Important Linkages
IMAGINE’s actions and outcomes are tightly linked to multiple efforts focused on improving and restoring western rangelands from the impacts related to invasive annual grasses.
Wyoming Governor’s Invasive Species Initiative
IMAGINE will support, complement, and enhance the Wyoming Governor’s Invasive Species Initiative by providing timely and targeted science to state and local entities to effectively deploy a strategic approach around better understanding and mitigating the impacts of invasive annual grasses in Wyoming and the region.
Presidential Executive Order 13855
Promoting Active Management of America’s Forests, Rangelands, and Other Federal Lands to Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risk:
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Among other items, the order directs that invasive species treatments will be accomplished on 750,000 Department of Interior (DOI) acres and 750,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acres
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Strategic, prioritized treatments with effective follow up monitoring and data collection to allow for adjustments move forward are needed for such an effort
The Western Weed Action Plan
Developed by a summit from Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) and WWCD to cooperatively envision a strategy for weed management specifically calls for:
- Strengthening participation for developing priority areas for cost-effective management
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Support and increase opportunities to use existing mechanism to leverage watershed-level approaches
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Use constant data metrics to strengthen knowledge and decision support tools for follow-up programs
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Identify foundational knowledge and knowledge gaps surrounding desired species establishment on sites impacted by invasive annual grasses
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Explore mechanisms for public/private partnerships to move technologies from lab to field
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Support financial scale-up of research from proof-of-concept to field-scale trials
WAFWA Gap Analysis
Increase capacity and structure for invasive plant management at meaningful scales
Expand research to establish seeding guidelines for land managers
USDA-NRCS Wyoming/Idaho Cheatgrass Challenge
Develop and implement statewide strategies that invest in priority locations for annual grass management to improve the resource base
Demonstrate that success with annual grasses is possible and feasible
Memorandum of understanding between USDA and Western Governors’ Association
One of the emphasis areas is to improve shared stewardship in the face of invasive annual grasses and their interaction with wildfires