Conservation Design and the Sagebrush Ecosystem

1
Conservation Design and the Sagebrush Ecosystem

• Russell George
• Executive Director
• Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources

2
Sagebrush in Western Colorado

• Distributed throughout western Colorado
• Largest patches in northwestern and north-central
  Colorado, and the Gunnison Basin.

DistributionCurrent Historic
Patch Size Distribution
Maps show only the western half of Colorado.
3
Ownership of Sagebrush Habitat in Colorado
4

• Many stakeholders are involved
• Western Governors Assoc.
• Sagebrush Council
• State Agencies
• Div. of Wildlife, Oil Gas Cons. Comm., State
  Land Board, and others
• Federal Agencies
• BLM, USFWS, USFS, NPS, and others
• Environmentalists
• Sportsmen Big Game and Small Game
• Industry
• Livestock Operators
• Private Landowners

5
Sage-grouseDistribution and Habitat in Colorado
6
Conservation Concern Status

• Gunnison Sage-grouse
• ESA Candidate Status (Jan. 2000)
• Rangewide Conservation Strategy developed (WAFWA
  - May 2005)
• Not Warranted Finding (April 2006)
• Greater Sage-grouse
• Not Warranted Finding on Petitions (Jan. 2005)
• Rangewide Conservation Strategy (WAFWA - Dec.
  2006)
• Colorado Statewide Conservation Plan (2007)

7
Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Conservation Plan
8
Other Sagebrush Dependent Species

• A diversity of species are partially or
  exclusively dependent on sagebrush habitats.
• Some are addressed by specific conservation plans
  or assessments
• Many lack basic conservation recommendations.
• Identified in State Wildlife Action Plan.

9
Colorado SagebrushA Conservation Assessment
Strategy

• Assess current and historic status of sagebrush
  habitat in Colorado.
• Identify declining or potentially-declining
  sagebrush dependent wildlife, not addressed by
  other planning efforts.
• Establish conservation goals, objectives and
  strategies to prevent further declines.

10
Colorado SagebrushA Conservation Assessment
Strategy
Mgmt. Emphasis Areas
11
Big Game

• Substantial overlap of priority habitat for big
  game and sagebrush-dependent species in Western
  Colorado.

12
Combined Perspectives
13
Tools for Implementation

• Land Protection
• Colorado Wildlife Habitat Protection Program
• 20 million available for conservation easements
• Funding from a diversity of sources
• Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances
  (CCAA)
• Being developed for Gunnison Sage-grouse
• 19 ranches currently enrolled
• 58,449 acres
• USDA Farm Bill Programs
• CRP, WHIP, EQIP, etc. may be useful tools for
  working with landowners to protect private land

14
Tools for Implementation

• Habitat Management
• Sagebrush Ecology Management
• Sagebrush Restoration Manual
• On-the-ground habitat management and restoration

15
Tools for Implementation

• Work with partners
• Bureau of Land Management
• National Sage-grouse Habitat Conservation
  Strategy
• Research and habitat management
• Intermountain West Joint Venture
• Identification of IWJV Bird Habitat Conservation
  Areas that include priority sagebrush habitats.
• IWJV funding available for all-bird habitat
  projects.
• Other State Agencies
• Management of sagebrush species requires a
  rangewide perspective

16
Conclusions

• Conservation Design projects have been undertaken
  for a variety of sagebrush species in Colorado.
• Various methods, levels of detail, and geographic
  focus areas have been used.

17
Conclusions

• Integration of results has allowed for the
  identification of large and significant sagebrush
  landscapes for conservation efforts.
• A wide diversity of management techniques and
  funding sources are being used and combined to
  provide multiple species benefits.
• Greater conservation impacts will likely results
  than with non-integrated, taxa-specific
  conservation design plans.

18
(No Transcript)