GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE RANGEWIDE CONSERVATION PLAN April 2005 PLAN REPRESENTATIVES: Bureau of Land Management Colorado Division of Wildlife National Park Service Natural Resources Conservation Service North American Mediation Associates United States Forest Service United States Fish and Wildlife Service Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Cover Artwork by Brian Maxfield GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE RANGEWIDE CONSERVATION PLAN This document should be cited as: Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Steering Committee. 2005. Gunnison sage-grouse rangewide conservation plan. Colorado Division of Wildlife, Denver, Colorado, USA. Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Conservation Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures....................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables .......................................................................................................................... xi Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................xv I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................1 II. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................4 A. Purpose.............................................................................................................................4 B. Goals and Scope...............................................................................................................5 Assessment Goals ............................................................................................................. 5 Strategy Goals................................................................................................................... 5 Scope ........................................................................................................................ 6 C. Guiding Principles and Philosophy ...............................................................................6 D. Plan Duration ..................................................................................................................7 E. Mechanics of the RCP.....................................................................................................8 Process and Structure........................................................................................................ 8 Information and Data Sources ........................................................................................ 10 Scientific Assessment and Review ................................................................................. 10 Public Participation Process............................................................................................ 11 F. Socio-economic Considerations....................................................................................14 G. Management and Legal Authorities............................................................................14 Colorado Division of Wildlife ........................................................................................ 14 Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.............................................................................. 15 Counties ...................................................................................................................... 15 United States Forest Service ........................................................................................... 16 Natural Resources Conservation Service........................................................................ 16 Bureau of Land Management.......................................................................................... 17 United States Fish and Wildlife Service ......................................................................... 17 National Park Service ..................................................................................................... 18 Memoranda of Understanding ........................................................................................ 18 H. PECE Standards ...........................................................................................................19 III. CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT..............................................................................22 A. Biology and Life History...............................................................................................22 Species Description......................................................................................................... 22 Life History..................................................................................................................... 22 Habitat Requirements...................................................................................................... 26 Breeding Habitat ......................................................................................................... 27 Summer - Fall Habitat................................................................................................. 30 Winter Habitat............................................................................................................. 30 i Table of Contents Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Conservation Plan B. Distribution and Abundance........................................................................................32 Distribution ..................................................................................................................... 32 Historic Distribution................................................................................................... 32 Current Distribution ................................................................................................... 36 Abundance ...................................................................................................................... 39 Lek Counts and Population Estimation ...................................................................... 39 Assumptions Made in Sage-grouse Population Estimation from Lek Counts........ 40 Alternative Methods of Population Estimation ...................................................... 43 Conclusions............................................................................................................. 44 RCP Estimated Population Size.................................................................................. 45 Decline of Gunnison Sage-grouse .............................................................................. 45 C. Genetics..........................................................................................................................46 D. GUSG Habitat Mapping Efforts...................................................................................54 RCP Habitat Mapping..................................................................................................... 54 BLM Habitat Mapping.................................................................................................... 54 E. Status and Distribution of Individual Populations ....................................................56 Cerro Summit – Cimarron - Sims Mesa Population ....................................................... 56 General Description.................................................................................................... 56 Population Information............................................................................................... 58 Historic Information ................................................................................................... 58 Local Conservation Plan ............................................................................................ 59 Habitat Improvements/Completed Conservation Actions........................................... 59 Easements/Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances ............................ 59 Crawford Population....................................................................................................... 62 General Description.................................................................................................... 62 Population Information............................................................................................... 64 Historic Information ................................................................................................... 64 Local Conservation Plan ............................................................................................ 64 Habitat Improvements/Completed Conservation Actions........................................... 65 Easements/Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances ............................ 65 Dove Creek Subpopulation............................................................................................. 68 General Description.................................................................................................... 68 Population Information............................................................................................... 70 Historic Information ................................................................................................... 70 Local Conservation Plan ............................................................................................ 70 Habitat Improvements/Completed Conservation Actions........................................... 71 Easements/Candidate Conservation