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Greater Sage Grouse
Although there are currently hundreds of thousands of greater sage-grouse living in 11 western states, sagebrush ecosystems and greater sage-grouse range and populations have declined substantially during the last several decades. The Forest Service manages approximately 5-8% of the remaining greater sage- grouse habitat and is a dedicated partner helping to ensure that greater sage-grouse populations persist.
The conservation measures in five Forest Service land management plan amendments protect the greater sage-grouse by preventing disturbance to the birds and degradation to sagebrush habitat.
Latest Information
Five Year Greater Sage-Grouse Monitoring Report
Annual Greater Sage-Grouse Monitoring Report
Summary of Annual Great Sage-Grouse Monitoring Annual Report
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FS projects improved habitat for sage-grouse on nearly 480,000 acres from 2016-2019.
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Fires burned approximately 260,000 acres of greater sage-grouse habitat on National Forest System lands in 2016-2019.
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Data on habitat degradation are available from 2015-2018, and cumulative anthropogenic disturbance was at 0.03% on greater sage-grouse biologically significant units.
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Greater sage-grouse numbers in western states continue to cycle and are currently within the natural range of variability.
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In the years 2016-2019, the FS made 165 project decisions of National Forest System Lands covered by the 2015 greater sage-grouse amendments, of which 100% were reported to be in compliance with plans.
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Only 25% of those project decisions occurred within greater sage grouse habitat management areas.
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The plans emphasize avoidance of surface development in sage-grouse habitat and no exceptions were allowed for fluid minerals development in sage-grouse management areas.
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Adaptive management triggers have been analyzed in several states; triggers were not tripped in Montana or Colorado, but some population and habitat triggers were surpassed in Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho. Specific areas and responses are described in the report.
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The currently proposed sage-grouse plan amendments incorporated the 2016 and 2017 report’s findings into the Environmental Impact Statement for the new amendments. The final Records of Decision for the new amendments will reference the 2019 report to ensure monitoring will continue to help to inform future forest planning and project decisions
Bulletins
Map
Proposals to Amend the 2015 Greater Sage-Grouse Plans
- Objections Process Information
- FEIS and Draft Records of Decision for Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation
- Comments on Draft EIS to Amend Sage-Grouse Plans
- Summary of Comments to Notice of Intent to Amend Sage-Grouse Plans
- Public Participation Strategy.
- Greater Sage-Grouse Proposed Land Management Plan Amendments and Draft Environmental Impact Statements for Intermountain and Rocky Mountain Regions
- 2015 Greater Sage-Grouse Plans
