Box Elder SGMA Aerial Infrared Lek Searches
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Project ID: 3913
Status: Completed
Fiscal Year: 2017
Submitted By:
405
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Project Manager: Jason Robinson
PM Agency: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
PM Office: Salt Lake Office
Lead: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
WRI Region: Northern
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Description:
We are proposing to use new infrared technology mounted on fixed wing aircraft to search for unknown sage-grouse leks in the eastern portion of the Box Elder Sage-grouse Management Area (SGMA). We also hope to find unknown sharp-tailed grouse leks, another species of conservation concern.
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Location:
The eastern portion of the Box Elder Sage-grouse Management Area in eastern Box Elder county
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Project Need
Need For Project:
Greater sage-grouse are a species of conservation concern. Knowing the location of leks is critical for management and conservation. Often leks are the center points of populations.
Sharp-tailed grouse are a species of conservation concern. Knowing the location of leks is critical for management and conservation. Often leks are the center points of populations.
Objectives:
1. to locate new unknown greater sage-grouse leks
2. to locate new unknown sharp-tailed grouse leks
Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?):
None identified
Relation To Management Plan:
Utah Greater Sage-grouse Management Plan 2009
Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse in Utah 2013
Strategic Management plan for Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse 2002
Fire / Fuels:
N/A
Water Quality/Quantity:
N/A
Compliance:
Pilot will have to comply with all flight requirements. No other known compliances are required.
Methods:
UDWR will contract with Owyhee Air Research to use fixed winged aircraft mounted with high-tech infrared technology to fly grid patterns over the search area in East Box Elder county. All birds located during the flights will be recorded, counted, and reported back to UDWR within 72 hours of discovering the birds. No UDWR personnel will be on the plane, but UDWR will provide a search area and the plane will be guided by GPS.
Monitoring:
Any new leks identified during the flight will be checked on the ground by UDWR personnel during the 2017 strutting season. Established leks will then be checked annually following established protocols. Any occupied leks will then have all management restrictions and activities applied.
Partners:
Mule Deer Foundation
Utah Chukar and Wildlife Foundation
National Wild Turkey Federation
Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife
Owyhee Air Research
Future Management:
All discovered then ground verified leks will be checked annually following established lek count protocols. Any occupied leks will then have all management restrictions and activities applied.
Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
None
| Budget | WRI/DWR | Other | Budget Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $16,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $18,000.00 | $0.00 | $18,000.00 |
| Item | Description | WRI | Other | In-Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contractual Services | Infrared Flights | $16,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $0.00 | 2017 |
| Funding | WRI/DWR | Other | Funding Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $16,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $18,000.00 | $0.00 | $18,000.00 |
| Source | Phase | Description | Amount | Other | In-Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDF Expo Permit ($1.50) | NS6553 | $4,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2017 | |
| SFW Expo Permit ($1.50) | NS6554 | $4,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2017 | |
| National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) | NC927 | $4,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2017 | |
| Utah Chukar and Wildlife Foundation | NC928 | $4,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2017 | |
| Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) | $0.00 | $2,000.00 | $0.00 | 2017 |
Species
| Species | "N" Rank | HIG/F Rank | ||||
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| Greater Sage-grouse | N3 | R1 | ||||
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| Sharp-tailed Grouse | N4 | R1 | ||||
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Habitats
| Habitat |
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Project Comments
Completion
Start Date:
04/03/2017
End Date:
04/21/2017
FY Implemented:
2017
Final Methods:
UDWR contracted with Owyhee Air Research to use fixed winged aircraft mounted with high-tech infrared technology to fly grid patterns over the search area in East Box Elder county. All birds located during the flights were recorded, counted, and reported back to UDWR within 72 hours of discovering the birds. No UDWR personnel were on the plane, but UDWR provided a search area and the plane was be guided by GPS.
Project Narrative:
Owyhee Air Research flew for 4 consecutive mornings, April 10-13, 2017. There were 6 total detections of grouse, 4 detections for sharp-tailed grouse, 2 detections for greater sage-grouse. There were 23 greater sage-grouse detected, 15 and 8. There were 28 sharp-tailed grouse detected, 6,4,9,and 9. Video was taken of each of the 6 detections, showing the birds on the ground. All flight paths were recorded and will be added to the lek search database housed at the SLC DWR office in the upland game program.
Future Management:
All detections will be monitored for 2 springs to determine if the detection was a new lek location. if the detection site is a new lek, it will be monitored using the standard DWR monitoring protocol for each species. Overall, the project went very well and was a success. We may continue to do infrared lek flights to search for sharp-tailed and sage grouse.
Map Features
| ID | Feature Category | Action | Treatement/Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5490 | Affected Area |
Project Map
