I MIDDLE PARK SAGE GROUSE CONSERVATION PLAN I
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MIDDLE PARK SAGE GROUSE CONSERVATION PLAN I. PREAMBLE Greater-sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) are closely associated with sagebrush rangelands throughout western North America, and occur nowhere else in the world. Over the past 75 years, distribution and abundance of this species has markedly decreased throughout its historic range. Long-term viability of sage grouse populations is highly tenuous in at least 6 of the 11 states, and the 2 Canadian provinces, where they presently occur. Uncertainty and concern for the future of sage grouse has given rise to recent efforts to assess and ensure sage grouse viability throughout its range. Should sage grouse populations continue to decline, the bird will likely be listed as federally threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969. If so classified, involuntary restrictions could be placed on lands where sage grouse occur or would be expected to occur. Greater-sage grouse are native to Middle Park, an intermountain basin in Grand and Summit counties, situated in north-central Colorado. The historic range of sage grouse in Middle Park has decreased over time; there is likewise concern that population numbers have correspondingly declined. Because of increased concerns about the status of sage grouse in Middle Park, a group of concerned citizens and agencies formed a working partnership in the spring of 1999, known as the Middle Park Sage Grouse Committee (hereafter referred to as MPSGC) . This group is committed to developing a conservation plan, and to undertaking actions to stabilize and maintain a healthy sage grouse population in Middle Park. II. THE PLAN AND ITS PURPOSE The Middle Park Sage Grouse Conservation Plan (Plan) provides information on the sage grouse population and its habitat in Middle Park, and addresses issues and concerns related to the possible decline of sage grouse populations in the area. The primary objective of the Plan is to maintain a healthy and viable sage grouse population in Middle Park, and to prevent any long term decline in sage grouse numbers. Both public and private lands have traditionally provided significant sage grouse habitat in Middle Park. This makes it important to protect and enhance the quality of exisiting rangelands, while preserving the historic agricultural character of the area. Efforts to maintain a healthy sage grouse population in the Middle Park area will: 1. Identify and address major threats to the health of the sagebrush-grassland plant community which serves as the basis for a viable sage grouse population. i 2. Prioritize areas in which to concentrate conservation efforts, identifying critical habitats in need of protection or enhancement, such as sage grouse winter range, nesting areas, and brood rearing habitat. 3. Identify tools to protect and improve sagebrush communities. 4. Improve sagebrush rangelands through treatments identified. 5. Measure the response of sage grouse and habitat to treatments. 6. Identify funding sources for projects and monitoring. 7. Seek provisions to secure habitat for sage grouse in land use planning. III. GUIDING PRINCIPLES The collaborative process used by MPSGC is intended to guide resource management efforts related to sage grouse through the development of goals, guidelines, and the selection of conservation actions that may cross jurisdictional boundaries and land ownership patterns. Participation in the plan by private landowners is strictly voluntary. The following principles have been adopted to guide this process: 1. Promote public involvement in planning and decision making. 2. Maintain an atmosphere of cooperation among land managers, private landowners, and other stakeholders where everyone feels free to actively participate. 3. Implement conservation actions that meet the needs of sage grouse, while promoting stability of the agricultural lifestyle in Middle Park. 4. Respect individual views and values. 5. Implement conservation actions on a collaborative basis that have broad community support. 6. Seek efficiency and integration of efforts among partners. 7. Select conservation actions that also meet other land or resource management objectives. ii Table of Contents I. PREAMBLE............................................................................Page i II. THE PLAN AND ITS PURPOSE....................................................i III. GUIDING PRINCIPLES.................................................................ii IV. AREA DESCRIPTION.......................................................................1 V. SPECIES DESCRIPTION...................................................................2 VI. SPECIES DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS.......................................2 General Distribution.........................................................2 General Status...................................................................2 Distribution and Status in the Middle Park Area...........2 VII. LIFE HISTORY..............................................................................3 VIII. ESTIMATING POPULATION PARAMETERS...........................5 Lek Counts..........................................................................5 History of Middle Park Sage Grouse Data.......................6 Calculating Population Size Based on Male Lek Cts.......7 Summary of Middle Park Lek Data..................................8 Delineation of Geographic Areas......................................8 IX. PROCESS FOR SETTING POPULATION GOALS...................9 X. MIDDLE PARK POPULATION GOALS.....................................10 XI. CONSERVATION STRATEGY & MANAGEMENT ISSUES...11 Habitat-Related Issues.......................................................11 Breeding Habitat...................................................12 Nesting/Brood-Rearing Habitat............................13 Winter Habitat.......................................................14 Growth-Related Issues.......................................................14 Land Development Issues......................................15 Recreation Issues...................................................17 Travel Management.................................17 Wildlife Viewing......................................18 Wildlife-Related Issues......................................................18 iii MultipleSpecies Management...............................18 T&E Species........................................................19 Predation.............................................................20 Hunting................................................................21 Expansion of Knowledge Base............................24 Planning And Outreach..............................................................25 Outreach and Education.................................................25 Funding Sources..............................................................25 Monitoring and Evaluation...............................................26 Coordination....................................................................26 Prioritization and Implementation..................................27 The Annual Work Plan...................................................28 Acknowledgments............................................................30 Appendices (Page and [Referenced Page]) Appendix A: Glossary...........................................................................31 Appendix B: Life Cycle Requirements.............................................32[4] Appendix C: Issue Identification....................................................33[11] Appendix D: Summary of Management Actions............................34[11] Appendix E: USFWS Listing Factors..................................................40 Figures and Tables (Page and [Referenced Page]) Figure 1: Conservation Plan Study Area...................................44 [1] Figure 2: Sagebrush and Complementary Range.....................45 [1] Figure 3: Annual Precipitation...................................................46 [1] Figure 4: Historic vs. Present Sage Grouse Range.....................47 [2] Figure 5: Sage Grouse Density in 1961.....................................48 [3] Figure 6: Sage Grouse Habitats as Presently Known................49 [3] Figure 7: Historic Lek Count Data............................................50 [6] Figure 8: Delineation of Geographic Sub-Groups...................51 [8] Figure 9: Season Length Relative to Lek Cts./Bird Harvest...52[22] Figure 10: Number of Wings Collected from Wing Barrels......53[22] Table 1: Male Count/Total Population Conversion Chart....54 [7] Table 2: Common Plant Species of Middle Park Rangeland.55[11] Table 3: Desired Condition......................................................58 [11] Table 4: History of Middle Park Hunting Regulations.........59[22] Table 5: Summary of Wing Barrel Information....................60[22] References.......................................................................611 iv Addenda - Annual Work Plans Addendum 1: Annual Work Plan - Year 2000..........................64 v IV. AREA DESCRIPTION Sagebrush rangelands of the upper Colorado River drainage in north-central Colorado (Figure 1) are the focus of this Plan. Portions of Grand and Summit counties are included in this area, as is the extreme northeastern corner of Eagle County. Other than the area of the Colorado River downstream from Gore Canyon (Radium/Sheephorn), lands covered by this Plan lie within Middle Park, a high elevation intermountain basin. Middle Park has a