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CANDIDATE CONSERVATION AGREEMENT WITH ASSURANCES - PROACTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR LANDOWNERS AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT (ESA) CANDIDATE SPECIES.
Author
Correll, Leanne L.
Scasta, Derek
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2017
Body

Interest in management of western rangelands by a diverse set of stakeholder groups is greater than ever before. Socially, stakeholders are demanding scientific research for �science-based� management solutions. The need for �social� science and collaborative efforts to develop solutions for both sustainable agriculture and sustainable wildlife habitats is evident in the recent proposal for listing of the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service�s Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) is the only proactive, voluntary tool available for private landowners to obtain assurances to not be required to do more on private land if a candidate species was listed under the ESA. This conservation tool is available but not widely known. The Greater-Sage Grouse Umbrella Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for Wyoming Ranch Management (SG-CCAA) is a success story of the proactive and voluntary CCAA tool. There have been eight separate petitions to list all or part of the greater sage-grouse range with the most recent �non-warranted� listing determination from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service occurring in September 2015. Sage-grouse are considered an umbrella species in sagebrush habitats because conserving their populations and habitats benefits some 350 other species residing in the sagebrush ecosystem such as songbirds, small mammals, and ungulates. Sage-grouse are an indicator of healthy, functioning sagebrush steppe ecosystems. To increase the likelihood of private landowner�s success with a voluntary SG-CCAA various outreach tools were developed. An Extension publication: Landowner Guide to Sage-Grouse Conservation in Wyoming was developed, two educational video series produced, and a Wyoming Extension Sage-Grouse website was created for use by private landowners and managers. The tools developed will expand opportunities for sage-grouse conservation success in Wyoming and the west.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM St. George, UT
Collection
SRM Annual Meeting Abstracts