Wildlife Resource Management

The Wildlife Program fulfills the Department of the Interior’s statutory responsibilities for the management of wildlife and their habitats. The Wildlife Program is responsible for: maintaining functioning wildlife habitats; developing and implementing habitat restoration projects; the inventory and monitoring of priority habitats and species by tracking trends and use on public lands. BLM-managed lands are vital to thousands of species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. To provide for the long-term conservation of wildlife and their habitats, the Wildlife Program uses a science-based approach to manage public lands. The program identifies projects that support meeting desired resource objectives for priority species and habitats, as outlined in land use plans. The program focuses on maintaining or enhancing sustainable habitats and populations of native and other desirable wildlife species, including the abundance and distribution of species hunted for subsistence or recreation; and maintaining and/or improving habitat quality and connectivity, including appropriate avoidance or protection of migration corridors and important movement areas. The Wildlife Program uses a multi-scale approach to accomplish projects and coordinated management. This involves coordination with BLM offices and other programs; Federal, state, and tribal governments; and non-governmental partners. The BLM’s primary partners in wildlife habitat conservation include the state fish and wildlife agencies, tribal governments, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Wildlife Program also collaborates with other agencies and conservation partners to leverage resources and maximize the benefits for wildlife habitat. To work more efficiently, BLM uses the latest geospatial data technologies to share wildlife and wildlife data within BLM and with partners.