Project Information

The four projects chosen for funding were selected from forty-two submitted proposals because they were judged most likely to impact sage-grouse conservation at landscape scales. The selected projects are:

Collectively, these projects leverage almost $800,000 in partner funding from the Joint Fire Science Program, Bureau of Land Management, and Natural Resource Conservation Service. They address threats and critical information needs identified in the WAFWA Sage-Grouse Conservation Strategy. Development of a technique to control and eradicate cheatgrass, and designing fuel breaks to protect core sage-grouse habitats from fire could be vital to better manage the largest threat in the western (and potentially eastern) portion of the range. Completing mapping juniper encroachment phases across their entire range, coupled with state and federal funding sources for removal represents a unique opportunity to prevent additional loss of functional habitats and restore sage-grouse to formerly occupied habitats at landscape scales. Development of a range-wide methodology to estimate sage-grouse population size and trends is critical to understanding the conservation status of sage-grouse now and in the future, and to monitoring grouse response to management practices.

Collaboration among land management entities at a range-wide scale helps to coordinate planning, reduce redundancy, increase efficiencies and assures shared priorities. The selected projects seek to create science-based decision support tools and assist in the access and transfer of sage-grouse research data. By working in partnership and providing project funding, the Service has created a strong alliance of people dedicated to sustainable healthy landscapes and natural resource priorities in support of sage-grouse conservation.