Exploration Tool showing the site history around the Bray Fire with previous treatments types and frequency
Image Details

Land degradation is worsening, and the problems it creates are increasing in complexity. Resource managers must account for many factors including analysis of at-risk or endangered species, wildfire history and risk, past drought management conditions and future projections, and current conservation initiatives. Resource managers must effectively analyze these factors to efficiently manage, conserve, and restore the lands under their jurisdiction. However, a lack of information about landscape characteristics and past management methods can hinder future management efforts. 

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stewards one in ten acres of land in the U.S., approximately 245 million acres. Since 2009, the BLM and United States Geological Survey (USGS) have collaborated to develop the Land Treatment Digital Library (LTDL). The LTDL is an archive of information on all known treatments administered on public land by the BLM, 60,000+ treatments. Using the LTDL at a large scale, however, requires knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data management techniques, hindering managers’ ability to tackle projects efficiently in offices without specific resources. Thus, the BLM and USGS developed the Land Treatment Exploration Tool (Exploration Tool) to synthesize complex datasets, making them accessible to management offices regardless of technical capabilities. 

The Exploration Tool increases ecological data accessibility across the western U.S. The Exploration Tool is a planning resource for restoration and rehabilitation actions in a user-friendly format, available to people at all levels of GIS and data management expertise. It synthesizes knowledge across various databases that capture land treatment history and the expertise of local land managers. The Exploration Tool increases planning efficiency across various types of adaptive management projects. Currently, it is primarily used to aid BLM land managers in post-fire recovery and emergency stabilization and rehabilitation (ESR) planning, however its utility spans beyond the jurisdictional boundaries of the BLM. This case study highlights the 2022 Bray Fire and Wildhorse Fire restoration projects as prime examples of effective use of the Exploration Tool for post-fire restoration planning.

Key Issues Addressed

Resource managers are tasked with a thorough planning process for restoration and rehabilitation projects, and a key aspect includes adequately utilizing available data. With concise deadlines and complex workloads, this can be an arduous task to efficiently complete. Although the LDTL resolved many data management issues for the BLM, the historical data within the Land Treatment Digital Library can be relatively inaccessible for resource managers without access to GIS and data management expertise because of the complexity and size of the database. Thus, the BLM required a way to better understand and extract relevant information from the tens of thousands of treatments within the LTDL in order to address this accessibility issue and improve planning efficiency.

Data about landscape characteristics and past management methods have historically been scattered across multiple databases, or only exist as hard copies within offices. Data availability and accessibility are relatively inconsistent across jurisdictional boundaries. Availability is often determined by location, funding, and resources. Data that exists should be available and accessible to those who would benefit from its use.

In certain locations, individual BLM employees are the main source of knowledge about historical treatments and effective management actions. With staff turnover, relocation, or retirement, critical knowledge is lost. Digital data collection and compilation will diminish this reliance on specific individuals while complementing local knowledge and allowing for information sharing across space and time. The Land Treatment Digital Library and the Land Treatment Exploration Tool address these key issues facing resource managers by empowering them with accessible information.

Project Goals

  • Streamline the planning process to lessen the burden on resource managers. Increase management efficiency by including multiple datasets within a centralized planning tool that automatically sifts through databases to compile relevant information.
  • Synthesize data from multiple databases about historical treatments and climate conditions into the Exploration Tool to increase data sharing, accessibility, and availability.
  • Account for gaps in technical expertise by making data visualization and mapping capabilities accessible to land managers across all BLM offices. Make analysis accessible through the automatic map generation and data synthesis features of the Exploration Tool regardless of whether or not offices have a resident GIS or data management expert.
  • Increase stakeholder collaboration via interconnected data management. Where is data currently available, who is able to accurately interpret it, and how can we share this information? How can we begin to effectively transition management practices to the digital world?

Project Highlights

Hard-copy Digitization: USGS researchers went to BLM offices to obtain exclusively physical copies of historical data. They then digitized it, incorporating historical treatments into usable, Exploration Tool-compatible databases (LTDL).

  • Comprehensive Report Generation: Customized reports contain summary statistics from the LTDL and over 60 additional spatial data sources. Data include vegetation cover, wildfire history, treatment history, at-risk or endangered species variables, and more. In offices with robust GIS and technical programs, this custom report generation allows for rapid assessment. See wildhorse fire reports in the Resources section as an example.
  • Historical Data Availability: The Exploration Tool provides a historical treatment record and historical climate data about a project site and the surrounding area. This includes data about treatments, wildfire history, historical climate, historical drought, and more.  (See reports in the Resources section for examples from the Wildhorse Fire). Historical records and climate data from the Exploration Tool were used to develop the Bray Fire restoration plan. The complex history of treatments are simpler to examine within the Exploration Tool. Overlaying landscape priorities, ties to nearby successes, and intact habitats were explained clearly.
  • Holistic Ecological Data: The Exploration Tool supports managers’ access to data about soils, at-risk species, vegetation, and other ecological factors. The Bray Fire’s affected area had low resilience - potential for slow recovery - rocky terrain, and high levels of invasive annual coverage. The Exploration Tool automatically incorporated these factors, allowing managers to quickly review past seed mixes and determine treatment success while utilizing historic weather and climate data.
  • At-Risk and Listed Species: The Exploration Tool streamlines the planning process by linking directly to the USFWS’ Information for Planning and Consulting (IPaC) tool. This tool provides a list of all endangered and threatened species within the treatment boundaries and provides species’ status, description, and location. It then links to specific Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS) species profiles.
  • GIS Data Visualization: The Exploration Tool allows all resource managers to benefit from GIS analyses regardless of technical resources. For example, the Exploration Tool can generate maps specific to at-risk species - e.g. the sage grouse - and their critical habitats. Land managers must only input project boundaries and select relevant inputs to automatically generate color-coded GIS maps that aid rapid analysis.

Lessons Learned

Image of the land scorched by the Wildhorse fire
Image Details

The Exploration Tool’s ability to cross-reference site history (previous treatments, wildfire history, drought history, etc.) with current monitoring data streamlines adaptive management planning. Lessons learned from failures and successes of previous projects can be better applied to future projects – the hallmark of adaptive management. For example, the 2022 Bray Fire restoration utilized historical wildfire data and seeding treatment data to mimic previous successes in a complex landscape. The Exploration Tool showed the area had not burned recently, and provided data about nearby successful treatments completed after 2011 and 2013 wildfires. Managers then used drill seeding, aerial seeding, herbicide use/bio-control, hand planting, livestock grazing closure, temporary fencing, and general monitoring in the ESR plan at the Bray Fire because of previous successes.

The USGS learned the importance of working with stakeholders during tool development. Since the Exploration Tool’s usefulness is tied to its summarization of complex science in a digestible way, USGS developers continue to release new features that meet specific needs. When drought forecasting capabilities, AIM data summaries, and time series remote sensing cover data were integrated into the Exploration Tool, for example, the tool’s utility for managers doing post-fire rehabilitation notably increased.

The Exploration Tool also facilitates collaboration between stakeholders. The 2022 Wildhorse Fire and Bray Fire restoration projects required extensive collaboration between multiple government agencies and private landowners. Land managers shared the Exploration Tool’s comprehensive report to explain the situation, show landscape history, and describe potential solutions and projected success. This may be one of the Exploration Tool’s most valuable contributions: there is no barrier in data sharing, while ensuring that all partners are reviewing the same public data.

More geospatial data sources are progressively being added to the Exploration Tool so it can serve as a centralized data integration platform. As more land managers with diverse needs use the Exploration Tool, they require more information to make decisions. The BLM is improving data accessibility through continued integration.

Next Steps

  • Expand the user base and geographic scope of the Exploration Tool, to support the emerging challenges in resource management that users are facing by adding additional data layers and models.
  • Integrate additional information and databases into the Exploration Tool from state and federal partners.
  • Maintain communication with Exploration Tool users during geographic expansion through presentations, discussions, and webinars.
  • Expand the Seasonal Ecological Drought Forecast Tool to provide seeding establishment metrics based on predicted drought conditions for additional species beyond sagebrush sagebrush
    The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.

    Learn more about sagebrush     .

Funding Partners

Major funding provided by the Bureau of Land Management. The Seasonal Ecological Drought Forecast Tool was funded by the USGS Community for Data Integration (CDI). 

Resources

Contacts

CART Lead Author

Olivia G. Weeden, American University

Suggested Citation

Weeden, O. (2023) “The Land Treatment Exploration Tool and Adaptive Management Planning: Examples in Post-fire Restoration” CCAST. Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/project/land-treatment-exploration-tool-and-adaptive-management-planning.

Library

Land Treatment Exploration Tool Handout
Name
Land Treatment Exploration Tool Handout

The Land Treatment Exploration Tool and Adaptive Management Planning: Examples in Post-Fire Restoration CART Case Study Handout

Land degradation is worsening and the lack of accessible information about landscape characteristics and past management methods can hinder future management...

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