Natural Resource Management and Land Exchanges
By Lou Jurs

A Federal agency such as the Bureau of Land Management, which manages public lands and natural resources, has many administrative tools by which this public responsibility can be addressed. Lands owned by the Federal Government in Washington State are scattered and fragmented, so the use of land exchange as a management tool is especially valuable.

What has occurred over the past 10 years in the Channeled Scablands of eastern Washington is a good example. Before the coming of European man, the land in eastern Washington was a vast expanse of what is known as "shrubsteppe" habitat. With the advent of dry land agriculture, and later irrigation water, much of this original shrubsteppe was taken up by private owners and has been converted to agriculture. What remained in public ownership is a discontinuous patchwork of rocky coulees and sagebrush mesas, interspersed with large private tracts of grain, legumes, potatoes, and other crops. Most of the remaining native ranges are also grazed by cattle.

It is important to optimize our state's agricultural production. It is also equally important to ensure that the natural native habitats, important for fish wildlife and plants, that occur in this unique scablands zone remain viable for future generations to enjoy. To this end, a land exchange program was initiated in the late 1980's which has a goal of placing appropriate shrubsteppe and riparian-wetland habitats into blocks of land that can be managed for public natural resource values, and especially provide viable habitat for animals and plants. A study by the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife some years ago identified 26 vertebrate species that require shrubsteppe habitat to exist. With the loss of over 65% of the original shrubsteppe habitat, nearly all of these species are now much reduced in numbers and extent across eastern Washington.

The land exchange process in the Channeled Scablands has proceeded in phases over the past eight years. Each phase of the exchange has brought much needed shrubsteppe and riparian- wetland habitat into public ownership ... and has blocked up lands for much more economical management of resources. This effort has also created the opportunity for many partnerships between local governments, user groups, ranchers, and sportsmen who have banded together to create special habitat enhancement projects and to protect special areas.

In order for a government land exchange to function, there are lands to be acquired and lands to be offered for trade. In doing this, the government identifies lands that are of less public value to trade for lands with a higher potential public value. This process follows an exhaustive land planning process, public involvement, and full disclosure procedure through preparation of NEPA documentation of each proposed exchange action. Lands preliminarily identified for trade, are thoroughly evaluated by agency staff. If lands are found to contain unique or special resource values, they are usually removed from consideration for trade. In all cases, the balance of values between lands to be traded and lands to be acquired is studied and considered. In the past, there have been some hard decisions to make regarding what to keep and what to trade. The potential of acquiring those habitats at risk within the shrubsteppe zone was a strong argument to go forward and complete the exchanges.

In looking back at what has been accomplished, I am proud to have been part of this ongoing process. Over the past 10 years, the Federal government (US Bureau of Land Management) has acquired in excess of 40,000 acres of shrubsteppe and riparian habitat in the scablands zone that they are managing for the long term, for the protection of plants and wildlife, for the recreational enjoyment of future generations, and for scientific study. As time passes and the population of eastern Washington grows, these wildlands will become more and more valuable for both habitat and recreation. It is an investment in the future.

Without the ability to conduct land exchanges, these goals could not be reached. Land exchange is one of the most important, if not the most important administrative tools available to the natural resource manager. In terms of value for protection and management of crucial habitats in eastern Washington, it has been the single most important activity for BLM in the past 10 years.