LANDSCAPE-SCALE MITIGATION TO FACILITATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTIN THE AMERICAN WESTJim Lyons

Deputy Assistant Secretary

Land and Minerals Management

Department of the Interior

Jim_Lyons@ios.doi.gov

THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR WASHINGTON

Subject: Improving Mitigation Policies and Practices of the Department of the Interior

Sec. 1 Purpose. The Department of the Interior is entrusted with overseeing Federal lands for the benefit of current and future generations. This includes advancing safe and responsible development of our abundant energy resources which bolsters our energy security, and promoting the conservation of our Federal lands and natural resources for generations to come. Development and conservation are both essential to support a vibrant and sustainable economy. The purpose of this Order is to establish a Department-wide mitigation strategy that will ensure consistency and efficiency in the review and permitting of infrastructure development projects and in conserving our Nation's valuable natural and cultural resources.

Central to this strategy will be (1) the use of a landscape-scale approach to identify and facilitate investment in key conservation priorities in a region; (2) early integration of mitigation considerations in project planning and design; (3) ensuring the durability of mitigation measures over time; (4) ensuring transparency and consistency in mitigation decisions; and (5) a focus on mitigation efforts that improve the resilience of our Nation's resources in the face of climate change.

ORDER NO. 3330

THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR WASHINGTON

Landscape Mitigation Examples

•Western solar energy program/ solar energy zones

•Sage grouse conservation strategy•Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP)

•Barrick Gold Mitigation Agreement

SOLAR ENERGY POTENTIAL IN THE U.S.

IVANPAH SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT

WESTERN SOLAR ENERGY ZONES

• Identified 21 SEZs on 280K acres

• Permitted solar on 19 mill. acres of variance lands

• 79 mill. acres off limits• Expedited permitting

BENEFITS OF GUIDED DEVELOPMENT

Avoid Wildlife Conflicts Target Infrastructure

NEVADA SOLAR ENERGY ZONES

DRY LAKE SEZ SOLAR CAPACITY

STRATEGY TO CONSERVE THE GREATER SAGE-GROUSE and FACILITATE ENERGY

DEVELOPMENT

- FS - U

SFW

S

Planning Area Structure2 Regions

Great Basin Rocky Mountain

15 Sub-regions/EISs

Great Basin (All Amendments)Oregon, Nevada/NE California,Idaho/SW Montana, and Utah

Rocky Mountain (Revisions & Amendments)NW Colorado, WY 9 Plan, Lander Revision (WY), Bighorn Basin Revision (WY), Buffalo Revision (WY), Billings/Pompey’s Pillar NM Revision (MT), Lewistown Amendment (MT), HiLine Revision (MT), Miles City Revision (MT), South Dakota Revision, North Dakota Amendment

98 LUPs Being Amended (includes BLM and FS)Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) Management Zones outlined in Blue 11

The Wall Street Journal - March 10, 2014REVIEW & OUTLOOKSage Grouse RebellionWill Obama use two small birds to limit oil drilling in the West?March 10, 2014 6:52 p.m. ET

Almost half the land west of the Mississippi belongs to the federal government, including 48% of California, 62% of Idaho and 81% of Nevada. No surprise that the Obama Administration wants to control more. But the result could be to suppress the country's booming oil and gas development.

In partnership with green activists, the Department of Interior may attempt one of the largest federal land grabs in modern times, using a familiar vehicle—the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A record 757 new species could be added to the protected list by 2018. The two species with the greatest impact on private development are range birds—the greater sage grouse and the lesser prairie chicken, both about the size of a barnyard chicken. The economic stakes are high because of the birds' vast habitat.

Interior is expected to decide sometime this month whether to list the lesser prairie chicken, which inhabits five western prairie states, as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. Meantime, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service are considering land-use amendments to protect the greater sage grouse, which would lay the groundwork for an ESA listing next year.

The sage grouse is found in 11 western states—California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Most of the areas affected are federal lands routinely used for farming, ranching, mining, road building, water projects and oil and gas drilling.

Oil & Gas LeasesUtah

In Production - Non-Habitat

Leased - Non-Habitat

PAC & Priority Habitat

General HabitatIn Production - Priority Habitat

Leased - Priority Habitat

In Production - General Habitat

Leased - General Habitat

In Production - Non-Habitat

Leased - Non-Habitat

PAC & Priority Habitat

General Habitat

Idaho

Nevada

Wyoming

ArizonaCA

Col

orad

o

Kan

sas

Oil & Gas PotentialNon-Habitat

In Production - Non-Habitat

Leased - Non-Habitat

PAC & Priority Habitat

General Habitat

Utah

Colorado

PAC & Priority Habitat

<all other values>

PAC & Priority Habitat Potential

High

Medium

Low

<all other values>

General Habitat Potential

High

Medium

Low

<all other values>

Non-Habitat Potential

High

Medium

Low

Utah

Idaho

Nevada

Wyoming

ArizonaCA

Col

orad

o

905603718%

13748447

28%

26664104

54%

PAC/Priority HabitatGeneral HabitatNon-Habitat

642019812%

7718441

14%

39924215

74%

427283459%

323862277%

39490478684%

Low O&G PotentialMedium O&G Potential

High O&G PotentialOil and Gas (O&G)

Production Potential in the

Western U.S.(# of acres by habitat

type)Copeland et al, 2010

DRAFT

ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE LANDSCAPE-SCALE MITIGATION

1. LANDSCAPE-SCALE RESOURCE ASSESSMENTS ARE COMPLETED IN ADVANCE of project design and development to…

2. IDENTIFY potential conservation and development CONFLICTS in order to …

3. AVOID, MINIMIZE, AND COMPENSATE FOR UNAVOIDABLE PROJECT IMPACTS through proper project siting and design