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By Beth Burritt, Utah State University

Community-Based Conservation Local Working Groups: Throughout the area inhabited by sage-grouse, a valuable addition to the range-wide conservation effort is a community-based process referred to as Local Working Groups (LWG). LWG members include stakeholders in the area such as farmers, ranchers, state and federal agency staff, tribal and local governments, energy industry, environmental groups, non-governmental organizations, and other concerned citizens. LWG participants are keenly aware of the issues affecting sage-grouse at a local level.  They also have suggested research needs in their area.  Each LWG should have developed a conservation plan to address the threats to sage-grouse populations and habitats in their area. Implementation of projects identified in the LWG plan is voluntary and projects are adapted as needed to be successful in the area.  LWG members work together to identify resources that are available to complete conservation projects.  Several LWGs have been active in supporting research which has added to our knowledge about sage-grouse.  The Utah Community-based Conservation Program has a website highlighting extensive work by Utah LWGs and their partners in the state.  You can identify the LWG in your area with a locator developed by USGS.

Conifer removal:  Fires once kept the native conifers from expanding into treeless country. In the last 150 years, junipers and pinyon pines have invaded areas formerly dominated by sagebrush, grasses and forbs.  The trees are major water users, drying up precious springs in arid country; sage-grouse must then travel farther to reach water sources.  Trees also provide perches for avian predators to more effectively hunt sage-grouse.  Large conifer trees can completely overtake the native bunchgrasses and sagebrush and eliminate native seed sources making restoration difficult and expensive. In contrast, removing the younger trees rather than letting them grow is cost-efficient and beneficial for sage grouse by saving habitat and removing undue predator advantage.

Grazing systems that enhance habitat:  Sage-grouse need to use large tracts of land during the year for survival and habitat fragmentation was one of the primary concerns of the USFWS when they listed sage-grouse as a candidate species. Practices that improve rangelands for livestock can also improve the habitat for sage-grouse.  NRCS helps land managers develop grazing plans that will improve sage-grouse habitat and livestock production.  NRCS can also provide information on easements or conservation agreements. These practices offer ranchers some protection from further regulations.  Examples of beneficial grazing practices are:

• Rotating livestock to different pastures, while resting others to establish a diversity of habitat types.
• Changing seasons of use within pastures to ensure all plants have the ability to reproduce.
• Leaving residual cover (grass from the past season) to increase hiding and nesting cover for sage grouse.
• Managing the frequency and intensity of grazing to sustain native grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs.
• Managing livestock access to water to ensure healthy livestock and healthy watersheds.

Fence Marking:  Wildlife can run into or become entangled in wire fences.  Sage-grouse are no exception.  A startled bird may fly into a fence which often results in death.  Fortunately there is a way to help make the wires more visible to sage-grouse.  NRCS has an initiative to mark fences near leks that appear to be most problematic.  Boy scouts, Future Farmers of America, dedicated hunters, and other concerned groups have worked with local NRCS agents to obtain fence markers and landowner permission to install them on fences.  More information can be obtained here. 

Prevent or reduce cheatgrass and other noxious weeds.  Cheatgrass is a highly flammable grass that can lead to frequent and very hot fires that kills sagebrush. Cheatgrass seeds germinate in the fall or early winter, so that the plants grow rapidly in early spring and seeds are produced by early summer. By the time cheatgrass dries out, native bunchgrasses are still green and working on producing their seedheads. The native grasses that have not produced seeds have trouble reestablishing after a fire, while cheatgrass flourishes after fires. With every fire, cheatgrass becomes more dominant.  Other invasive weeds causing problems in sage-grouse habitat include medusahead rye, white-top, leafy spurge, various thistles, and knapweed.  These weeds compete with native and desirable plant species used by sage-grouse, and also often lead to increased soil erosion, reduced water quality, and increased fire frequency.

Prevent wildfire: While fire is a natural part of the sagebrush-steppe, currently we have unnatural forces at work such as cheatgrass that fuels fast, hot fires that kills sagebrush and destroys sagebrush habitat.  Noxious weeds invade very quickly into burned areas and often out-compete native or desirable species.  Restoration after wildfire or other disturbance is expensive and often difficult.

By Beth Burritt, Utah State University

Although sage-grouse are an ESA candidate species, management authority currently remains with the states. The states, in exercising their management authority, have developed conservation plans that are tailored to the unique landscapes and environmental conditions and stressors that may affect local sage-grouse population dynamics. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the US Forest Service (USFS) also have developed sage-grouse conservation plans for the public lands they manage. In addition, many conservation local working groups have developed plans that address threats in their area.  Because of wide variability in range-wide populations and habitats, for any conservation strategy to be successful, it must be locally adapted to address specific needs of sage-grouse in area.

Links to management plans are listed below:

• BLM
•  California (see Nevada Plan under bi-state population)
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Montana
• Nevada
• North Dakota
• NRCS
• Oregon
• Saskatchewan
• South Dakota
• USFWS  Conservation Objectives Team for sage-grouse
• USFWS Listing decision in 2010 
• USFS
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming

By Beth Burritt, Utah State University

Sage-grouse were once found in 16 western states and three Canadian provinces (Schroeder et al. 2004) but populations have experienced considerable range-wide declines over the past century and are now found only in 11 western states and two Canadian provinces. The species is indicative of the health of the sagebrush ecosystems important to many different species of wildlife including pygmy rabbits, sage thrashers, and sagebrush lizards. Population trends based on male lek attendance rates have continued to show declines range-wide with some local populations exhibiting dramatic decreases (Garton et al. 2011). Habitat loss and alteration have been identified as a primary cause for the range-wide sage-grouse population declines in the past century. Additional factors such as low nest success, low chick survival, and decreased hen survival also contribute to declines. Other identified threats include: increases in predators, disease, extreme weather, invasive weeds, pinyon/juniper encroachment, tall structures, and roads.

In 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) designated greater sage-grouse as “warranted but precluded” making it a candidate species for listing for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 (USFWS 2010).  The decision to designate sage-grouse as a candidate species for ESA protection was based on two factors.  The first major factor was continued habitat loss and fragmentation due to human influences and increased frequency of wildfires which have resulted in range-wide population declines.  The second limiting factor was the failure to find adequate regulatory mechanisms at the local, state, and federal levels to curtail continued habitat loss and fragmentation.

References:

• Garton, E.O., J.W. Connelly, J S. Horne, C.A. Hagen, A. Moser, and M.A. Schroeder. 2011. Greater Sage-Grouse population dynamics and probability of persistence. p. 293–381 in S. T. Knick and J. W. Connelly (editors). Greater Sage-Grouse: ecology and conservation of a landscape species and its habitats. Studies in Avian Biology (vol. 38), University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
• Schroeder, M.A., C.L. Aldridge, A.D. Apa, J.R. Bohne, C.E. Braun, S.D. Bunnell, J.W. Connelly, P.A. Deibert, S.C. Gardner, M.A. Hilliard, G.D. Kobriger, S.M. McAdam, C.W. McCarthy, J.J. McCarthy, D.L. Mitchell, E.V. Rickerson, and S.J. Stiver.  2004. Distribution of Sage-Grouse in North America. The Condor 106:363–376. 
• United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2010. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; 12-month finding for petitions to list the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) as threatened or endangered; proposed rule. Federal Register accessed 6-13-2010.

By Beth Burritt, Utah State University

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is the largest of all grouse species in North America.  Adult males can reach weights exceeding 7 pounds and wing spans of 2½ feet.  Females (hens) are about half that size.  Sage-grouse are relatively long-lived and can often live 5 or more years after reaching adulthood.   Sage-grouse are dependent on sagebrush communities for food and cover.   They are referred to as a landscape species and migrate to different areas throughout the year.   Sage-grouse typically need large, intact sagebrush landscapes to maintain sustainable populations.  Spring is the mating season for sage-grouse as birds gather in an open area called a lek. Most leks are traditional sites used year after year.  Early in the morning, several males try to attract females by performing an elaborate strutting display and by making “popping/bubbling” sounds with their inflatable air sacs.  Hens will then choose which male they prefer.  After breeding, hens build a nest usually within a few miles of a lek.  A typical nest would contain six to eight eggs.  After the chicks are hatched, they are dependent on insects and forbs to provide a nutritious diet.  When the chicks are a few weeks old, the hen will move them to better habitat for late summer.  As winter approaches, sage-grouse move to areas where sagebrush grows above the snow line to provide shelter and food. 
 

• Endangered Species Related Laws, Regulations, Policies and Notices: Learn more about internal guidance and national policies that FWS has issued to promote efficiency and nationwide consistency in implementing the ESA to protect and recover listed species of plants and animals native to the United States and its territories. Includes information for private landowners and tribes. From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Division of Endangered Species.

   

• About Wilderness—Stewardship: An extensive explanation of wilderness management issues, including recreation, wildlife, water, pollution, historical resources, mining, air quality, aircraft and research.
   
• Forestry AgNI: University of Minnesota: Includes a searchable database of publications related to wilderness management and outdoor recreation.
   
• Outdoor Recreation Research: A bibliography of both online and print resources developed by Yu-Fai Leung, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University.
   
• Public Lands Information Center: Public Lands Interpretive Association initiated the Public Lands Information Center project in response to demand for a single source of information about recreation and land use on all public lands in a state, regardless of managing agency.
   
• Wilderness Act of 1964: Full text of the Act.
   
• Wilderness and American Identity: A 'TeacherServ' ("an interactive curriculum enrichment service offering teachers practical help in planning courses and presenting rigorous subject matter to students") resource from the National Humanities Center that explores the historical background of the wilderness movement in America.