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2006 Sage Grouse Assessment
Habitat conditions for greater and Gunnison’s sage grouse have been deteriorating in southern Utah’s three national forests for decades. Greater sage grouse is the species that resides on portions of these three forests. The grouse have specific seasonal requirements for food and shelter. During spring nesting, they need insects, along with tall grass and forbs (nonwoody, broad-leaved plants) near sagebrush for cover. During mid and late summer, they need forbs and access to water near sagebrush. During winter, they need snow-free sagebrush.
Our 2006 habitat assessment entailed locating areas that sage grouse use during one or more seasons to assess whether conditions were insufficient to support recovering populations. We sought input from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, BLM, Forest Service, and independent wildlife biologists. The Trust hired an expert Utah botanist (now our Utah Forest Program Associate) to help us assess conditions on sage grouse habitats for three seasons (spring, summer, winter) within six regions in or near the Dixie, Fishlake, and Manti – La Sal National Forests.
Results
Our report, Home Is Where Sagebrush Is (And Bugs, Green Forbs, and Tall Grass): An Assessment of Six Areas in Utah Where Greater Sage Grouse Live, documents that the main limits on sage grouse habitat are:
- Access to water near sagebrush
- A lack of sufficient grass and other herbaceous (forb) understory in sagebrush areas
Livestock and sometimes elk graze the sagebrush understory heavily in these areas, often leaving little but bare ground.
In 2009, we worked collaboratively with Manti-La Sal National Forest to improve the management and monitoring of cattle grazing on Wildcat Knolls, a site used year-round by a small, struggling group of sage grouse. Our work included:
- Constructing a large, three-way exclosure to gauge the impacts of wild ungulate and cattle grazing on native plants the Forest had planted to improve sage grouse habitat.
- Setting quantitative measures for judging whether the native seeding is declining under the reduced cattle grazing.
- Setting triggers for further alteration of cattle management.
This represents significant attention to the habitat needs of greater sage grouse. The Trust will be joining the Manti-La Sal NF for the scheduled assessments.
Your donations and membership dues make our research, monitoring, and restoration work in Utah possible.
