PACFISH/INFISH Biological Opinion (PIBO)
Effectiveness Monitoring Program
Goal
The goal of the PACFISH/INFISH Biological Opinion Effectiveness
Monitoring Program (PIBO) is to implement a monitoring program,
within the PIBO study area (described below), with the capability
of determining whether the aquatic conservation strategies
within PACFISH and INFISH, or revised land management plans,
are effective in maintaining or restoring the structure
and function of riparian and aquatic systems.
Objectives
1. Determine whether a suite of biological and physical
attributes, processes, and functions of upland, riparian,
and aquatic systems are being degraded, maintained, or restored
across the PIBO landscape.
2. Determine the direction and rate of change in riparian
and aquatic habitats over time as a function of management
practices.
3. Determine if specific Designated Management Area practices
related to livestock grazing are maintaining or restoring
riparian vegetation structure and function.
History
An interagency team of resource specialists was convened
in 1998 to develop a plan that would monitor the effects
of land use activities on aquatic and riparian resources.
There were three components of the plan: implementation
monitoring, effectiveness monitoring, and validation monitoring.
Our group is responsible for managing the "effectiveness"
monitoring component of the PACFISH/INFISH/Bull trout/steelhead
monitoring plan. Our published monitoring plan gives a complete
discussion of the program development and study plan (link
to plan here). The “implementation” monitoring component has also been developed and can be viewed at http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/research/techtrans/projects/pacfish_home.shtml.
The original PIBO study area is within the upper Columbia River basin and includes Forest Service lands within INFISH and PACFISH, and BLM lands within PACFISH or containing bull trout. We began with a pilot study from 1998 to 2000 which concluded that the approach was logistically feasible, successfully measured site conditions, and provided an effective foundation to guide future sampling efforts. In 2001, we began the first 5-year sampling cycle. Approximately 125 sub-watersheds were sampled in 2001 and in 2002 at half implementation. Full implementation began in 2003, which includes sampling 250 sub-watersheds per year. An additional 50 sub-watersheds (sentinel sites) are sampled annually to identify the effects of climate variability. In 2006 we began sampling reaches that were originally sampled in 2001. Since then we have completed a number of analyses to address our objective of assessing change in resource conditions given current land management practices. Preliminary data analyses are available in annual reports.
In 2006, the PIBO EM study design was applied to National Forests within the Upper Missouri River basin in Montana. This includes the Lewis and Clark, Gallatin, and Custer along with eastern portions of the Helena and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests.
Who is the PIBO Effectiveness Monitoring Program?
The PIBO effectiveness monitoring program consists of an interdisciplinary team of aquatic ecologists, botanists, and a database specialist. We are Region 1 & 4 Forest Service employees based out of the Rocky Mountain Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory in Logan, Utah. We have full time staff members and over 40 seasonal technicians. You can contact us at:
USDA Forest Service
Forestry Sciences Lab
860 North 1200 East
Logan, UT 84321
435-755-3565 (Phone)
435-755-3563 (FAX)
PIBO Staff
Data Access Website
Access the PIBO program data! Available data includes original un-summarized data, summarized data, and metafiles that explain each piece of information. The "BugLab" also has an
interactive
sample based map for additional information on aquatic
invertibrates. The "BugLab" is a partnership between
USDI-BLM and Utah State University.
While this data has been extensively reviewed for errors, we still consider it preliminary until further quality assurance tests are completed. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions concerning the data, please contact us (PIBO Staff).
Standardizing Sampling Methods
In 2004, we worked with the Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program (AREMP) and the Forest Service Aquatic Ecological Unit Inventory Team to develop unified sampling methods for a core set of physical stream habitat attributes. These methods were used during the 2004 field season and results from quality assurance tests are currently being analyzed. For more information on the AREMP program go to: http://reo.gov/monitoring/reports/watershed/aremp/Welcome.htm.