U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE SPECIES STATUS ASSESSMENT BI-STATE DISTINCT POPULATION SEGMENT OF GREATER SAGE-GROUSE July 26, 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... 5 BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION................................................................................................ 7 Species Description ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 Taxonomy ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Habitat ........................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Sagebrush Ecosystem ................................................................................................................................................ 9 Seasonal Habitat Selection and Life History Characteristics ................................................................................... 10 Home Range ............................................................................................................................................................... 15 Life Expectancy and Survival Rates ........................................................................................................................... 15 Historical Range/Distribution .................................................................................................................................... 16 Current Range/Distribution and Population Estimates/Annual Lek Counts ........................................................... 17 1. Pine Nut PMU ................................................................................................................................................. 21 2. Desert Creek-Fales PMU ................................................................................................................................. 22 3. Mount Grant PMU ........................................................................................................................................... 23 4. Bodie PMU ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 5. South Mono PMU ............................................................................................................................................ 26 6. White Mountains PMU .................................................................................................................................... 27 Bi-State DPS Population Trends ................................................................................................................................ 29 Land Ownership ......................................................................................................................................................... 31 IMPACT ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................. 33 Urbanization and Habitat Conversion ....................................................................................................................... 33 Summary of Urbanization and Habitat Conversion Impacts ................................................................................... 38 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................................................. 38 1. Roads ............................................................................................................................................................... 40 2. Power Lines ..................................................................................................................................................... 43 3. Fences .............................................................................................................................................................. 47 4. Communication Towers ................................................................................................................................... 49 5. Landfills ........................................................................................................................................................... 50 Summary of the Potential Impacts From Infrastructure ........................................................................................... 51 Mining ......................................................................................................................................................................... 52 Renewable Energy Development ................................................................................................................................ 54 ii Grazing and Rangeland Management ....................................................................................................................... 58 Summary of Potential Grazing and Rangeland Management Impacts .................................................................... 64 Nonnative and Native Invasive Plants ....................................................................................................................... 65 Nonnative Invasive Plants ....................................................................................................................................... 65 Native Invasive Plants ............................................................................................................................................. 67 Summary of Nonnative and Native Invasive Plants ................................................................................................ 69 Wildfires and Altered Fire Regime ............................................................................................................................ 69 Wildfire and its History in Sagebrush Ecosystems .................................................................................................. 69 Wildfire Frequency Within Sage-grouse Range ...................................................................................................... 70 Potential Impacts of Fire on Sage-grouse and its Habitat ........................................................................................ 71 Potential Recovery of Sagebrush Habitat Following Wildfire ................................................................................ 73 Impact of Wildfires and an Altered Fire Regime Within the Bi-State Area ............................................................ 74 Climate ........................................................................................................................................................................ 76 Drought .................................................................................................................................................................... 76 Climate Change ....................................................................................................................................................... 78 Overutilization Impacts .............................................................................................................................................. 83 Commercial Hunting ............................................................................................................................................... 83 Recreational Hunting ............................................................................................................................................... 84 Recreation ................................................................................................................................................................... 87 Scientific and Educational Uses ................................................................................................................................. 90 Disease or Predation ................................................................................................................................................... 93 Disease ..................................................................................................................................................................... 93 Predation .................................................................................................................................................................. 99 Small Population Size and Population Structure .................................................................................................... 105 Pesticides and Herbicides ......................................................................................................................................... 110 Contaminants ............................................................................................................................................................ 113 Existing Regulatory Mechanisms ............................................................................................................................ 113 Local Regulatory Mechanisms .............................................................................................................................