Dedication Point

David Feinman is the vice president of government affairs for the Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF). CLF is a nonprofit that advocates for better management of the Bureau of Land Management's protected land. They are focused specifically on BLM’s National Conservation Lands system, a system that includes the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA.Although CLF has its HQ in the West - in Durango, CO - David is based in Washington, DC. He’s been working in politics and public policy for 20 years in a variety of roles, and he also teaches at American University.

Emily Wakild is the Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chair for the Environment and Public Lands at Boise State University. She has written books about this history of public lands management in Latin America, and she brings this unique perspective to our ongoing discussions about the management of public lands here in Idaho.This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at this year’s Snake River Raptor Fest, an event that the Birds of Prey NCA Partnership hosts at Indian Creek Winery every June.

In this episode, we explore a restoration site in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA. Just a few weeks ago, the Birds of Prey NCA Partnership hosted a public planting day in celebration of National Public Lands Day. Listen in as Birds of Prey NCA Partnership president Steve Alsup explains the restoration process, and Charlie Baun from the Idaho Army National Guard helps volunteers get plants in the ground.This is our final episode of Season Four! We hope you enjoyed all of our restoration-focused interviews!

This week’s interview is focused on one crucial aspect of desert shrubland restoration efforts - the use of pre-emergent herbicides. These pre-emergent herbicides prevent seeds from germinating without causing significant harm to most established perennials, and they are used almost universally in restoration projects in sage-steppe ecosystems to reduce the cover of invasive annual grasses. Brynne Lazarus, biologist with USGS, will be guiding us through her research on the use of pre-emergent herbicides in desert shrubland restoration efforts.

This week’s interview is focused on the strategic challenges associated with restoring sage-steppe ecosystems in the Great Basin. Our guest is Chad Boyd, a Rangeland Scientist and Research Leader who has been based in Eastern Oregon and working on restoration projects since 1999. His work is focused on establishing strategic decision-making protocols for land managers looking to restore sage-steppe ecosystems across the Great Basin. Despite the enormity of the problem, Chad is optimistic about the future of these landscapes, and I hope this optimism rubs off on some of our listeners!

A panel discussion featuring Brandon Flack and Zac Hulling from the Idaho Fish and Game Department and Aaron Utz from Idaho Power discussing management strategies and the population status of waterfowl and upland game species in the CJ Strike Wildlife Management Area (which is encompassed by the Snake River Birds of Prey NCA).

Boise State University Professor Ian Robertson discusses the role of insects in the ecosystems of the NCA, as well as his research on insect-plant interactions.

In this episode we’re talking about Jackrabbits, and how improved survey methods designed to assess their populations in the NCA hold the potential to benefit wildlife survey efforts all across the globe.Guests for this episode are Dr. Jen Cruz, Assistant Professor at Boise State University, and her graduate student, Leticia Camacho.

Danielle Murray and Andres Esparza from the Conservation Lands Foundation discuss their ongoing efforts to conserve public land through grassroots organizing, and how the new Climate Atlas mapping tool can help.

Dr. Jen Pierce is an Associate Professor in the Geoscience Department at Boise State University. She is an expert on the impact of Climate Change on Wildfire, and is currently engaged in research about carbon sequestration in desert ecosystems. Dr. Pierce spoke with Dedication Point co-hosts about what the future may hold for sagebrush steppe ecosystems in Southwest Idaho.

A panel of raptor biologists discuss the current effort to survey the Snake River canyon’s Prairie falcon population. As you’ll hear in the discussion, the Snake River canyon is a very special place for prairie falcons, and the full canyon survey that’s currently underway is part of a monumental effort to assess the size and health of this unique population.

Dr. Julie Heath is a professor in the department of Biological Sciences and the Raptor Research Center at Boise State University. Her research lab is focused on addressing questions about how birds respond to large scale environmental change. She has conducted numerous research projects within the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA, working with a number of other researchers and graduate students. This research has documented how raptors are responding to some of the changes occurring within the NCA and the surrounding area.

Roger Rosentreter is a retired BLM botanist – he spent 35 years working as the Idaho BLM state botanist. During that time Roger worked throughout Idaho and the Intermountain West, but always maintained a strong connection with the high desert ecosystems of the sagebrush steppe, and has spent quite a bit of time working in the NCA. He has amassed a wealth of knowledge about the introduction of invasive species such as cheatgrass, and has conducted numerous research projects analyzing the effects of these introductions on native species. He has authored close to 100 scientific publications over the course of his career.