SAGE GROUSE MANAGEMENT PLAN OWYHEE COUNTY JUNE 2000 PURPOSE OF THE PLAN Utilize local input and knowledge to develop a long-term collaborative management plan providing a framework for sage grouse management in conjunction with federal, state and Owyhee County land management plans and actions in Owyhee County. This long-term management plan will provide guidance to resource and land management agencies as well as Owyhee County in dealing with issues that directly or indirectly affect the GOAL of the local working group. While the plan proposes a significant number of action items, the initial emphasis is to provide for better information on sage grouse and sage grouse habitat in Owyhee County to permit more informed decisions in the future. GOAL Preserve and increase sage grouse populations in Owyhee County. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR PLAN DEVELOPMENT The Idaho Fish and Game Commission is legislatively mandated and authorized to preserve, protect, and perpetuate the state's fish and wildlife resources. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has undertaken an effort to establish the Idaho Sage Grouse Task Force to develop a state plan that addresses concerns for declining sage grouse populations in the state. This plan calls for the establishment of local sage grouse working groups that localize plans and programs that maintain, improve, and restore local sage grouse populations and their habitats. The Owyhee County Natural Resources Committee is charged by the Owyhee County Commission with the development, revision and implementation of a Land Use and Management Plan for Owyhee County. This plan addresses all of the resource values associated with these lands. As issues related to management of lands arise, the Owyhee County Natural Resource Committee initiates the county process developed for the overall plan to address those issues. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Owyhee County have a mutual interest and concern in the issue of declining sage grouse populations. For this reason, it is in the mutual interest of both parties to work closely and cooperatively in the development of a sage grouse population stabilization and recovery plan. The Owyhee County Sage Grouse Local Working Group was established to create a management plan that would establish a process and put into place a framework that would guide management efforts aimed at improving sage grouse populations and reverse recent declines of sage grouse. The Owyhee County Sage Grouse LWG desired participation from as diverse a group as possible to ensure a collaborative and cooperative effort from all resource interests. Monthly meetings were held with as many as forty participants. Representatives have included the BLM, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Owyhee Cattlemen's Association, Idaho Cattleman's Association, Idaho Bird Hunters, Owyhee County Natural Resource Committee, Idaho Wildlife Federation, Idaho Wildlife Council, The Nature Conservancy, USDA NRCS and FSA, Ada County Fish and Game League, Chipmunk Grazing Association, 71 Livestock Association, Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho Off Road Vehicle (SIDRA), Wildlife Services, United States Air Force, and other general public interests. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE LOCAL WORKING GROUP 1. Invite and include everyone interested in sage grouse management in Owyhee County. 2. Respect individual views and make decisions through collaboration and consensus. 3. Develop management plans and actions that are compatible with the objectives and actions contained in the Owyhee County Land Use and Management Plan for Federal and State Lands. 4. Develop management plans and actions that are compatible with the purpose and intent of the 1997 Idaho Sage Grouse Management Plan. 5. Implement management actions in ways that meet the Plan's GOAL as agreed to by the local working group. 6. This Plan is intended to be a fluid and dynamic plan that may change as new information becomes available. 7. The Plan's working time frame shall be 5-year intervals but it will be reviewed annually. 8. Additional funding will be required to accomplish needed actions. MANAGEMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT The area of concern for the Owyhee County Sage Grouse LWG was agreed to encompass Owyhee County proper, or all of IDFG Management Area 1 and the western portion of Management Area 2. The Owyhee County Sage Grouse LWG compiled an extensive list of issues concerning sage grouse. This list was narrowed to forty-six issues of greatest importance. These forty-six issues were ranked and consolidated under five sage grouse management efforts. Sage Grouse Management Efforts Are Focused on the Following: 1. Sage Grouse Habitat 2. Sage Grouse Predators 3. Sage Grouse Hunting 4. Sage Grouse Research and Monitoring 5. Program Funding A Local Working Group sub-committee was established for each of the five sage grouse management efforts. Sage grouse management sub-committees were responsible for further developing each issue of immediate importance associated with its management effort. SAGE GROUSE POPULATION INFORMATION POPULATIONS Sage grouse breeding populations in western states have shown significant declines in recent years. The average number of males attending leks (traditional breeding grounds) in Colorado was 31% lower between 1986 and 1995 than the long-term average (1948-1985). Counts were lower by 17% in Wyoming, 30% in Utah, 30% in Oregon, 47% in Washington, and 31% in Montana during similar time periods. Recent trends of sage grouse populations in Idaho have shown a statewide decline of about 40% from the long-term average (Connelly and Braun, 1997). The available information for Owyhee County does not suggest a specific decline although declines have occurred in some areas, especially those altered by wildfire. There are three primary sources of information on sage grouse populations in Owyhee County: lek counts, recruitment of young to the fall population, and sage grouse hunter participation measured at check stations. Each of these data sources has its limitations. Lek Counts and Surveys Lek counts census number of males attending leks along established routes while lek surveys classify known leks as active or inactive each year (Autenreith et al. 1982). Lek counts have been concentrated in three parts of Owyhee County west of the Bruneau River (Table 1) as well of parts of eastern Owyhee County (Table 2). Since only one to three leks were counted in each area and not all leks were counted every year, the counts must be interpreted with caution. Table 1 shows the raw data along with the long- term 30-year average and the immediate past 10-year average. Figure 1 shows the average birds per lek in Owyhee County where at least 4 leks were counted. The trend line is flat although there has been wide fluctuation in counts. Verbal accounts and loss of sagebrush habitat due to wildfire, however, suggest that sage grouse numbers are below historic levels in some areas. Recruitment of young to the fall population (chick production) This data is developed by examining wings from sage grouse harvested by hunters and determining the number of juvenile birds in the harvest. Research studies of sage grouse population dynamics indicate that the number of young sage grouse surviving to the fall for each adult hen is a good indicator of population trend (Johnson and Braun 1999). Recent population analyses indicate that a ratio of 2.25 chicks per adult hen provide adequate recruitment to maintain or slightly increase a population (J. Connelly, pers. commun). Most wings are collected from hunters in the Battle Creek-Big Springs area and south of Grasmere, areas with generally stable habitats. The only productivity estimates are for the entire county since not enough wings have been collected to determine differences in productivity among different areas in Owyhee County. Wing count data is presented in Table 3 and Figures 2 and 3. Over the long term, data suggests a downward trend in juvenile production Figure 2. However, during the past 30 years, data suggests there has been no change in recruitment levels over time (Figure 3). The data is only suggestive of what may have occurred since samples were not collected randomly throughout the county and sample sizes had extreme variation. Hunter Participation and Success Many factors impact sage grouse hunting activity. Weather, bag limits, status of the sage grouse populations, number of licensed hunters, and human population demographics are all factors that may influence hunter numbers as well as success (Table 4). Check station data provides limited meaningful information as to sage grouse populations. Hunter success was 1.1 birds per hunter in the 60's and 70's and remained virtually unchanged in the 80's and 90's at 0.97. Likewise, the average hunting hours per bird has averaged 5.7 over the past 40 years with values of 4.7 in the 60's, 6.1 in the 70's, 6.6 in the 80's and 5.0 in the 90's. The check stations in Owyhee County have run on a variety of schedules. The number of check stations has declined with the number of sage grouse hunters. The four check stations operated opening weekend from 1958 to 1962 and again in 1999 are roughly comparable. In the 1960's and 1970's an average of over 900 hunters were checked annually. In 1999, 337 hunters were checked, about a 60% decline. Summary The lack of consistent and representative information limits the ability to define sage grouse populations generally in Owyhee County. There is a need to develop adequate data to establish a baseline from which to measure change. The need to improve the scope of data collection particularly for lek counts from significant areas is apparent. A more direct measure of nesting success is also a significant need. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS AND OBJECTIVES All actions listed below will respect private property rights, are subject to funding being available and will be conducted in coordination with all agencies and adjoining counties and states to the greatest extent possible. Finding needed funding for identified actions is a key function of the Owyhee Sage Grouse Local Working Group. SAGE GROUSE HABITAT INVENTORY ACTION PLAN The sage grouse habitat action plan will begin immediately with a written evaluation done at least every 5 years. A. Map locations of all known active and historic sage grouse leks in Owyhee County by the end of 2001. This will be accomplished by aerial and ground surveys, monitoring radio-marked sage grouse, review of historic lek data and interviews with local resource users (Lead: Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) B. Identify and map sage grouse breeding (nesting and early brood) habitat associated with active leks by the end of 2004. Sage grouse populations will be analyzed as to whether they are migratory or non-migratory. This will be accomplished using radio telemetry data or other techniques for each population. A physical inventory of the associated breeding habitat will then be accomplished on the ground by a wildlife biologist with the assistance of the local livestock operator and other interested parties. (Lead: Appropriate land management agency or private landowner with assistance of IDFG) C. Identify and map known sage grouse wintering habitat by the end of 2001. This will be accomplished by radio telemetry data, aerial and ground surveys, and input from local resource users. (Lead: Appropriate land management agency or private landowner with assistance of IDFG) D. Perform a qualitative assessment of the sage grouse breeding (nesting and early brood) habitat associated with active leks. An interdisciplinary team, including a wildlife biologist, will determine the quality of the breeding habitat. Factors such as soil type, moisture regime, vegetation and grazing systems should be analyzed. Under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho Standard and Guidelines implementation schedule this will be accomplished on BLM land by 2007. (Lead: Appropriate land management agency or private landowner with assistance of IDFG. The Owyhee Natural Resource Committee (NRC) will assist with work on private land). E. Map undesirable disturbance and habitat. Map crested wheatgrass seedings, fires, juniper encroachment, sagebrush removal or overabundance and other undesirable habitat. (Lead: BLM). SAGE GROUSE HABITAT IMPROVEMENT ACTION PLAN A. Grazing Management. An interdisciplinary team will be established at the request of the affected parties. The team will normally consist of at least a wildlife biologist, range scientist, livestock specialist, livestock operator and include all interested parties. This is the preferred team composition, but the structure may be modified by agreement of the involved parties if certain specialists are not reasonably available. The team must consider both short and long-term benefits to sage grouse and other potentially affected species. The team may recommend sage grouse habitat improvement actions based on the qualitative assessments in paragraph D under Habitat Inventory. Recommendations for grazing management plans shall be made on a site-specific basis with full consultation, cooperation and coordination involving all affected landowners, land management agencies, grazing preference owners, and other affected interests. (Lead: Appropriate land management agency or private landowner). B. Develop maps that identify sage grouse habitat for high priority protection from wildfire. Using current information, provide maps to the fire management staff of all groups that fight fires in Owyhee County outlining critical sage grouse habitat in the county. Initial maps will be developed for the 2000 fire season and updated annually thereafter. (Lead: BLM). C. Fire Rehabilitation. The sites of all future wildfires in high priority sage grouse habitat identified in Section C will, regardless of potential for natural recovery, be reseeded with sagebrush and, when needed, grasses and forbs best adapted to the site to hasten recovery of the habitat. This policy should be instituted immediately. (Lead: Appropriate land management agency or private landowner). D. Sagebrush Restoration. Implement sagebrush restoration projects in historic sage grouse habitat where historic fires have removed sagebrush cover. A minimum of 1,000 acres of combined federal, state, and private lands shall be targeted for restoration annually with seed mixtures that are best for sage grouse and adapted to the site. (Lead: Appropriate land management agency or private landowner) E. Juniper Encroachment. Using the maps created by the Habitat Inventory Action Plan, identify existing and potential loss of sage grouse habitat due to juniper encroachment. The areas of greatest benefit to sage grouse will be prioritized so that juniper control activities can be scheduled. Suitable methods of juniper eradication such as prescribed burning, chemical control, woodland harvest, chaining, and other mechanical means should be evaluated and employed where appropriate. Treat and eradicate juniper on a minimum of 500 acres of state land (IDL Plan) and 5,000 acres of federal land (Owyhee RMP) annually to enhance sage grouse habitat by restoring healthy sagebrush- grassland communities. (Lead: Appropriate land management agency). PREDATOR ACTION PLAN A. Using radio-telemetry tracking of sage grouse, determine the effect of predation on sage grouse. Complete the initial research on predation on nesting success and adult survival by the end of 2001. (Lead: IDFG) B. Perform artificial nest studies in selected parts of Owyhee County to compare artificial nest fate in different types of habitat. Use established techniques to reduce potential biases and to identify species of predators involved. Complete initial research by the end of 2002 and continue as needed. (Lead: Wildlife Services and IDFG). C. If predators are found to be a significant factor in some areas, reduce numbers of those predators in those areas. Document whether control improves sage grouse survival or nesting success by comparing treated area to areas with no predator control. (Lead: Wildlife Services for removal and IDFG for monitoring). D. Use interviews of local landowners, hunters and others to gather data on predators. (Lead: University of Idaho and Owyhee County). HUNTING ACTION PLAN A. Review data collected during 1999 and spring of 2000 and, if necessary, recommend more restrictive seasons for 2000 to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission in May 2000. (Accomplished 4/2000). B. Support legislation to allow IDFG Habitat Improvement Program funds to be used for sage grouse habitat improvement. (Accomplished 3/2000). C. Recommend that the Idaho Fish and Game Commission require a free permit to hunt sage grouse to allow better monitoring sage grouse hunters and their harvest. (Accomplished 5/2000). D. Offer all sage grouse permit holders mail-in envelopes for sage grouse wings. Include a letter explaining the need for the information obtained from wings. (Lead: IDFG) E. Maintain needed check stations and wing barrels. (Lead: IDFG) F. Use a telephone survey of permit holders to estimate sage grouse harvest in each county. (Lead: IDFG) G. Band sage grouse in selected areas to help estimate harvest rates in those areas. (Lead: IDFG) H. Re-evaluate this Hunting Action Plan annually. (Lead: IDFG) SAGE GROUSE RESEARCH AND MONITORING ACTION PLAN A. Provide a reliable estimate of the distribution and populations of sage grouse in Owyhee County by 2004. (Lead: IDFG) B. Coordinate efforts by IDFG, BLM, USAF and others to systematically survey (fly or by other means) and/or otherwise identify through landowner surveys all active leks and historic leks in the county by the end of the spring 2004 breeding season. (Lead: IDFG and University of Idaho). C. Determine which sage grouse populations are non-migratory and migratory. (Lead: IDFG). D. Initiate radio-telemetry studies to determine causes of sage grouse chick mortality by 2002. (Lead: IDFG). E. Investigate the impact of different weather on variation in sage grouse numbers in Owyhee County. (Lead: IDFG) F. Encourage research on the impacts of human physical disturbance on sage grouse. (Lead: Owyhee County Natural Resource Committee). PROGRAM FUNDING ACTION PLAN The fundraising and implementation subcommittee will identify funds needed by year and organize efforts to obtain needed funding. Funding will be sought from federal and state agencies as well as others. Technical and financial assistance may be provided to landowners through the IDFG's Habitat Improvement Program. A. Annually, obtain funding for additional radio-telemetry studies in western Owyhee County, one starting in 2001 and one starting in 2002 estimated to cost an estimated $25,000-30,000/year each. (Lead: Fundraising Subcommittee). B. Obtain funding for the landowner/hunter/other user survey listed in both the Predator and the Research and Monitoring Action plans to be conducted in 2001. (Lead: Fundraising Subcommittee working with University of Idaho and Owyhee County NRC). C. Obtain funding for quantitative and qualitative analysis of sage grouse habitat in Owyhee County as identified in the Habitat Inventory Action Plan. (Lead: Fundraising Subcommittee). D. Obtain funding for juniper eradication projects as specified under the Habitat Improvement Action Plan beginning immediately. (Lead: Fundraising Subcommittee). E. Obtain funding for fire rehabilitation projects as specified under the Habitat Improvement Action Plan beginning immediately. (Lead: Fundraising Subcommittee). F. Obtain funding for sagebrush restoration projects as specified under the Habitat Improvement Action Plan beginning immediately. (Lead: Fundraising Subcommittee). G. Obtain funding for the artificial nest studies under the Predator Action Plan starting immediately. (Lead: Fundraising Subcommittee). REFERENCES: Autenreith, R. E., W. Molini, and C. E. Braun. 1982. Sage grouse management practices. Western States Sage Grouse Committee Technical Bulletin 1. Twin Falls, ID. 42pp. Connelly J. W. and C. E. Braun. 1997. Long-term changes in sage grouse Centrocercus urophasianus populations in western North America. Wildlife Biology 3:123-128. Johnson, K. H. and C. E. Braun. 1999. Viability and conservation of an exploited sage grouse population. Conservation Biology 13:77-84.