BLM-ID Tasks GeomorphIS to Conduct 20K-acre Slickspot Peppergrass Habitat Survey
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Jarbidge Field Office in Twin Falls, ID has contracted with GeomorphIS and team member Elliott Environmental Consulting to conduct Special Status Plant (SSP) inventories for Lepidium papilliferum (slickspot peppergrass) in 2023. The conservation of slickspot peppergrass, a federally listed Threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), is a high priority for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Idaho Army National Guard (IDARNG), and others. Slickspot peppergrass occurs in southwestern Idaho in sagebrush steppe habitats, which are also the focus of widespread conservation concern. Data collected about slickspot peppergrass and its habitats are critical for conservation and adaptive management of the species. The GeomorphIS team will conduct inventories of slickspot peppergrass habitat in the Jarbidge Field Office using the established protocol. Data will be collected while walking survey transects, and includes slickspot location, size, and complexity, dominant plant community and
presence of slickspot peppergrass.