Sage-Grouse Working Group Forum

Sage Grouse Habitat in Idaho

Spatial Interest — 2010-06-10T12:19:51-07:00

A new guide will aid land owners and managers working in sage grouse range conditions. The report explains the life cycle and habitat requirements of sage grouse. The University of Idaho and partners prepared the guide, and the document is available on the Web or in hardcopy. Read more>>

Sage Grouse Initiative Announced

Spatial Interest — 2010-03-15T12:05:11-07:00

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2010 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a new initiative to protect sage grouse population and habitat in 11 western states using two popular U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs�Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP). Read more>>

The NRCS and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife adopted a strategy to implement the incentives within Oregon. Juniper expansion into key habitat is a targeted component of the strategy. Read more>>

Ecology and Conservation of Greater Sage-Grouse: A Landscape Species and Its Habitats

Spatial Interest — 2009-12-07T08:59:34-08:00

Greater sage-grouse populations have declined substantially in many areas in the West, though populations in some locations remain relatively stable, according to a comprehensive publication written by federal, state, and non-governmental organizations.

The population assessment is one of numerous sage-grouse topics covered in the 24 chapters released today. These research results have been used to inform the ongoing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service status review to determine whether or not the greater sage-grouse, a large, native game bird, requires protection under the Endangered Species Act. The current distribution of the species, which is half of its estimated historical range, extends across 11 states and part of two Canadian provinces.

Release of this peer-reviewed information is occurring under special arrangements with the authors, the University of California Press, and the Cooper Ornithological Society. The early release on the U.S. Geological Survey's Web site at http://sagemap.wr.usgs.gov/monograph.aspx is occurring because of the information�s relevance to pending management decisions.

Sage-Grouse Advisory Committee Newsletter

Spatial Interest — 2009-11-19T11:00:08-08:00

The Fall 2009 newsletter i is available, and includes an article about the mastication project. Read more>>

Western Juniper Encroachment - Central Oregon

Spatial Interest — 2009-11-19T05:51:43-08:00

The Forest Service published a research article entitled Characteristics of Western Juniper Encroachment into Sagebrush Communities in Central O regon

The study concludes that juniper encroachment in the John Day province presents a substantial risk to sagebrush communities, and intensive management actions to remove the trees is a prudent strategy.

Slideshow from October 14th Field Demo

Spatial Interest — 2009-11-01T17:23:58-08:00

Slideshow from Sep 30 Field Demo

Ken Miracle — 2009-10-01T12:44:39-07:00

Photo Atlas Sep. 30, 2009

Spatial Interest — 2009-10-01T10:52:36-07:00

Below is a Photo Atlas from the Sept. 30 Field Tour.

We discussed project objectives for habitat enhancement as well as efficiency of the mastication treatment. The photo atlas captures examples of treatment operations, conditions post-treatment, and the monitoring technique.

The photo captions are displayed to tell the story.

A few hints on viewing the Atlas:

View a larger map by clicking on the blue small pint at the bottom of the atlas.
A large map window will open with a list of the pictures in the left column.
The pictures are labeled and ordered in story sequence, top to bottom of the column.
Click on the photo caption in the column, and the atlas will shift to the location and display the photo.
Zoom in or out to view the surrounding conditions.
Switch between satellite and terrain views to display contours.

View Owyhee Sep 30 2009 in a larger map

Control Monitoring Pictures

Spatial Interest — 2009-09-24T14:33:59-07:00

Photos of Equipment - Mastication Project

Spatial Interest — 2009-09-22T10:39:52-07:00

After just 3 full days and two partial days of work a lot of space has been opened up. Areas around the meadow that had a lot of juniper encroachment are now open. Flyways into the meadow are also opening up. Ken Miracle