The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a multiple-use agency in the Department of the Interior. The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land throughout the nation. Much of this land traverses monarch butterfly habitat, for both breeding and migrating generations. We’re excited to work with the BLM to expand monarch conservation in the west and strengthen the national MJV partnership.
The BLM has been actively involved with the Pollinator Action Plan that is being developed as a result of the June 2014 Presidential Memorandum and the BLM Director serves on the U.S. Monarch High Level Working Group which is directed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Through partnership with the MJV, the BLM and other federal agencies can help form partnerships between public and private sectors nationwide, providing necessary support for monarch conservation efforts.
It is the mission of the Bureau of Land Management to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. They are responsible for balanced management of these lands, their resources and values, so management occurs in a way that will best serve the needs of the American people. Public land resource considerations include recreation, forest and rangeland plant communities, minerals, watershed, fish and wildlife, wilderness and natural, scenic, educational and cultural values.
The BLM has an on-going relationship with the Xerces Society supporting pollinator conservation in Oregon and hopes to expand monarch conservation programs in other western states. “BLM is looking forward to working with the MJV to raise the awareness of the importance of the public lands to monarchs, and including monarch and other pollinator friendly nectar and nesting plants in on-going habitat restoration efforts” says BLM’s Carol Spurrier. Additionally, the BLM has a strong plant conservation program, which includes native plant materials development and Seeds of Success. Through these programs, the MJV and the BLM will work together to strengthen milkweed availability nationwide through targeted native seed collection and milkweed plant production in key areas. The Bureau of Land Management brings many assets to the MJV partnership and to monarch and milkweed conservation. We’re excited to add them to our monarch conservation team!
Read more about BLM on their website, here.