The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has responsibility for 269 million acres of public lands (USDI, 1992) that sustain a variety and abundance of resources. These resources are prized for their recreation, fish and wildlife, cultural, and historic values, as well as their economic values, and for such uses as livestock production, timber harvest, and mineral extraction. Riparian-wetland areas, though they comprise less than 9 percent of the total land base, are the most productive and highly prized resources found on BLM lands.