Management guidelines for sage grouse and sagebrush ecosystems in Nevada.

40 Pages·2000·2 MB·English

by  United States. Bureau of Land Management. Nevada State Office

BLMLIBRARY
88052157
•
MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES xooo
for
SAGE GROUSE
and
SAGEBRUSH ECOSYSTEMS
NEVADA
in
•
October 2000 BLMLIBRARY
•
Introduction
Thesemanagementguidelinesandsupportivebackgroundinformationpromotetheconservationof
sagegrouse(Centrocercusurophasianus)andtheirsagebrush{Artemisiaspp)habitatsonNevada
publiclands administeredbyBureauofLandManagement(BLM). Theguidelinesareintendedto
provideinterimguidancetofieldmanagers,withoutrestrictingoptionscurrentlybeingexploredfor
regional,state,andlocalsagegrouse/sagebrushconservationplanning.
TheguidelinesareaNevadaBLM,habitat-specific,adaptationoftherecentlyupdated,andsoontobe
finalized,WesternAssociationofWildlifeAgencies(WAFWA)DraftGuidelines. TheNevadaBLM
guidelinesapplythemostcurrentsagegrousesciencetoBLMactivities,withinthecontextofa
multipleusemandate.
Sagegrousepopulationshaveexhibitedlong-termdeclinesthroughoutNorthAmerica,decliningby
33percentoverthepast30to40years(Braun1998). Thespeciesisextirpatedinfivestatesandone
Canadianprovince,andisatriskinsixotherstatesandtwoCanadianprovinces.Eveninthefive
Westernstateswherethespeciesisconsideredtobesecure,long-termpopulationdeclineshave
averaged30percent(ConnellyandBraun1997,CrawfordandLutz1985).Nosinglecausalfactorhas
beenidentifiedforthesedeclines.Rather,anaccumulationoffactorsdescribedhereinareresponsible.
Existingguidancewithdirectbearingontheseguidelinesinclude:
BLMNationalSpecialStatusSpeciesPolicy(BLM6840Manual)
ThispolicystatesthatBLMshallensurethatactionsauthorized,funded,orcarriedoutdonot
contributetotheneedtolistaspeciesundertheprovisionsoftheEndangeredSpeciesAct.
StandardsforRangelandHealthandGuidelinesforLivestockGrazingManagementforPublicLands
intheSierraFront/NorthwesternGreatBasinRACArea
StandardsforRangelandHealthandGuidelinesforLivestockGrazingManagementforPublicLands
intheNortheasternGreatBasinRACArea
StandardsforRangelandHealthandGuidelinesforLivestockGrazingManagementforPublicLands
intheMojave/SouthernGreatBasinRACArea
WesternAssociationofFishandWildlifeAgenciesDraftGuidelinesforManagementofSage
GrousePopulationsandHabitats(AppendixI).Thisdocumentisasoon-to-befinalizedupdateofa
danodcuWmieldnltifwehiScehrvwicaes(fiFrWstSi)ssrueecdenitnly19s7i7g.neTdhaenBaLgrMe,emaelnotngtowciotnhstihdeerFotrheesWtSAeFrvWicAe(gFuSi)dealnidnetsheinFtihsehir
rtheespWecAtiFveWpAlanguniidneglienfefosr,tsr.ecTohgneiNzienvgatdhaatBgLenMergaulildyelloinweesrhmaoviestbuereenrdeegviemleospperdevtaoilbethcroonsuigshtoeuntttwhieth
majorityofNevada'ssagebrushecosystem.
Mattersrelatedtofalconry,predatorcontrol,andhuntingarenotthepurviewoftheBLMbutare
insteadadministeredbyotherfederalorstateagencies. Thesemanagementguidelinesareintendedto
applyonlytoBLM-administeredactivitiesonpubliclands.
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SageGrouseLifeHistory
Overview
Thesagegrousebreedingseasonbeginsinmid-Marchwhenthemalesstarttocongregateontheleks.
InNevada,breedingactivitiestypicallyoccurfromMarchthroughmid-May. Leksarethebreedingor
struttinggrounds. Femalescometothelekstomate. Theygenerallynestinthevicinity.Ahigh
proportionofnestsarelocatedwithin6.2km(4mi.)ofthelekwhensuitablenestinghabitatexists.
However,somestudieshaveshownthatfemalesagegrouseorhensnestasfaras20km(12mi.)away
fromthelek(Autenrieth1981,Wakkinenetal.1992). Afterhatching,thehenandherbroodstayin
thegeneralvicinityofthenestfor1ormoreweeks. Forthefirst3to4weeksafterhatching,chicks
feedprimarilyoninsects,whichprovidethehighproteindietneededforrapidgrowth. Astheseason
andplantphenologyprogress,henswillmovetheirbroodstohigherelevationormoremoisthabitats,
suchasmeadows,wherehigherqualityfoodsareavailable.
Forbs,suchasyarrowanddandelion,areanimportantfoodsourcetosagegrouse. Asforbsmature
anddryoutandinsectavailabilitydeclineswiththeadvanceofsummer,thesagegrousedietincludes
moresagebrushleavesandbuds. Duringlatefall,sagegrousefeedalmostexclusivelyonsagebrush
andcontinuetofeedonsagebrushthroughoutthewinteruntilforbsreappearthefollowingspring.
Becauseoftheirdependenceonsagebrush,thebirdsarecommonlyreferredtoassagebrushobligates.
Forthisreason,thereismuchconcernovertheconditionanddistributionofsagebrushhabitats.
Reproduction
Sagegrousegenerallyhavelowerreproductiveratesandhigherannualsurvivalratesthanother
speciesofuplandgamebirdssuchasquailandpartridge(ConnellyandBraun1997). Theyalsolive
longerthanmostuplandgamebirdspecies-individualbirds4to5yearsoldarecommon. Annual
reproductivesuccessvariesthroughoutthespecies'range(Gregg1991,WallestadandPyrah1974).
Nestingrates
Nestingratesvaryfromyeartoyearandfromareatoarea(Schroeder1997,Connellyetal.1993,
Gregg1991,Bergerud1988,Coggins1998). Thisvariationismostlikelyaresultofavailable
nutritionqualityandthegeneralhealthofpre-layingfemales(BarnettandCrawford1994).Atleast70
percentofthefemalesinapopulationwillinitiateanesteachyear. Highernestinitiationrateswere
recordedduringyearsofhigherprecipitationascomparedtonestinitiationratesduringperiodsof
drought(Coggins1998). Renestingratesbyfemaleswhohavelosttheirfirstclutchare10to40
percent—farlowerthanthatofotheruplandgamebirds(Connellyetal.1993,Patterson1952,Eng
1963,Petersen1980,Bergerud1988). Renestingmaydolittletoincreaseoverallpopulationnumbers.
Nestsuccess
Nestsuccessofsagegrousealsovariesbyareaandyear. Ofallthebirdsthatnest,10to86percent
producechicks(Trueblood1954,Gregg1991,Connellyetal.1993,Schroeder1997). Adultfemales
mayexperiencehighersuccessratesthanyearlingfemales(WallestadandPyrah1974),acharacteristic
thatmayberelatedtopastnestingexperience.
Clutchsize
Clutch(anestofeggs)sizeofsagegrouseisvariableandrelativelylowascomparedtootherspecies
ofgamebirds(Edminster1954,Schroeder1997). Clutchsizepernestnormallyrangesfromsevento
teneggs(Connellyunpublisheddata,Schroeder1997,Wakkinen1990). Thesedifferencesmaybe
relatedtohabitatqualityandoverallconditionofpre-layingfemales(Coggins1998).
Survivalrates
Annualsurvivalratesforyearlingandadultfemalesagegrousevaryfrom35percentto85percent;
malesurvivalratesvaryfrom38percentto54percent(Wallestad1975,Zablan1993,Connellyetal.
1994). Lowersurvivalratesformalesmayberelatedtohigherpredationratesonmalesduringthe
lekkingseason(Swenson1986).
Astablesagegrousepopulationislargelydependentonthelevelofproductionofyoung,clutchsize,
nestsuccess,chicksurvival,andadultsurvival. Amongwesternstates,long-termjuveniletohen
ratioshavevariedfrom1.40to2.96juvenilesperheninthefall. Inrecentyears,thisratiohas
declinedto1.21to2.19juvenilesperhen. Researchsuggeststhatatleast2.25juvenilesperhen
shouldbepresentinthefallpopulationtoallowforstabletoincreasingsagegrousepopulations
(ConnellyandBraun1997,Edelmannetal.1998,ComptonandConnellyunpub.data).
SageGrouseHabitatRequirements
Seasonalmovementsandhomerange
Sagegrousepopulationscanbemigratoryornonmigratory(resident)(BerryandEng1985,Connelly
etal.1988,Wakkinen1990,Fischer1994,Beck1975,Wallestad1975),dependingonlocationand
associatedlandform. Wheretopographicreliefallows,sagegrousewillgenerallymoveupin
elevationfromspringthroughfallassnowmeltandplantgrowthadvance. Nonmigratoryor
m"iregsriadteonrty"ppooppuullaattiioonnss,msaeaysosnpaelndmotvheemeentnitresymeaayrweixtcheienda7n5arkema(10406.k5mm2i(.3)8.(6D1almkie.e)toarl.le1s9s63i,nsize. In
TChoenrneelmlayyetbael.t1w9o8o8r)maonrdehsoemaesornaanlgreasnmgeasyienxscuecehdc1a,se5s0.0kFomr2e(x5a7m9pmlie.,2)th(eCroennmealylybuenapubbr.eeddaitna)g.range,
abrood-rearingrange,andawinterrange, indicatingthatmigratorysagegrousepopulationsdepend
onlargeexpansesofhabitat.
Toaccommodatethesehabitatneeds,sagegrousemovementpatternsandseasonalrangesmustbe
identifiedbeforeanymanagementactionssuchasvegetationtreatmentprojectsareplanned. Large
expansesofsuitablehabitatareneededtoallowforconnectivitybetweenthedifferentresident
populations. Connectivitypromotesgeneticexchangeandreducescomplicationsthatmayarisefrom
inbreeding.
BREEDINGHABITATS(MarchthroughMay)
Sagegrousebreedonsitescalledleksorstruttinggrounds. Generally,theleksitesaretraditional,that
is,thesameleksitesareusedyearafteryear. Theyareestablishedinopenareassurroundedby
sagebrush,whichisusedforescapeandprotectionfrompredators(Patterson1952,Gill1965).
Examplesofleksitesincludelandingstrips;oldlakebedsorplayas;lowsagebrushflats;openingson
ridges,roadsandcropland;andburnedareas(Connellyetal.1981,Gates1985). Asgrouse
populationsdecline,thenumberofmalesattendingleksmaydecline,ortheuseofsomeleksmaybe
discontinued. Likewise,aspopulationsincrease,maleattendanceonleksincreases,newleksmaybe
established,oroldleksmaybere-occupied. Newleksmaybeestablishedwhennaturalorprescribed
disturbancesresultinsuitablelekhabitatinsagegrouserange. Annualcountsofmalesonleksare
usedtoassesspopulationtrends.
Thelekisconsideredtobethecenterofyear-roundactivityforresidentsagegrousepopulations(Eng
andSchladweiler1972,WallestadandPyrah1974,WallestadandSchladweiler1974). However,
habitatsthatarelocatedlongdistancesfromtheleksareusedbymigratorypopulationsofsagegrouse
andareessentialtotheirsurvival(Connellyetal.1988, Wakkinenetall992). Ontheaverage,most
nestsarelocatedwithin6.2km(4miles)ofthelek;however,somefemalesorhensmaynestmore
than20km(12mi.)awayfromthelek(Autenrieth1981,Wakkinenetal.1992,Fischer1994,Hanfet
al.1994).
Habitatsusedbypre-layinghensarealsopartofthegeneralbreedinghabitat. Theseareasprovide
forbsthatarehighincalcium,phosphorus,andprotein,allofwhicharenecessaryforeggproduction.
Theconditionandavailabilityoftheseareasarethoughttohavenoticeableeffectsonreproductive
success(BarnettandCrawford1994,Crawfordpers.comm.).
Mostsagegrousenestsarelocatedundersagebrushplants(Patterson1952,Gill1965,Gray1967,
Schroederetal.1999,WallestadandPyrah1974);however,nestshavebeenfoundunderotherplant
species(Connellyetal.1991,Gregg1991). Sagegrousethatnestundersagebrushexperiencehigher
nestsuccess(53percent)thanthosenestingunderotherplantspecies(22percent)(Connellyetal.
1991). Studiesonsagegrousenestinghabitathavefoundthatsagegrousetendtoselectnestsites
undersagebrushplantsthathavelargecanopies. Thecanopiesprovideoverheadcoverandoften
correlatewithanherbaceous(primarilytallgrasses)understory,whichprovideslateralcoverand
assistsbirdsinhidingfrompredators(Patterson1952,Gray1967,Klebenow1969,Wallestadand
Pyrah1974,Wakkinen1990,Fischer1994,Gregg1991,Greggetal.1994,Delongetal.1995). Hens
nestinginthesecoverconditionsexperiencehighernestsuccessratesthanthosenestingunderinferior
coverconditions(WallestadandPyrah1974,Greggetal.1994,Delongetal.1995).
Whenconsideredonarange-widebasis,optimumsagegrousenestinghabitatgenerallyconsistsof
sagebrushplants40to80cm(16to32in.)tallwithacanopycoverrangingfrom15percentto25
percentinthestand,andanherbaceousunderstoryofatleast15percentgrasscanopycoverand1
percentforbcanopycoverthatisatleast18cm(7in.)tall. Ideally,thesevegetativeconditionsshould
beon80percentofthebreedinghabitatforanygivenpopulationofsagegrouse,althoughoptimum
canopycovermayvarywiththespecificvegetationtype. Winward(1991)foundthatherbaceous
coverassociatedwithpotentialnestsites,andsagegrousehabitatingeneral,couldbelimitedby
excessiveshrubcanopycover.Winward'sresultsindicatewhenshrubcanopycoverexceeded15
percentinWyomingbigsagebrushvegetationtype,and20percentinbasin/mountainbigsagebrush
vegetationtype,thatgrassandforbcovercoulddecreasebecauseofcompetitionwithshrubs. So,itis
importanttonotethegeneralrange-widecoverdescriptionsmaynotbeattainableorprovideoptimal
sagegrousenestinghabitatinallsagebrushvegetationtypes.
Brood-rearinghabitats(AprilthroughAugust)
Earlybrood-rearinggenerallyoccursclosetonestsites;however,movementsofindividualbroods
maybehighlyvariable(Connelly1982,Gates1983). Whenconsideredonarange-widebasis,
optimumbrood-rearinghabitatconsistsofsagebrushstandsthatare40to80cm(16to32in.)tallwith
acanopycoverof10percentto25percentandanherbaceousunderstoryof15percentgrasscanopy
and10percentforbcanopy. Ideally,thistypeofhabitatwillbefoundonatleast40percentofthearea
thatisconsideredbrood-rearinghabitat. Henswithbroodswillusesagebrushhabitatsthathaveless
canopycover(about14percent)thanthatprovidedinoptimumnestinghabitat(Martin1970,
Wallestad1971),butneedacanopycoverofatleast15percentofgrassesandforbs(Sveumetal.
1998). Optimumcanopycoverwithinbrood-rearinghabitatisspecifictoeachvegetationtypeand
range-sitepotential. Chickdietsincludeforbsandinvertebrates(Drutetal..1994). Insects,especially
antsandbeetles,areanimportantcomponentofearlybrood-rearinghabitat(Drutetal.1994,Fischer
etall996a). Brood-rearinghabitatshavingawidevarietyofplantspeciestendtoprovidean
equivalentvarietyofinsectsthatareimportantchickfoods. Henswithbroodstendtoselectthese
typesofareas.
InJuneandJuly,assagebrushhabitatsdryupandherbaceousplantsmature,hensusuallymovetheir
broodstomoistersiteswheremoresucculentvegetationisavailable(Gill1965,Klebenow1969,
Savage1969,Gates1983,ConnellyandMarkham1983,Connellyetal.1988,Fischeretal.1996b).
Examplesofsuchhabitatsincludeblacksagebrushandlowsagebrush(A.novaandA.arbuscula)and
wetmeadows(Savage1969,Martin1970,ConnellyandMarkham1983,Gates1983,Connellyetal.
1988). Whereavailable,alfalfafieldsandotherfarmlandsorirrigatedareasadjacenttosagebrush
habitatsareoftenusedbysagegrouse. However,thesehabitattypesarenotuniformlydistributed
throughouttherangeofsagegrouseinNevada. Sagegrousebroodsuseavarietyofhabitatsfrom
summerthoughfall. Generally,thesehabitatsarecharacterizedbyrelativelymoistconditionsand
manysucculentforbsinoradjacenttosagebrushcover. Thesehabitatsincludesagebrush,meadows
andriparianareas,andagriculturallands. Optimumhabitatcontainsamosaicoftheselandtypesthat
includesatleast40percentoftheareainsagebrushstandsthatare40-80cm(16to32in.)tallwitha
canopycoverof10to20percent(lessthan25percenttotalshrubcover)andanherbaceousunderstory
of15percentgrasscanopycoverand10percentforbcanopycover(Greggetal,1994).
WINTERHABITATS(OctoberthroughMarch)
Asfallprogressestowardwinter,sagegrousemovetowardtheirwinterranges,atwhichtimetheirdiet
shiftsprimarilytosagebrushleavesandbuds(Patterson1952,ConnellyandMarkham1983,Connelly
etal.1988,Wallestad1975). Exacttimingofthismovementvariesdependingonthesagegrouse
population,geographicarea,overallweatherconditions,andsnowdepth.
Sagegrousewinterhabitatsarerelativelysimilarthroughoutmostoftheirrange.Winterhabitatsmust
provideadequateamountsofsagebrushbecausetheirwinterdietconsistsalmostexclusivelyof
sagebrush. Sagebrushcanopycanbehighlyvariable(Patterson1952,EngandSchladweiler1972,
Wallestadetal.1975,Beck1977,Robertson1991). Sagegrousetendtoselectareaswithbothhigh
canopyandtallerWyomingbigsagebrush{A.t.wyomingensis),andtheywillfeedonplantswhichare
highestinproteincontent(RemingtonandBraun1985,Robertson1991). Itiscrucialthatsagebrush
beexposedatleast25to30cm(10to12in.)abovesnowlevelasthisprovidesbothfoodandcover
forwinteringsagegrouse(HuppandBraun1989). Ifsnowcoversthesagebrush,thebirdswillmove
toareaswheresagebrushisexposed. Therefore,goodwinterhabitatconsistsofsagebrushwith10to
30percentcanopycoveron80percentofthewinteringarea.
CurrentSageGrouseSituation
Status
Approximately220millionacresofsagebrushvegetationtypesexistedinNorthAmerica(McArthur
andOtt1996),makingitoneofthemostwidespreadhabitatsinthecountry. Muchofthishabitat,has
beenlostordegradedoverthelast100years.
AccordingtoConnellyandBraun(1997)andCrawfordandLutz(1985),sagegrousepopulationshave
exhibitedlong-termdeclinesthroughoutNorthAmerica,decliningby33percentoverthepast30to40
years. SagegrouseareextirpatedinArizona,NewMexico,Oklahoma,Kansas,Nebraska,andBritish
ColumbiaandareatriskinWashington,California,Utah,Colorado,NorthDakota,SouthDakota,and
intheCanadianprovincesofAlbertaandSaskatchewan. InOregon,Nevada,Idaho,Wyoming,and
Montana,long-termpopulationdeclineshaveaveraged30percentsince1950.
ThreatstotheSpecies
Numerousactivitieshaveadverselyimpacted,andcontinuetohavethepotentialtoadverselyimpact,
thedistributionandqualityofsagegrouseandtheirhabitat. Additionally,naturaleventsandhuman
responsetotheseeventsmayhaveadirectimpactonsagegrouseandtheirhabitat.Atablewhichlists
possiblestatewidethreatstothespeciesislocatedinAppendixIII.
Rangelandconversion-Mechanicaltreatments(mowing,plowing,chaining)ofsagebrushhave
generallybeenmorelocalinnature,butareknowntoadverselyimpactsagegrousehabitatifdoneon
abroadscale(Swensenetal.1987).Evensmall-scaleprojectstoreducesagebrushcanbedamagingif
conductedinthewronglocation,suchaswinterhabitat.
Livestock management-Variouslivestockmanagementpracticeshavealteredsagegrousehabitat
overthepastcentury. Livestockfacilitiessuchasspringdevelopments,waterpipelines,andfencing
distributelivestockuseoverareasthatweresporadicallyorlightlyusedinthepast. Inmanyareas,
grazinghascontributedtolong-termchangesinplantcommunitiesandhasreducedcertainhabitat
components,suchasbiologicalcrusts,whichcontributetothehealthofsagebrushhabitat(Mackand
Thompson1982,QuigleyandArbelbide1997,Wisdometal.inpress).Heavy,excessivegrazingtoo
soonafterdisturbancessuchasfire,mayleadtopermanentreductionsinfoodplantsandnesting
cover. CurrentBLMpolicyprovidesforaminimumoftwogrowingseasonsforrestfollowingfire.
Temporarynon-renewableusecanresultinexcessiveremovalofgrassandherbaceousnestingcover.
Landtreatmentshaveincludedseedingswhichdidnotincludesagebrush,nativeforbs,andgrasses.
Thiskindofseedingactivitycontributestoanincreaseddominanceofnon-nativespecies,whichare
detrimentaltosagegrousehabitat.
Droughtcanleadtoincreasedcompetitionbetweenlivestockandsagegrouseforfoodandcover.
Droughtwillexacerbatetheadverseeffectsofheavy,excessivelivestockgrazingonvegetationand
soils(Valentine1990).Insomeinstances,thefailuretomaketimelyadjustmentsinlivestockuse
duringdrought hasresultedinlimitedplantregrowth,overuseinwetmeadowsandriparianareas,and
hasnegatedgainsinrangelandconditionsmadeduringhigher-precipitationyears(ThurowandTaylor
1999).
Wildfireandprescribedfire-FirehasalteredsagegrousehabitatonthelandscapeinNevada.
Wyomingbigsagebrushisveryvulnerabletofire. Wildfireshavereducedsagebrushacreageby
greaterthan50percentinsomeareasofIdahoandNevada(Sather-Blairpers.comm.,Pulliam pers.
comm.).
Repeatedwildfiresandthedisturbancebylivestockgrazinghasfavoredinvasionbycheatgrass
(Bromustectorum)andotherexoticspecies(Valentine1990,Pellant1990).Conversiontocheatgrass
altersthefirefrequencyfromthehistoric32to70yearsinsagebrush-steppeecosystemsto5yearsor
less(Wrightandothers1979). ThisscenarioisreferredtobyPellant(1996)asthecheatgrass-wildfire
cycle. Riskfromwildfireisveryhighandfiresuppressioneffortsarechallengedbyveryhighspread
rates. Therefore,thepotentialforlargefireshasincreased,threateningadjacentareasnotyet
dominatedbycheatgrass.
PrescribedfirehascontributedtothedecreaseofWyomingbigsagebrushhabitat,reducingsage
grousebrood-rearinghabitat(Connellyetal.1994,Fischeretal.1996a). Withthecessationof
herbicideuseintheearly1980s,theuseoffiretoreducesagebrushhasincreased. TheFederal
WildlandFireManagementPolicyandProgramReview(USDIandUSDA1995)indicatesthat,
consistentwithlandandresourcemanagementplans,firemustbereintroducedintotheecosystem. In
1998,Congressestablishedabudgetforfuelsmanagement,enablingtheincreaseduseofprescribed
fireandotherfuelmanagementpracticestorestoreandmaintainecosystemhealthandreducewildfire
riskandlosses.
Mountainbigsagebrush{A.t.vaseyana)ishighlysusceptibletofire. Plantsarereadilykilledinall
seasonsbyevenlightintensityfires(Blaisdelletal.1982). Moderatelymoist,ormesic,siteconditions
andpatchyfuelsmayresultinunharmedmountainbigsagebrushplantsorgroupsofplantswithin
lightandmoderatelysevereburnareas.Whereasthenormalmesicsiteconditionsoftenpreclude
severeburns,severewildfiresaremorelikelytooccuronsteep,southslopesduringhot,drysummers,
andondayswithhighwind. Suchseverefiresleavefew,ifany,unburnedplantsandconsumemostof
theseedstoredinthelitteranduppersoil.Mountainbigsagebrushdoesnotresprout. Regeneration
followingfireisfromseed. Seedlingsoftenre-establishreadilyandgrowrapidlyonlighttomoderate
burns,andreproductivematuritymayoccurwithin3to5years.Preburndensityandcovermaybe
achievedin15to20yearsunderfavorableconditions(Hironakaetal.1983).
Firerehabilitation-Thelackofpromptandappropriatefirerehabilitationfollowingawildfirecan
presentadditionalthreatstosagegrousehabitat. Theseedsupplyofnativespeciesisgenerallylimited
duringextremefireyearswhenlargeareasburn. Althoughplantingbrushspeciesismorecommon
nowthaninthepast,sagebrushmaynotalwaysbeincludedinfirerehabilitationseedingmixtures.
Crestedwheatgrassisoftenplantedinlieuofnativespecies,orasamixturewithnativespecies
becauseitcansuccessfullycompetewithcheatgrassandhelpprotectresources. Ifcheatgrassoranyof
anumberofotherexoticplantspeciesarepresentbeforeafire,theyarelikelytobecomemore
dominantafterwardsiftheareaisnotproperlyrehabilitated.
Structures-Powerlines,fences,roads,andurbandevelopmenthaveanadverseimpactonsage
grousehabitatandtheirpopulations(Braun1998). Powerlinesandfencesprovideperchesforbirdsof
preyandmayactuallycausedirectmortalitywhensagegrouseflyintothem(Connellypers.comm.).
Urbandevelopmentresultsindirectlossofsagegrousehabitatduetohabitatfragmentation.
Pinyon-Juniperexpansion-Expansionofpinyon-junipernorthwardintotheGreatBasinoccurred
duringtheearly-lateHolocene(5,500to4,500yearsBP)(Tausch1999). BeforesettlementbyEuro-
Americans,pinyonpine(Pinusmonophylla)andUtahJuniper(Juniperusosteosperma)existedin
open,savannah-likewoodlandsthatweremaintainedbyrelativelyfrequentfires,orwereconfinedto
rockysurfacesorridges. Thesewoodlandshadanunderstorythatincludedvarioussagebrushspecies.
Increasedlivestockgrazinginthelate1800sandearly1900scontributedtoareductioninfuelsthat
couldcarryfire,therebydecreasingfirefrequency(Eddlemanetal.1994). Pastfiresuppression
activitieshavealsocontributedtodecreasingfirefrequenciesinallGreatBasinecosystems. In
Nevada,pinyon-juniper woodlandsarefoundoverawiderangeextendingfromupperfringesofthe
MojaveDeserttolowerfringesofhighmountainranges.
Theencroachmentofpinyon-juniperonsagebrushcommunitiesmaydeteriorateexistinghabitatfor
sagegrouse. Vegetationtreatmentsimprovehabitatforsagegrouseandotherobligatespecies,suchas
thesagesparrow(Amphispizabelli)andbrewer'ssparrow(Spizellabreweri). Itislikelythatthe
largestexpansionofpinyon-juniperoccuredduringthepast100to150years,andtheexpansion
continuestoday(Tauschetal.1981,TauschandWest1988).
TheFederalWildlandFireManagementPolicyandProgramReview(USDIandUSDA1995)
determinedthatwildlandfirewouldbereintroducedintotheecosystem,allowingfiretofunctionas
nearlyaspossibleasanecologicalprocessonBLMlandsinNevada. Thiswouldallowforabalance
betweenpinyon-junipercommunitiesandotherGreatBasinvegetativetypes,benefittingsagebrush
obligatespecies.
Non-nativeinvasiveplants-Whilecheatgrassproliferationhasbeenwidespread,increasesinother
exoticspeciessuchasmedusahead(Taeniatherumcaput-medusae),knapweed(Centaureaspp.)and
yellowstarthistle(Centaureasolstitialis)arealsoadverselyimpactingsagebrushhabitat(Quigleyand
Arbelbide1997). ManyexoticplantsareadaptedtotheGreatBasinclimate(Trewartha1981inMack
1986,Youngandothers1972inMack1986). Therapidrateofexpansionispartlyattributabletothe
lifehistoryofexoticplants.Exoticplantsareoftenopportunists,andmanyarepioneer,colonizing
species.Theyarefrequentlyoneofthefirstspeciestoarriveandcolonizeareasthathaveexperienced
soil-surfacedisturbanceorareasthatlackplantcover. Theirestablishmentandspreadareaidedby
disturbancetothesoilsurface(Baker1986,Bazzaz1986). Spottedknapweed(C.maculosa),yellow
starthistle,andleafyspurge{Euphorbiaesula)haveexhibitedtheabilitytoinvaderelatively
undisturbedsites,includingwildernessareas(Asher1994,TyserandKey1988).
Wildhorsesandburros-Grazinghasalteredsagegrousehabitatoverthelastcentury. Inmany
areas,grazingcontributedtolong-termchangesinplantcommunitiesandreducedcertainhabitat
componentssuchasbiologicalcrusts,whichcontributetothehealthofsagebrushhabitat(Mackand
Thompson1982,QuigleyandArbelbide1997,Wisdometal.inpress).WildhorsesinNevadaare
managedin103herdmanagementareas(HMAs)thatincludeapproximately15millionacresofpublic
lands. AsofJuly2000,anestimated24,000wildhorsesandburrosexistedwithintheHMAs. The
appropriatemanagementlevel(AML)forhorse/burronumbersintheseareasisestimatedtobe
approximately14,000animals.
Themanagementgoalsforwildhorsesandburrosaretomanagethemascomponentsofthepublic
landsandtomanagetheminamannerthatpreservesandmaintainsathrivingnaturalecological
balanceina multipleuserelationship.
SageGrouse/SagebrushEcosystemManagementGuidelines
Thesemanagementguidelinesandsupportivebackgroundinformationestablishinterimpolicyforthe
BWuAreFaWuAofGLuainddelMianensagwietmheinntthienNinehveardean.tcTohnestgruaiidnetloifnegsenhearvaellbyeleonwdeervmeoliospteudretorbeegicmoenssitshtreontugwhiotuhtthe
ptohteemnatijaolrittoyaocfhiNeevveatdhae'sopstaigemburmusshageecogsryosutseemh.abMiatantycNonedviatdioanssadgeesbcrruisbhedrainngtehesiWteAsmFaWyAnoGtuhidaevleintehse.
Theseguidelineswillbeincorporated,asappropriatetositespecificconditions,intothelong-term
SageGrouse/SagebrushEcosystemConservationAssessmentandStrategyPlan(s).
Throughoutthisdocumentthetermsknownhabitatandpotentialhabitatareused. Knownhabitatsare
thosehabitatsthatareknowntobecurrentlyoccupiedandusedbysagegrouseforbreeding,nesting,
brood-rearingorwintering. Knowledgeofsagegrouseoccupancyisunknownforlargeexpansesof
sagebrushareas. Potentialhabitatreferstothekindsofland,landforms,andplantcommunitiesthat
maysupportorpotentiallysupportsagegrouseduringbreeding,nesting,brood-rearing,orwintering.
Thesehabitatsmaybevitallyimportanttosagegrouse,butwelackinformationaboutsagegrouse
occupancy. BLMwilltreatallhistoricalhabitats(leks,breeding,brood-rearingandwinter)as
potentialhabitatunlessBLM,incooperationwiththeNevadaDivisionofWildlife,determinesthat
theynolongercanfunctionassagegrousehabitatandcannotbereasonablyrehabilitated. Itis
importanttomaintainthehistoricalbaselineofsagebrushecosystems.
Managementguidelinesdescribedherein(concerningsizeofbuffers,timeframes,etc.)maybe
modifiedbasedonmonitoring,site-specificlocalknowledge,professionaljudgement,ortheneedto
protect/accommodateotherresources.
Goal
Thegoalofthesemanagementguidelinesistoinitiateactionsthateffectivelypromotethe
conservationofsagebrushhabitatsonBLM-administeredpubliclandsinNevada.Whilethese
guidelinesfocusonconservationofsagegrouseandtheirsagebrushhabitats,conservationof
sagebrushhabitatsneededbysagegrousewillbenefitamultitudeofothersagebrushhabitatspeciesof
concern(Wisdometal.inpress). Sagegrouseareconsideredtobeanumbrellaspecies,so
managementofsagebrushecosystemstomeetthelifecycleneedsofsagegrouseisexpectedto
achievesagebrushecosystemhealthandsustainabilityandprovidefortheneedsofothersagebrush
obligateandassociatedspecies.
TheseguidelineswillbeimplementedinconcertwithNevada'sallotmentevaluationandmultiple-use
decisionprocessestablishedtoimplementtheBLMNevadastandardsandguidelinesforrangeland
healthandotherapplicablelaws,regulations,andpolicies. Theguidelinesrepresenttheinterpretation
ofthestandardsandguidelinesastheyapplytothemanagementofusesaffectingsagegrousehabitats
andsagebrushecosystems.
ThesegoalswillalsobeimplementedinconcertwithreclamationstandardsasdescribedinFinal
GuidelinesforSuccessfulMineandExplorationRevegetationinNevada.
Objectives
Thefollowingobjectivesareintendedasguidanceforimplementationofexistingland-useplan
activitiesanddevelopmentoflong-termconservationmanagementplans.Theobjectivesareapplicable
tosagebrushhabitatsinNevadamanagedbyBLM. Neithertheseobjectivesnortheguidelinesderived
fromtheseobjectivesareintendedtosupercedetheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA)orany
otherapplicablelawsorregulations.
1. Identifyandmap,incooperationwiththeNevadaDivisionofWildlife,knownsagegrouse
habitats.
2. Maintainandenhanceknownsagegrousehabitats,payingparticularattentiontoareasofhigh
ecologicalintegrity.
3. MinimizenetlossofsagegrousehabitatasaresultofnewactionsauthorizedbyBLM;
minimizehabitatlossesresultingfromnaturaldisturbances(wildlandfire,insects,disease,
etc.).
4. Providesagegrousehabitatsthataresecurefromdirecthumandisturbanceduringthewinter
andbreedingseasons(whenbirdsareconcentratedandsusceptibletoharassment).
5. Restoresagegrousehabitats.
ManagementActions
SpecificGoals
•Wherepossible,manageallhistoricalhabitatsothatthesehabitatsmayonedaybeusedagain
bysagegrouse.
•Providesecuresagegrousebreedinghabitatwithminimaldisturbanceandharassment.
•Maintainandimproveexistingleksorcreatesitessuitableforadditionalleks.
•Managesagebrushcommunities,basedonbestavailablescience,toachieveoptimalnesting
habitatconditionswithinsitepotentialtoinsurenestingandearlybrood-rearingsuccess.
•Managevascularandnon-vascularplantcommunitiesandmacrobioticcruststoprovidea
diversityofhighqualityplantandinsectfoodsources.
•Promotehabitatconditionsthatsupportgrowthandsurvivalofyoungsagegrouseinlate
brood-rearinghabitat.
•Maintainorimproveknownwintersagegrousehabitat.