Fish And Game Works For More Sage-Grouse

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided not to list the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act.

In December 2003 a coalition of environmental groups petitioned the USFWS to list greater sage-grouse as endangered. One year later the USFWS determined the species does not warrant listing as either endangered or threatened.

More than half of Idaho's historical sage-grouse habitat has been lost to agricultural conversion, urban expansion, and invasive weeds-especially cheatgrass. While sage-grouse populations have clearly declined from historic levels, wildlife biologists with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game believe available science supports the "not warranted" decision at this time.

"Although Idaho's sage-grouse populations are below 1960s levels, they have been generally stable for the last decade," said Tom Hemker, who supervises the Department's sage-grouse program.

Idaho Fish and Game scientists have been at the forefront of sage-grouse management and research for decades. The department works with private and public landowners to preserve and improve sage-grouse habitat in Idaho, and will continue to provide leadership in monitoring and conserving this unique game bird. Hemker says Idaho Fish and Game scientists will maintain an aggressive conservation effort to keep sage-grouse populations in the Gem State at healthy levels that he hopes will keep the bird off the Endangered Species List and available to Idaho hunters.

"We're talking about trying to minimize wildfire in key habitats while restoring areas adjacent to those key habitats, which involves planting sagebrush, perennial grasses and forbs," Hemker said "We must also carefully monitor population trends to help identify problem areas."

Wildfire control ranks high on Hemker's list of priorities, but he says habitat improvement and restoration is also important. In fact, battling the invasion of noxious weeds is one of the best ways to minimize the risk of wildfire. Reestablishing native plants can slow the spread of cheatgrass, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

It's a battle that must be fought on many fronts with cooperation from other state agencies as well as federal agencies, outdoor recreationists and private land owners.

"We are looking for cooperation and collaboration from private landowners, outdoor recreation enthusiasts and public land managers," said Hemker "We believe that healthy rangelands are good for all users. Sage-grouse local working groups are an important way to identify local conservation priorities and projects."

As is often the case, Idaho hunters also bear some of the conservation burden. While the Department of Fish and Game's goal is to provide harvestable numbers of sage-grouse, managers say seasons and limits will remain conservative.
"We want to provide reasonable seasons without causing risk to our populations," Hemker said.

Historically, Idaho hunters harvested more than 30,000 sage-grouse each year. In 2004 the harvest was estimated at about 8,000 birds. In 2005, bird hunters in Idaho will enjoy a short season for sage-grouse beginning on September 17 and lasting one to three weeks depending on the area. For more specific information on seasons and other regulations check the Fish and Game website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov under "Season Information for Upland Game Birds."
 

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