Sage Grouse Initiative Biologists FY23
Project ID: 6101
Status: Completed
Fiscal Year: 2023
Submitted By: 49
Project Manager: Danny Summers
PM Agency: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
PM Office: Salt Lake Office
Lead: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
WRI Region: Salt Lake Office
Description:
Placement of 2 wildlife biologists in Utah to specifically work on implementing NRCS farm bill programs (Sage Grouse Initiative) to conserve and protect sage-grouse populations through targeted, landscape-scale sage-grouse habitat conservation.
Location:
Biologists will be housed at NRCS field offices in Tremonton and Vernal.
Project Need
Need For Project:
Sagebrush once occurred on more than 150 million acres, stretching from the Canadian Rockies to the Southwest. Today, sagebrush habitat is rapidly being lost, degraded or fragmented by residential and commercial subdivisions, tillage agriculture, energy development, conifer encroachment and catastrophic wildfire. The impacts on sagebrush habitat are great enough that the FWS determined the sage-grouse is warranted for listing as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Listing sage-grouse could have major impacts on land use and the economy in Utah.
Objectives:
To reverse the decline of sagebrush habitat and reduce the need to list sage-grouse, the NRCS launched the SGI, an effort including many partners to achieve spatially targeted, landscape-scale sage-grouse habitat conservation, using Farm Bill conservation programs--Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). The principle objective is to conserve sage-grouse populations through habitat improvement and conservation.
Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?):
Lack of action could result in: -continued degradation of sage grouse habitat -ESA listing of sage grouse
Relation To Management Plan:
Utah's Conservation Plan for Greater Sage Grouse
Fire / Fuels:
N/A
Water Quality/Quantity:
N/A
Compliance:
N/A
Methods:
Two wildlife biologist positions will be staffed through Pheasants Forever to help build the capacity to successfully deliver NRCS Conservation Initiatives in Utah. The positions will be located in NRCS field offices in Tremonton and Vernal. Funding will be provided through a variety of State, Federal and NGO partners that have interest in restoring sage grouse habitat, furthering participation in farm bill programs and reducing the need to list sage grouse. The wildlife biologists will work with private landowners to implement farm bill programs to conserve sage grouse habitat.
Monitoring:
N/A
Partners:
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Intermountain West Joint Venture, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Pheasants Forever
Future Management:
N/A
Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
N/A
Budget WRI/DWR Other Budget Total In-Kind Grand Total
$16,000.00 $115,000.00 $131,000.00 $0.00 $131,000.00
Item Description WRI Other In-Kind Year
Personal Services (permanent employee) $16,000.00 $115,000.00 $0.00 2023
Funding WRI/DWR Other Funding Total In-Kind Grand Total
$16,000.00 $115,000.00 $131,000.00 $0.00 $131,000.00
Source Phase Description Amount Other In-Kind Year
Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) S023 $4,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Pheasants Forever $0.00 $115,000.00 $0.00 2023
National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) S024 $6,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) S025 $1,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Safari Club International (SCI) S026 $5,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Species
Species "N" Rank HIG/F Rank
Greater Sage-grouse N3 R1
Threat Impact
Annual and Perennial Non-timber Crops Low
Greater Sage-grouse N3 R1
Threat Impact
Brush Eradication / Vegetation Treatments High
Greater Sage-grouse N3 R1
Threat Impact
Channel Downcutting (indirect, unintentional) Medium
Greater Sage-grouse N3 R1
Threat Impact
Improper Grazing – Livestock (current) Low
Greater Sage-grouse N3 R1
Threat Impact
Improper Grazing – Livestock (historic) Low
Greater Sage-grouse N3 R1
Threat Impact
Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity Very High
Greater Sage-grouse N3 R1
Threat Impact
Invasive Plant Species – Non-native High
Greater Sage-grouse N3 R1
Threat Impact
Problematic Plant Species – Native Upland High
Habitats
Habitat
Lowland Sagebrush
Threat Impact
Brush Eradication / Vegetation Treatments Medium
Lowland Sagebrush
Threat Impact
Habitat Shifting and Alteration High
Lowland Sagebrush
Threat Impact
Improper Grazing – Livestock (current) Low
Lowland Sagebrush
Threat Impact
Improper Grazing – Livestock (historic) High
Lowland Sagebrush
Threat Impact
Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity Very High
Lowland Sagebrush
Threat Impact
Invasive Plant Species – Non-native Very High
Lowland Sagebrush
Threat Impact
Problematic Plant Species – Native Upland Medium
Lowland Sagebrush
Threat Impact
Soil Erosion / Loss Medium
Project Comments
Comment 08/31/2023 Type: 2 Commenter: Alison Whittaker
Please enter any missing expenses, highlighted in rust, on the Finance Page. When you have completed that please go back to the Completion Form and finalize your report again so I know that it has been completed. Thanks.
Comment 09/01/2023 Type: 2 Commenter: Alison Whittaker
Thanks Danny.
Completion
Start Date:
07/01/2022
End Date:
06/30/2023
FY Implemented:
2023
Final Methods:
See accomplishments in attached document.
Project Narrative:
See accomplishments in attached document.
Future Management:
Program continues.
Map Features
N/A
Project Map
N/A