Transcript Sagebrush-Steppe Conservation Design in Colorado

Conservation Design and the
Sagebrush Ecosystem
Russell George
Executive Director
Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources
Sagebrush in Western Colorado
Distribution:
Current &
Historic
Patch Size
Distribution
• Distributed
throughout western
Colorado
• Largest patches in
northwestern and
north-central
Colorado, and the
Gunnison Basin.
Maps show only the western half of Colorado.
Ownership of Sagebrush
Habitat in Colorado
Many stakeholders are involved:
• Western Governor’s Assoc.
– Sagebrush Council
• State Agencies
– Div. of Wildlife, Oil & Gas Cons. Comm.,
State Land Board, and others
• Federal Agencies
– BLM, USFWS, USFS, NPS, and others
• Environmentalists
• Sportsmen – Big Game and Small
Game
• Industry
• Livestock Operators
• Private Landowners
Greater
Gunnison
Sage-grouse
Distribution and
Habitat in
Colorado
Conservation Concern & Status
• Gunnison Sage-grouse
– ESA Candidate Status (Jan. 2000)
– Rangewide Conservation Strategy developed
(WAFWA - May 2005)
– Not Warranted Finding (April 2006)
• Greater Sage-grouse
– Not Warranted Finding on Petitions (Jan. 2005)
– Rangewide Conservation Strategy (WAFWA Dec. 2006)
– Colorado Statewide Conservation Plan (2007)
Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide
Conservation Plan
Distribution
Threats – energy
Threats – housing
Potential linkages
Cons. easements
Other Sagebrush Dependent
Species
• A diversity of species are
partially or exclusively
dependent on sagebrush
habitats.
• Some are addressed by
specific conservation
plans or assessments
• Many lack basic
conservation
recommendations.
• Identified in State Wildlife
Action Plan.
Colorado Sagebrush:
A Conservation Assessment &
Strategy
• Assess current and historic status of
sagebrush habitat in Colorado.
• Identify declining or potentially-declining
sagebrush dependent wildlife, not
addressed by other planning efforts.
• Establish conservation goals, objectives
and strategies to prevent further declines.
Colorado Sagebrush:
A Conservation Assessment &
Strategy
Sagebrush distribution &
status
Modeled threats
Species distributions
Species richness
Mgmt. Emphasis
Areas
Big Game
• Substantial overlap of
priority habitat for big
game and sagebrushdependent species in
Western Colorado.
SEDGWICK
LOGAN
JACKSON
MOFFAT
LARIM ER
PHILLIPS
WELD
ROUTT
MORGAN
GRAND
BOULDER
YUM A
WASHINGTON
RIO BLANCO
BROOM FIELD
ADAM S
GILPIN
DENVER
CLEAR CREEK
EAGLE
GARFIELD
ARAPAHOE
SUMM IT
JEFFERSON
DOUGLAS
KIT CARSON
ELBERT
PITKIN
LAKE
PARK
MESA
LINCOLN
DELTA
TELLER
CHEYENNE
EL PASO
CHAFFEE
GUNNISON
FREM ONT
MONTROSE
KIOWA
CROWLEY
PUEBLO
OURAY
CUSTER
SAGUACHE
SAN M IGUEL
PROWERS
BENT
OTERO
DOLORES
SAN JUAN
HINSDALE
MINERAL
HUERFANO
RIO GRANDE
ALAM OSA
MONTEZUM A
BACA
LAS ANIM AS
LA PLATA
COSTILLA
ARCHULETA
CONEJOS
High Priority Habitat-Acquisition Areas
Critical Mule Deer and Elk Habitat
Using Mule Deer and Elk Range Data
Source project: CDOW Big Game Habitat Acquisition Plan
20
0
20
40
60
Miles
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80
Combined Perspectives
SEDGWICK
LOGAN
JACKSON
MOFFAT
LARIM ER
PHILLIPS
WELD
ROUTT
MORGAN
GRAND
BOULDER
YUM A
WASHINGTON
RIO BLANCO
BROOM FIELD
ADAM S
GILPIN
DENVER
CLEAR CREEK
EAGLE
GARFIELD
ARAPAHOE
SUMM IT
JEFFERSON
DOUGLAS
KIT CARSON
ELBERT
PITKIN
LAKE
PARK
MESA
LINCOLN
DELTA
TELLER
CHEYENNE
EL PASO
CHAFFEE
GUNNISON
FREM ONT
MONTROSE
KIOWA
CROWLEY
PUEBLO
OURAY
CUSTER
SAGUACHE
SAN M IGUEL
PROWERS
BENT
OTERO
DOLORES
SAN JUAN
HINSDALE
MINERAL
HUERFANO
RIO GRANDE
ALAM OSA
MONTEZUM A
BACA
LAS ANIM AS
LA PLATA
COSTILLA
ARCHULETA
One evaluation source project
Two evaluation source projects
Three evaluation source projects
Four evaluation source projects
CONEJOS
High Priority Habitat-Acquisition Areas
Using definitions from four separate evaluation projects.
Source projects: Colorado Species Conservation Program, CDOW Real Estate Plan,
TNC/GOCO Legacy Project, CDOW Big Game Habitat Acquisition Plan
20
0
20
40
60
Miles
JK 052406, g:\projects\speciesconservation\cscp\targetareasmap
80
Tools for Implementation
• Land Protection
– Colorado Wildlife Habitat Protection Program
• $20 million available for conservation easements
• Funding from a diversity of sources
– Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances
(CCAA)
• Being developed for Gunnison Sage-grouse
• 19 ranches currently enrolled
• 58,449 acres
– USDA Farm Bill Programs
• CRP, WHIP, EQIP, etc. may be useful tools for working with
landowners to protect private land
Tools for Implementation
• Habitat Management
– Sagebrush Ecology &
Management
– Sagebrush Restoration Manual
– On-the-ground habitat
management and restoration
Tools for Implementation
• Work with partners
– Bureau of Land Management
• National Sage-grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy
• Research and habitat management
– Intermountain West Joint Venture
• Identification of IWJV Bird Habitat Conservation Areas
that include priority sagebrush habitats.
• IWJV funding available for “all-bird” habitat projects.
– Other State Agencies
• Management of sagebrush species requires a
rangewide perspective
Conclusions
• Conservation Design projects have been
undertaken for a variety of sagebrush
species in Colorado.
• Various methods, levels of detail, and
geographic focus areas have been used.
Conclusions
• Integration of results has allowed for the
identification of large and significant
sagebrush landscapes for conservation
efforts.
• A wide diversity of management
techniques and funding sources are being
used and combined to provide multiple
species benefits.
• Greater conservation impacts will likely
results than with non-integrated, taxaspecific conservation design plans.