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Since 1995, sage-grouse (Centrocercus�spp).conservation in the western United States has largely been the purview of voluntary local working groups comprised of federal, state and local governments, environmental groups, landowners, and interested citizens. The early success of a number of these local work groups resulted in conservation plans such as the Gunnison Sage-grouse Conservation Plan (GSGCP), which provided sage-grouse conservation guidance for the Gunnison Basin in south-central Colorado. However, because these groups often had no defined membership, it was possible to �load� an issue from a single perspective. Early attendance was good, but dwindled to the point of seeming to make the groups irrelevant. The desire for consensus often led to stalemates and lack of functionality for a group. Lack of administrative support and ability to make decisions further frustrated participants.� In 2005 the Gunnison County (Colorado) Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) was approached by frustrated citizens, primarily ranchers, faced with a possible Endangered Species Act listing of the Gunnison sage-grouse and a dis-functional local work group, to �do something�. To address citizen concerns, the BoCC created �The Gunnison Basin Sage-grouse Strategic Committee (Committtee).�� The Committee consists of BoCC appointed representatives from the federal land management agencies, the state wildlife agency, the neighboring county, the ranching community, the environmental community, the development community, the recreation community, and the public at large. Formal operating guidelines and membership criteria were adopted and administrative staff support was provided from Gunnison County. The Committee also would operate under majority rule as opposed to consensus. The Committee has been meeting monthly since 2005. Has it been a success? Has it achieved the goals identified when it was created? These and other issues will be discussed during the formal presentation.