BLM-ID Tasks GeomorphIS to Conduct Slickspot Peppergrass Survey

The US Bureau of Land Management, Jarbidge Field Office (Twin Falls District), has tasked a GeomorphIS team to conduct a habitat survey of slickspot peppergrass (Lepidium papilliferum) on about 31,000 acres of public land, during the 2024 field season. The plant, listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), occurs in southwestern Idaho in sagebrush steppe habitats, which are also the focus of widespread conservation concern due to widespread loss of plant communities resulting from wildfire. Data collected about slickspot peppergrass and its habitat are critical for conservation and adaptive management of the species. This inventory work is an integral as part of operational objectives of the Plant Conservation and Restoration Program (PCRP). The PCRP, provides technical support to other programs on native plant community management and implementation of vegetation management and restoration projects that support BLM’s mission, as well as departmental and administration goals.