Project Details

GUSG is a bird in the grouse family that lives exclusively in the sagebrush steppe ecosystems of southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah. On November 20, 2014, the USFWS listed GUSG as a threatened species (79 FR 69191) and designated critical habitat for the species (79 FR 69311) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq; hereafter Act). Further, the World Conservation Union recognizes the GUSG as a red-listed or globally endangered species according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (Storch 2000). Additionally, in 2006 the Audubon Society identified the GUSG as one of the ten most endangered birds in North America.

GUSG are closely associated with sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems in North America (Young et al. 2015, p. 1). The loss of sagebrush habitat has caused GUSG to disappear from over 90% of its historic range. Oil and natural gas drilling, motorized recreation, improper livestock grazing, conversion to agriculture, and development have all contributed to the degradation of sagebrush steppe. Habitat fragmentation increases the issues by segmenting the grouse into smaller groups, which limits genetic flow between isolated populations. One such isolated population is in San Juan County which supports the only occurrence of GUSG in Utah.

Further compounding the problem is the large percentage of private lands in Utah's currently-occupied habitat, which is approximately 60,000 acres. This habitat consists of approximately 95% private land, 4% federal lands, and 1% state of Utah lands. Due to the large percentage of private lands in the area, the potential for habitat loss and degradation is significant, both of which could be abated through the acquisition of property by TNC.

Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.

The primary objective is durable protection of an additional ~305 acres of federally designated critical habitat for GUSG, sagebrush-obligate bird species and other sensitive wildlife species via land acquisition and management by TNC. The following secondary objectives may also be advanced:  
a. Provide areas for future habitat improvements.
b. Provide opportunities to gather habitat data necessary for subsequent habitat enhancement work.
c. Ensure that activities such as grazing, farming, and development will not negatively impact these habitats for sage-grouse.
d. Protecting the parcel will add to the existing lands in the area owned by TNC.
e. The proposed purchase would also positively affect the following shrub-steppe associated species known to occur within this area:
 
*	Sage Thrasher
*	Sage, Lark, Vesper, Black-throated and Brewer's Sparrows 
*	Burrowing Owl 
*	Northern Mockingbird 
*	Loggerhead Shrike 
*	Red-tailed Hawk
*	Golden Eagle 
*	Prairie Falcon 
*	Marsh Hawk
*	Rough-legged Hawk
*	Common Nighthawk 
*	Mourning Dove 
*	Meadow Lark
*	Ash-throated Flycatcher

Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.

LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.

TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.

Acquisition of approximately 305 acres of GUSG critical habitat would advance objectives set forth in at least a dozen plans and initiatives. Below is more specific information regarding these plans and the objectives that this project will help to advance.
1.	GSGRSC (Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Steering Committee). 2005. Gunnison sage-grouse rangewide conservation plan. 
     a.	The vision of the Rangewide Plan is the survival and conservation of GUSG. Recovery will be signified by at least four resilient populations (high resiliency for Gunnison Basin, high resiliency for San Miguel Basin, high resiliency for on Mesa, and moderate resiliency for Crawford) and improved habitat in three populations (Dove Creek, Monticello, and CSCSM at low resiliency). 
2.	Utah Wildlife Action Plan 2015--2025 DWR publication 15-14
     a.	Permanent conservation of sage grouse-habitat through fee title acquisitions or conservation easements
     b.	Acquire conservation easements or fee-title to key grassland areas.
     c.	Acquire conservation easements or fee-title to key shrubsteppe areas.
3.	Gunnison Sage Grouse Conservation Plan, San Juan County, UT
     a.	Objective: Protect critical lek, nesting, brood rearing, and wintering areas.
     b.	Strategies: Secure or acquire important habitats through fee title from willing sellers, land exchanges, conservation easements, tax incentives, voluntary cooperative agreements, CRP leases, grazing lease agreements, etc.
4.	USFWS Final Recovery Plan for Gunnison Sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), 2020
     a.	Reducing threats and improving habitats will be necessary to maintain or increase habitat quality and quantity across the seven populations. 
     b.	Improved and maintained habitats in the Dove Creek, Monticello, and CSCSM populations will contribute to connectivity, redundancy, and representation.
5.	USFWS Recovery Implementation Strategy for Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus). 2020 Version 1.0
     a.	Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation are the biggest threats in the Monticello population because most land is privately owned and much has been converted to agriculture over the past 100-plus years. Two implementation strategies for the Monticello area are 1) Conserve existing habitats and 2) Improve habitat quality and quantity.  
6.	BLM Gunnison Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment. 2024
     a.	Approved RMP Amendment will amend up to nine land use plans in southwestern Colorado and two in southeastern Utah to promote the recovery of Gunnison sage-grouse (GUSG) (Centrocercus minimus) and maintain and enhance occupied and unoccupied habitat for the species.
7.	BLM's National Sage-Grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy. 2004
     a.	Protect habitat for sage-grouse.
     b.	Maintain, develop and expand partnerships to promote cooperation and support for all activities associated with sage-grouse and sagebrush conservation.
8.	NRCS's Sage-Grouse Initiative. 2021-225.
     a.	The property is within NRCS's Gunnison Sage-grouse Initiative priority conservation area.
9.	Utah Partners in Flight Avian Conservation Strategy. 2002. (Version 2.0)
     a.	Manage growth of agriculture and urban development so as not to impact sage-grouse habitats.
     b.	Prohibit land treatments known to be negative for sage-grouse.
10.	2008 BLM Monticello Field Office's Resource Management Plan 
     a.	Sensitive resources protected by applying a no surface occupancy (NSO) stipulation in the Approved RMP include riparian areas, soils and vegetation, sensitive visual resource areas, cultural resources, wilderness characteristics, and Gunnison sage-grouse habitat.
11.	The Nature Conservancy's Colorado Plateau Ecoregional Plan 	
     a.	The property is located within the Sage Plain Conservation Area.
     b.	The plan sets conservation goals for ecological systems, rare communities and species. Sagebrush shrubland, sagebrush steppe and Gunnison sage-grouse are conservation targets.
12.	Utah Management Plan for Mule Deer (DWR)
     a.	Goal: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2024.
     b.	Strategy: Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah.
     c.	Strategy: Work with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize mule deer habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration. Emphasis should be placed on crucial habitats including sagebrush winter ranges and aspen summer ranges.
13. TNC's 2030 goals which aims to conserve 1.6 billion acres of land.

List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.

If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.

Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.

Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.

TNC has the expertise to negotiate, acquire, and manage acquisition projects and preserves. If the project is funded, TNC plans to negotiate a ~one-year option agreement with the landowner. During the option period, TNC will perform all necessary due diligence including title review, appraisal to determine fair market value, and environmental site assessment, etc. A title report and mineral assessment conducted by a qualified geologist have been completed but are in need of updating. As appropriate, all acquisition and due diligence documents will be provided to ESMF.

More specifically, TNC's work plan for acquiring the identified parcel includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

1.	Conflict of interest; ensure there is no actual or perceived conflict of interest between the property owner and TNC 
2.	Meet with the landowner and visit the property
3.	Order title report and water rights research (2 - 4 weeks, or longer if issues to resolve)
4.	Order mineral assessment if minerals are severed (1-2 weeks)
5.	Order/review appraisal to determine fair market value (6-8 weeks, depending upon location)
6.	Negotiate/sign option agreement (2-4 weeks to negotiate)
7.	Order phase 1 environmental site assessment (6-8 weeks)
8.	Exercise option agreement (30-60 days prior to closing date)
9.	Close.

Negotiations are currently underway. It is anticipated that, in the next few months, the landowner will sign an option agreement for TNC to acquire the property. Letters of interest from the landowner are available upon request. If the project is funded, a final appraisal report, in addition to an environmental assessment will be completed within approximately six months of the estimated closing date. Acquisition of fee title is a time-tested and appropriate tool to secure long-term protection of Gunnison sage-grouse habitat, thereby abating the dual threats of habitat fragmentation through subdivision and habitat destruction through inappropriate uses such as dryland farming.

Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.

Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.

List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.

Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.

Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.