1. WHY DO I WANT TO DO A RESOURCE CONCERNS CHECKLIST/INVENTORY
Life Was Much Easier When I Didn’t Have To Know Stuff

2. THE BIGGIST ROAD-BLOCK TO DEVELOPING A RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN IS INJECTING POLITICS INTO THE ANALYSIS TOO SOON IN THE PROCESS! Example: IF I IDENTIFY WILD HORSES AS AN ISSUE BEFORE I IDENTIFY WHAT I SEE AS A PROBLEM ON THE GROUND, I HAVE ALREADY SET THE BIAS IN MOTION AND THE FIGHT IS ON.

3. REAL RESOURCE CONCERN ON THE GROUND?
BUT WHAT IS THE
REAL RESOURCE CONCERN ON THE GROUND?
Is the concern soil compaction around waters, plant health and vigor, ecological condition, or animal health?
Is the concern isolated or is it a larger area or allotment wide?
What are all the potential causes or are there OTHER CAUSAL FACTORS for the conditions I am observing.

4. WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THESE PHOTOS?????

10. Many issues shown are a result of both natural processes and past management.
The amount and location of the identified impact or concern is just as important as the concern itself or its cause.
As can be seen from the left photo, some concerns are both a problem and a natural rebuilding process.
However, in the right photo, there may not be concerns but instead there is a need for continuing the current management practices.

11. SO
How do I do a resource concerns inventory without injecting politics into the process?

12. Discuss the Resource Concerns Checklist/Inventory
NRCS’ Resource Concerns Checklist is about the most apolitical technique or tool that I have encountered having worked as a reviewer, agency or office coordinator for, or team author of portions of land use planning documents for BLM, USFWS, USFS, COE, and BOR.
It is based on the principle of looking at Soil, Water, Air, Plants, and Animals in assessing the concerns of what is currently on the ground.
After we know the purely resource concerns of what conditions are on the ground, we then need to look at energy concerns and human issues. This is known as SWAPA+E+H
Discuss the Resource Concerns Checklist/Inventory

13. We can then look at another NRCS tool called CPPE (Conservation Practice Physical Effects) to assess what types of practices or techniques that can potentially correct or benefit these resource concerns.

14. Exit to CPPE Spreadsheet

15. After you have evaluated the resource concerns for what is currently happening on the ground, you can also begin to see, with the comparison to the CPPE, a group of possible alternatives that may address the identified resource concerns.

16. Now is the time to bring in any changed, new, or newly desired alternatives. This injects the Human/Political/Bias component back into the equation.
*** I have found that when you take the human perspective out of clearly identifying your resource issues and potential options for how to address these issues, there is less conflict about where we want to go and what we want to see on the ground. ***

17. I have purposely only identified a few steps and an abbreviated look at the resource concerns checklist/inventory and the CPPE alternative practices analysis.
Remember that you are not (AND I REPEAT, NOT) developing a NRCS conservation plan. For your purposes, you are preparing an inventory of concerns, where they are occurring, their extent, possible causes, and possible practices that can address the concern.
These actions are the critical components of a resource needs assessment that then informs the STAC process and any Land Use Planning of city, county, state or federal partners.

18. Now I know why I want to do a resource concerns inventory/checklist.
I have knowledge of what’s going on out there.
I have data to back me up.
I have the ability to work effectively with other entities and units of government.
I have credibility as a partner in what happens with land management within my Conservation District