Greater SaGe-GrouSe ConServation aSSeSSment and StrateGy for oreGon: A Plan to Maintain and Enhance Populations and Habitat 22 April 2011 Author: *Christian Hagen, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bend, Oregon Contributors and Editors: *Emily Ackland, Association of Oregon Counties, Salem, Oregon *Robert Anthony, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon *Carol Benkosky, US Bureau of Land Management, Lakeview, Oregon George Buckner, US Bureau of Land Management, Portland, Oregon *David Budeau, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Salem, Oregon *Craig Foster, Southeast OR Resource Advisory Council, Lakeview, Oregon *Jodie Delavan, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon Jeff Dillon, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon *Mike Gregg, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Richland, Washington *Jeremy Maestas, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Redmond, Oregon *Rick Miller, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon *John O’Keeffe, Private Lands, Adel, Oregon *Dede Steele, US Forest Service, Prineville, Oregon *Randy Weist, Oregon Department State Lands, Bend, Oregon Lanny Quackenbush, Oregon Department of State Lands, Oregon *Berta Youtie, John Day/Snake Resource Advisory Council, Prineville, Oregon * Member of the Oregon Sage-grouse Conservation Planning Team – 2011 Roster TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................ I LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................................... IV LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................................. VI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... VIII SECTION I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1 Nature of this Guidance ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Single-species vs. Ecosystem Process Approaches ............................................................................................. 3 How the Document will be Updated ................................................................................................................... 4 Relationship of Document to Federal Endangered Species Act Listing Criteria .............................................. 4 Current Federal ESA Listing Status/Petitions ................................................................................................... 4 Oregon Endangered Species Act ........................................................................................................................ 4 Policy for Evaluating for Conservation Efforts (PECE), U.S. Fish Wildlife Service ....................................... 5 SECTION II. OVERVIEW OF GREATER SAGE-GROUSE ECOLOGY .......................................................... 6 Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Taxonomy/Genetics ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Nesting Rates ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 Nest Success ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Clutch Size ........................................................................................................................................................... 6 Survival ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Historic and Current Range-Wide Distribution ................................................................................................. 7 GENERAL HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS .................................................................................................... 7 Breeding Habitat ................................................................................................................................................. 8 Brood Rearing Habitat ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Winter Habitat ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 Movement Patterns ............................................................................................................................................ 10 MORTALITY FACTORS.................................................................................................................................... 10 Weather.............................................................................................................................................................. 10 Predation ........................................................................................................................................................... 10 Hunting.............................................................................................................................................................. 11 Parasites & Diseases ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Human Influences ............................................................................................................................................ 12 ECOLOGY SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... 13 SECTION III. SAGE-GROUSE POPULATIONS IN OREGON.......................................................................... 14 The Decline of Oregon Sage-Grouse Populations ........................................................................................... 14 POPULATION MONITORING PROGRAM IN OREGON ............................................................................ 14 POPULATION ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................... 16 Historical Conditions ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Meta-populations and Geographic Sub-divisions ............................................................................................ 18 CURRENT DISTRIBUTION, TRENDS, AND STATUS OF SPRING POPULATIONS ............................. 19 DISTRIBUTION ................................................................................................................................................... 20 TRENDS ................................................................................................................................................................ 21 Statewide ............................................................................................................................................................ 21 Baker Resource Area ........................................................................................................................................ 22 Vale District ....................................................................................................................................................... 23 Burns District .................................................................................................................................................... 24 Lakeview District ............................................................................................................................................... 25 2010 Estimated Population Size........................................................................................................................ 28 CURRENT TREND AND STATUS IN PRODUCTION .................................................................................. 29 Trends in productivity ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Sage-Grouse Conservation Assessment and Strategy for Oregon 22 April 2011 i PRODUCTIVITY AND SPRING POPULATION SIZE .................................................................................. 31 POPULATION ASSESSMENT SUMMARY ..................................................................................................... 32 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES FOR POPULATIONS .................................................................................. 34 POPULATION GOAL ......................................................................................................................................... 34 STATEWIDE POPULATION ............................................................................................................................