Ensuring the Future of Sage-Grouse

May 29, 2024

Now is our best, and maybe our last, chance to act on behalf of this iconic, American bird

Each spring across the vast, but increasingly fragmented, sagebrush ecosystem, greater sage-grouse perform their ancient and elaborate mating ritual with fewer and fewer performers. As an aging biologist, I’ve been witness to the drama of the display, the loss of the bird and its habitat, as well as unprecedented efforts to conserve both.

At his 2007 Sage Grouse Summit in Casper, Wyoming, Governor Dave Freudenthal didn’t mince words, “The scientific picture is clear,” he said. “We need to roll up our sleeves and develop a plan to protect and restore core sage grouse habitat. We have a narrow window of opportunity to protect the grouse and prevent it from being listed as an endangered species.”

That statement catalyzed policy-making efforts in Wyoming, often mirrored in other states, which were then largely incorporated into range-wide plans approved by the BLM and USFS in 2015. Cumulatively, these plans—shaped with collaboration from Wyoming’s industries, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies—provided the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the basis to determine that the greater sage-grouse was not warranted for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately, the plans developed in 2015 were never fully implemented.

Our success or failure with greater sage-grouse will be measured by whether or not we maintain enough of the remaining sagebrush sea so that the primal, guttural sounds of strutting sage-grouse continue to punctuate the clear, cold air of spring sunrises across the West.

My 33-year career with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the last 15 years of which were as the state’s sage-grouse coordinator, meant I spent thousands of hours out in the sagebrush. Over those decades, I learned that this conservation effort, and the threats to this ecosystem, is about much more than just a single species. The problems associated with a breakdown in the health of sagebrush country resulting from massive wildfires, invasive plants like cheatgrass, woody species expansion, and human infrastructure and disturbance impacts all of us, here in Wyoming and across the West. These lands underpin the economies of our rural communities.

In an unsettling revelation, we’ve recently learned through satellite imagery that the West is losing 1.3 million acres of functioning sagebrush habitat every year. And because the bird depends on healthy sagebrush habitat, the range-wide population of sage-grouse has declined 80 percent since 1965 and half of that decline has happened since 2002.

But we now have an opportunity to realize a healthier future for this ecosystem. The BLM, which oversees 67 million acres of sage-grouse habitat across 10 states, is currently updating the prior plans using new science and input from its partners.

Again, the health of the sagebrush ecosystem is larger than just one species. Our collaborative conservation efforts must shift from a sage-grouse focus to a sagebrush biome focus in order to more effectively address the threats facing not only sage-grouse but the entire ecosystem and those species, including human users, reliant on it. I implore the BLM to better incorporate this concept into their decision document.

Tom Christiansen, longtime Wyoming state sage-grouse coordinator, observes a lek on an early spring morning. *Photo credit: Tom Christiansen*

Also, any and all plans, including those of the states, must make a commitment to transparency and collaboration in managing the sage-grouse habitat. Open data sharing across administrative boundaries is essential in fostering an inclusive environment where scientists, policy makers, and the public can access and contribute to the ecological data that guides management decisions. This approach not only enhances the trust and cooperation among stakeholders but also strengthens the scientific basis for those decisions and provides defensible evidence of the successes and failures of management actions.

Here in Wyoming, we are lucky to still have some relatively intact landscapes that rise above others in terms of their value to sage-grouse and associated species. I support efforts to secure the most effective safeguards for these “best of the best” areas, which are resistant to impacts like invasive species and resilient in their ability to return to good habitat after an impact such as wildfire. These landscapes are the cornerstones upon which the survival of the sage-grouse depends. Irreplaceable places, such as the Golden Triangle in western Wyoming, have such high biological value that these habitats must receive the highest level of conservation.

The current proposal by the BLM to update its sage-grouse management plans is an important step forward. By focusing on strategic habitat management, implementing open data practices, and utilizing advanced adaptive management tools, we can forge a sustainable path for the sage-grouse. This approach will not only benefit the bird but also the myriad other species and human communities that rely on a healthy sagebrush ecosystem. It’s a chance to reaffirm our commitment to conserving a vital part of our natural heritage thereby ensuring that we hand these natural resources in good condition to future generations.

Historically our record is less than stellar when it comes to grouse conservation. The heath hen of the eastern coastal barrens is extinct. The highly endangered Attwater’s prairie chicken is hanging on by a thread along the Texas Gulf Coast. And lesser prairie chicken populations in the southern Great Plains are now listed as threatened or endangered. Our success or failure with greater sage-grouse will be measured by whether or not we maintain enough of the remaining sagebrush sea so that the primal, guttural sounds of strutting sage-grouse continue to punctuate the clear, cold air of spring sunrises across the West.

Tom Christiansen retired after a 33-year career with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department where he served as a regional wildlife biologist and then as the statewide sage-grouse program coordinator. Tom served on the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Technical Committee, the Rangewide Interagency Sage-Grouse Conservation Team, and the Wildfire and Invasive Species Working Group. Like sagebrush, Tom’s roots run deep in Wyoming. His family has maintained continuous residence in Wyoming since 1885.

A version of this article was published by the Casper Star Tribune.

Photo credit: USFWS

One Response to “Ensuring the Future of Sage-Grouse”

Bill Crumrine May 31, 2024

Much of the Attwater prairie chicken decline can be laid at the feet of bankers, big corporations, and especially land developers.

May 31, 2024 at 6:11 pm

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by: Guest Author Su Fanok

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

May 20, 2024

Conservation Funding Assists Restoration at Pennsylvania Wildlife Refuge

The Nature Conservancy works with partners to protect a vital mosaic of trout streams and wetlands at Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Pennsylvania

Northeast Pennsylvania’s Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a special place. Stretching from Wind Gap to the Delaware Water Gap and encompassing a wide variety of topography and wildlife, Cherry Valley is flanked by the Kittatinny Ridge, part of a 185-mile intact and forested wildlife superhighway and renowned bird migration flyway that attracts more than 20,000 hawks, eagles, and falcons each year. This vast and mostly rural landscape also boasts fens and bogs, forests and meadows, farms and fields, and a native brook trout stream that flows through Cherry Valley before it empties into the Delaware River.

TNC’s Su Fanok at work in the refuge. Photo credit: Su Fanok/TNC

The Nature Conservancy began acquiring and protecting land in Cherry Valley in the late 1990s. In 2000, TNC began seeking opportunities to work at larger scales within Cherry Valley. This led to exploring, together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Monroe County Conservation District, the viability of creating a National Wildlife Refuge.

With local and regional interest high, TNC and the partners joined forces with a then newly formed grassroots group—Friends of Cherry Valley—to mobilize a coalition of businesses, local governments, and civic groups around lobbying Congress to authorize a National Wildlife Refuge. In a bipartisan vote, Congress overwhelmingly approved the 22,000-acre Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Act in 2008.

One of the refuge’s streams in autumn. Photo credit: Gates Rhodes

Today, the refuge boasts a mosaic of streams, wetlands, fields and forests that support vulnerable, threatened or endangered species including bog turtle and American eel along with common species such as black bears, bobcats, and beavers. TNC has focused on reducing erosion and remediating degraded areas of the stream. We also recently facilitated a practitioner training session about returning large woody debris back into streams in order to provide natural shelter, habitat, and temperature regulation for riverine species, including native brook trout.

Backhoes being used during a practitioner training session at Cherry Valley. Photo credit: Su Fanok/TNC

In recent years, the Cherry Valley Refuge has continued to acquire additional acreage to conserve habitat and protect water quality. More than 2,600 acres acquired through the Conservation Fund were recently conveyed to the refuge with funding from Pennsylvania’s Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund (or Keystone Fund) and other sources. And in late 2023, TNC acquired 78 more acres and transferred them to the USFWS to add to the refuge. The purchase was facilitated with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Open Space Institute. The project was supported by OSI’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund, which seeks to protect water quality in the Delaware River Basin.

Cherry Valley is a testament to the power of collaboration. Simply put, much of the work here would not be possible without conservation funding from agencies and state funding through programs like the Keystone Fund, or without tireless commitment from our partners like the USFWS; Monroe and Northampton Counties; the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; the Conservation Fund; the Pocono Heritage Land Trust; the Friends of Cherry Valley; and many others!

Blakeslee Farm wetlands in Cherry Valley NWR. Photo credit: Su Fanok/TNC

Cherry Valley is a stellar example of creating an environment where people and nature can flourish. Together, TNC and its partners will continue to implement creative strategies and habitat restoration projects that aim to safeguard wildlife and support local livelihoods throughout the region for years to come.

Su Fanok is the director of freshwater conservation for The Nature Conservancy, a TRCP partner, in Pennsylvania and Delaware. She leads a team of freshwater practitioners working in the waters of both states to ensure the health, sustainability, and resilience of freshwater ecosystems.

Click here to tell Pennsylvania lawmakers to keep funding conservation efforts in the state.

Banner photo credit: Gates Rhodes

by: Liz Rose

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

May 16, 2024

Colorado 2024 Legislative and Agency Wrap Up (So Far)

TRCP’s Colorado staff recaps some of this year’s conservation highlights from the Centennial State

As we near the midway point of 2024, TRCP’s Colorado staff takes a look back on this year’s conservation accomplishments and future opportunities.

2024 in Colorful Colorado

The TRCP, alongside other great partner organizations, submitted comments to the Bureau of Land Management regarding big game habitat conservation and energy development in Colorado in response to the BLM’s draft Big Game Corridors Resource Management Plan Amendment, and the BLM’s draft Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement in February and April respectively. THANK YOU to those who submitted comments through TRCP’s comment portal and calls to action related to those two very important, ongoing planning efforts.

Additionally, we provided the Forest Service with feedback on their final Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests Plan revision in February. We advocated for important big game management policies within highest priority habitats and Wildlife Management Areas, and for closer management and conservation of the GMUG’s bighorn sheep herds. Bighorn sheep have since been added to the Forest’s list of Species of Conservation Concern.

The Colorado state legislative session ended last week and a few highlights for hunters and anglers include:

Senate Bill 2024 – 026, Agriculture & Natural Resources Public Engagement Requirement was signed into law on May 1 and requires Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Department of Agriculture, and Colorado Water Conservation Board commissioners to participate in two public meetings per year, specifically to facilitate discussion with the constituencies for which they were appointed to represent. For example, Parks and Wildlife commissioners appointed to represent sportspersons will make themselves available for public discussions, questions, and feedback twice per year outside of normal Commission meetings. Please take advantage of these opportunities to build relationships with those who represent your interests in important policy decisions! Thank you, Senators Roberts and Will, and Representatives McLachlan and Catlin for sponsoring this legislation.

Senate Bill 2024 – 212, Local Govs Renewable Energy Projects passed the legislature and awaits the Governor’s signature. This renewable energy and transmission development study bill will require the Colorado Energy Office to submit a report to the general assembly by September 30, 2025, that evaluates counties’ regulatory processes for permitting renewable energy and transmission projects and the impacts these projects have on wildlife resources. It also requires that the Colorado Energy Office provides the public with the opportunity to review and comment on the report before it’s finalized. We will continue to partner with other stakeholders, track this process closely, and advocate for wildlife habitat avoidance as well as minimization and mitigation of adverse impacts from energy development. It’s important for Colorado to utilize diverse energy resources without sacrificing wildlife populations, migration habitats, or the hunting, angling, and conservation values that TRCP members love so much. Thank you, Senators Hansen and Fenberg, and Representatives Brown and McCormick for sponsoring the bill.

Senate Bill 2024 – 171, Restoration of Wolverines passed the legislature and awaits the Governor’s signature. This bill authorizes reintroduction of historically native wolverines following thorough analysis, public process, and coordination between the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Colorado law requires the legislature to first approve any efforts by CPW to reintroduce species. We support this science-based, measured approach to species reintroduction. Thank you, Senators Will and Roberts, and Representatives McLauchlan and Mauro for sponsoring the bill and incorporating lessons learned from past restoration efforts.

House Bill 2024 – 1379, Regulate Dredge & Fill Activities in State Waters passed the legislature and awaits the Governor’s signature. The bill directs the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to establish a state-level wetland and stream permit program that safeguards these important habitats for fish and wildlife. The legislation was introduced to address a gap in regulatory protections for wetlands and streams following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA which drastically reduced federal protections for most wetlands and many streams under the Clean Water Act. Colorado is among the first states to pass legislation creating state-level safeguards. Thank you, Senators Roberts and Kirkmeyer, and Representatives McCluskie and McCormick for sponsoring this important conservation legislation.

Science-based wildlife management by our state’s wildlife experts is critical to maintaining ecosystem balance and quality opportunities for hunting, angling, and outdoors pursuits for generations to come.

In the second half of 2024 we are looking forward to:

The US Forest Service’s final record of decision related to the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests. We are optimistic that this will include habitat conservation and connectivity-oriented forest management direction within newly defined Wildlife Management Areas as well as enhanced big game species-specific conservation and management direction. We hope the plan will be finalized this summer so implementation can begin, and we thank all of you who’ve commented on the GMUG Forests Plan Revision over the years!
The Colorado BLM’s proposed final draft of its statewide Big Game Corridors Resource Management Plan Amendment being announced sometime in late summer or fall. Thank you again to all who submitted comments to the Colorado BLM regarding avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating adverse impacts to key big game habitats from oil and gas development on public lands!
The BLM’s proposed final draft of its Programmatic Solar Environmental Impact Statement highlighting areas worthy of excluding from development vs. areas where lower-impact development should be prioritized across 11 Western states. The BLM is still reviewing the many comments they received on their draft Solar PEIS. We look forward to reviewing changes made when the final draft is released, and hope they incorporate TRCP and partner organizations’ request that the BLM exclude the highest-priority big game habitat on BLM land in Colorado from utility-scale solar development.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, Regional Caucus, and Sportspersons Caucus meetings, which are all open to the public and include important discussions relevant to hunting, fishing, and wildlife conservation across Colorado. See the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Partnership events calendar or Colorado Parks and Wildlife website for more information.
Helping ensure Colorado voters understand Colorado’s long history of responsible and highly successful species and ecosystem restoration and management, and have access to the latest data and science before signing to support, or potentially voting on ballot initiatives that will impact hunting and angling. Science-based wildlife management by our state’s wildlife experts is critical to maintaining ecosystem balance and quality opportunities for hunting, angling, and outdoors pursuits for generations to come. Please check out and share: https://wildlifedeservebetter.com/

Thank you for staying up to date on Colorado-based issues that impact hunters, anglers, fish, wildlife, and wildlife-based businesses across the state. I hope you’ll take action on important issues with us again as we move forward.

The TRCP is your no-B.S. resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

Photo Credit: Christian Collins

by: Alex Funk

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

American Wetlands Month: Celebrating Progress and Addressing Challenges

TRCP is rallying support for policies to protect and restore wetlands and the role they play in sustaining fish and wildlife.

May is American Wetlands Month – a time to celebrate the vital role wetlands play in sustaining fish and wildlife and our hunting and fishing heritage. Wetlands are not just habitats for a wide range of fish and game species, ranging from cutthroat trout to white-tail deer, but they also provide a host of other benefits, including enhancing water quality and storing carbon, which are crucial for our environment’s health. Altogether, the conservation and restoration of wetlands plays a critical role in sustaining fish and wildlife habitat, and in-turn, hunting and fishing opportunities for future generations.

*Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service*

However, while the benefits of healthy wetlands may be clear to hunters and anglers, America’s wetlands are arguably more at risk than ever. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently released their national 2009-2019 Wetlands Status and Trends report, the sixth in a series of congressionally mandated reports evaluating current wetland health. The report found that net wetland loss increased over the past decade, with vegetated wetlands, like marshes and swamps, being disproportionately impacted. These wetlands are disappearing so quickly that 670,000 acres were lost between 2009 and 2019, an area about equal to the state of Rhode Island. On top of the report, we’re also quickly approaching the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA, which dealt a significant blow to Clean Water Act protections for wetlands and smaller streams.

Fortunately, the TRCP and our partners are working together to build support for federal and state policies designed to mitigate the impacts of the Sackett decision and reverse our nation’s decline in wetland habitat and the mounting risk to fish and wildlife, and our hunting and angling traditions. At the federal level, the TRCP, along with Ducks Unlimited and Trout Unlimited, joined the recent America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge as inaugural members. The new initiative sets new national goals to reconnect, restore, and protect the nation’s wetlands, rivers, and streams and challenges participants to work collaboratively to sustain these important natural resources. The TRCP is also working with the National Association of Wetland Managers and the National Wildlife Federation to build Congressional support for strengthening the Environmental Protection Agency’s Wetland Program Development Grant Program, which provides funding to states and Tribes to develop wetland protection programs and strategies, which is critical at this moment in time. We’re also working to expand the program’s focus to include implementing these wetland protection efforts, which have been identified as a significant need by the state and Tribal wetland community.

At the state level, the TRCP is working with a coalition of groups to pass bipartisan legislation in Colorado that would create a new wetland program to ensure the protection of important wetlands and streams no longer covered by the Clean Water Act. On May 6^th, the Colorado General Assembly passed this bipartisan legislation with overwhelming support from the regulated and conservation communities. The bill now heads to Governor Polis’ desk for his signature. The bill, among other things, provides more certainty at the state level regarding protections and permitting for wetlands as the debate of the Clean Water Act’s scope will likely continue. Colorado is now one of the first states in the country to pass legislation to restore protections for wetlands and streams. It can hopefully serve as a model for other states considering similar legislative efforts.

Overall, despite the challenges facing America’s wetlands, hunters and anglers can play a pivotal role in the conservation of these critical resources. As the TRCP and partners continue to work to address these challenges it will be important for hunters and anglers to share their stories with members of Congress, state legislatures, and federal and state agencies on the important roles wetland play in sustaining fish and wildlife and opportunities for hunting and fishing.

Top photo by USFWS/Katrina Mueller

Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to healthy habitat and clean water here.

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

May 13, 2024

Hunters and Anglers Applaud Senate Passage of the Bipartisan ACE Reauthorization Act

The ACE Reauthorization Act aims to boost funding and provide vital enhancements to conservation programs benefiting fish and wildlife.

The America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act of 2024 passed the Senate on Wednesday May 8, 2024, by unanimous consent. The ACE Reauthorization Act was sponsored by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and would reauthorize multiple programs that benefit hunting and angling including, the National Fish Habitat Partnership, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the Chesapeake Bay Program, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. It also helps address threats like chronic wasting disease. This reauthorization provides technical improvements, administrative streamlining, and increased authorized funds to improve these programs.

“The America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act will benefit fish and wildlife while enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities for millions of hunters and anglers,” said Becky Humphries, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, “TRCP applauds the Senate’s passage of this important bipartisan legislation and looks forwards to building on the success of these crucial programs.”

The original ACE Act was passed in 2020 and sponsored by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Many of its authorizations expire next year, necessitating the passage of the ACE Reauthorization act to ensure these programs can continue to operate in good legal standing.

The ACE Act is co-sponsored by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Angus King (I-ME) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).

The legislation is endorsed by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Ducks Unlimited, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the National Wildlife Federation, American Sportfishing Association, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the National Audubon Society.

The TRCP looks forward to working with the House of Representatives to ensure this essential legislation for hunters and anglers becomes law.

TRCP works to maintain and strengthen the future of hunting and fishing by uniting and amplifying our partners’ voices in conserving and restoring wildlife populations and their habitat as challenges continue to evolve.

Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to healthy habitat and clean water here.

Photo: Josh Metten