An integrated ecosystem assessment of the Interior Columbia Basin

Driven by the need to replace interim direction, address recent species lis tings as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and bre ak the gridlock of implementing actions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture , Forest Service (FS) and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Bureau of La nd Management (BLM), initiated an effort to develop a scientifically-sound, ecosystem-based strategy for lands they administer in the Interior Columbi a Basin. The effort included an integrated assessment of 58.3 million ha in seven states describing the Basin's current conditions and risks associate d with different management strategies. The assessment provides the foundat ion for environmental impact statements outlining management direction for 31 million hectares of FS and BLM administered lands. The process produced a framework for ecosystem management, ecosystem component (social, economic , landscape, terrestrial, and aquatic) assessments, and estimates of ecolog ical integrity and socioeconomic resiliency.