Use the Library of Technical Articles

Here are some helpful articles that explain the issues and provide more information on habitat protection and restoration of sage-grouse populations

Up In Smoke: Fire and Invasives on Western Rangelands
By: Intermountain West Joint Venture
Sagebrush rangelands once covered nearly 250 million acres in western North America. Today, this landscape has been reduced to half its original size and is rapidly shrinking.

pdf Understanding Rural Attitudes Toward the Environment and Conservation in America
By: Robert Bonnie, Emily Pechar Diamond, and Elizabeth Rowe
Rural Americans matter—a lot—to the fate of U.S. environmental policy. Not only do farmers, ranchers, and forest owners manage huge portions of American lands and watersheds, but rural voters also have an outsized impact on national policy.

Using Existing Tools to Expand Cooperative Conservation for Candidate Species Across Federal and Non-Federal Lands
By: US Fish and Wildlife Service
For many years the Service has worked with partners to help them develop Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCAs). CCAs primarily have been developed by Federal agencies to cover Federal lands, and several have resulted in conservation efforts that made listing unnecessary.

pdf Donate a conservation easement: How federal benefits put money in your pocket!
By: Tax Credit Connection, Inc.
In addition to the Colorado credit, landowners can receive an extra reward for conserving their land with a conservation easement. The current rules are not yet permanent, so please keep that in mind as you and your advisors make plans for your taxes.

pdf A step-by-step guide to donating a conservation easement
By: Tax Credit Connection, Inc.
This guide is meant to help you understand the steps that must be completed to conserve your property and the typical costs that are involved.

Partnering to Conserve Sagebrush Rangelands
By: Intermountain West Joint Venture
The purpose of our Partnering to Conserve Sagebrush Rangelands effort is to catalyze proactive, voluntary, and community-led sagebrush rangeland conservation – expanding success across private and public lands.

pdf Reducing Conflict with Grizzly Bears, Wolves and Elk A Western Landowners’ Guide
By: Western Landowners Alliance
This guide has been produced by and for landowners and practitioners constructively engaged in one of the greatest conservation challenges of our time—how to share and manage a wild, working landscape that sustains both people and wildlife.

pdf Cooperative Conservation - Determinants of Landowner Engagement in Conserving Endangered Species
By: Megan E. Hansen
This paper analyzes surveys of private landowners to identify factors that determine landowner engagement in the conservation of endangered species.

pdf Grazed Rangelands Produce Sage Grouse Chicks’ Preferred Food
By: Sage Grouse Initiative
This study comparing insect communities in grazed, rested, and idled pastures in Montana found that the types of insects that provide a critical food source for sage grouse chicks and other shrub- and grassland-dependent birds were 13 percent more prevalent on managed versus idled rangelands.& ...

Establishing Conservation Easements
By: Sage Grouse Initiative
Ranchers & Sage Grouse Find the Elbow Room They Need to Make A Living Why are record-breaking numbers of ranchers signing up for conservation easements in high-abundance sage grouse areas? Rangewide, a quarter-million acres will remain as working ranches without threat of subdivision.

Middle Ground Found On The Range
By: Sage Grouse Initiative
Grazing access to public lands important for sustainable ranching  New research reveals a clear link between the economic health of ranches and their ability to maintain habitat for iconic wildlife.

pdf Wyoming Sage-Grouse Working Groups - Lessons Learned
By: Thomas J. Christiansen, Lorien R. Belton
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) has been the subject of multiple status reviews under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Wyoming accounts for approximately 38% of the range-wide population.

pdf Greater Sage-Grouse Range-Wide Mitigation Framework
By: US Fish and Wildlife Service
The purpose of this document is to help states, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and other partners develop and implement coordinated and robust mitigation processes across the range to reduce threats and the potential need to list the species under the Endangered Species Act.

pdf Science to Solutions - Sagebrush Songbirds Under the Sage Grouse Umbrella
By: Sage Grouse Initiative
Researchers examined whether benefits from sage grouse conservation extend to three species of sagebrush songbirds: Brewer's sparrow, sagebrush sparrow and sage thrasher.

pdf Integrating Bird Conservation into Range Management
This manual is designed to assist resource professionals with integrating birds and their habitat needs into range management and monitoring, and to train landowners and land managers to do the same.& ...

pdf Sharing Your Land with Prairie Wildlife
By: Scott W. Gillihan, David J. Hanni, Scott W. Hutchings, Tony Leukering, Ted Toombs, and Tammy
This third edition of this manual (formerly entitled Sharing Your Land With Shortgrass Prairie Birds) is about how to help birds and other wildlife make a living from the land while you do the same.

pdf Best Management Practices for Shortgrass Prairie Birds
By: Scott W. Gillihan and Scott W. Hutchings
The information in this guide is designed to guide you in creating and maintaining habitat for 13 bird species of the shortgrass prairie, birds that are in need of conservation efforts.

pdf Adverse Impact Reduction Handbook
By: Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission and ALL Consulting
Reducing Onshore Natural Gas and Oil Exploration and Production Impacts Using a Broad-Based Stakeholder Approach

pdf Wyoming Greater Sage-Grouse Core Area Protection Executive Order
By: State or Wyoming, Office of the Governor

pdf Sage Grouse Initiative 2.0 - Investment Strategy, FY 2015-2018
By: Natural Resources Conservation Service
Sage Grouse Initiative 2.0 combines plans from 11 states into one cohesive, rangewide plan that will guide the agency's conservation efforts.

pdf 2014 Farm Bill Field Guide to Fish and Wildlife Conservation
By: North American Bird Conservation Initiative, U.S. Committee
The 2014 Farm Bill Field Guide to Fish and Wildlife Conservation was prepared as an introduction for fish and wildlife conservation providers – the on-the-ground biologists and conservation partners who help deliver Farm Bill conservation programs to landowners.

Lack of prescribed burns fuels rise of megafires, ASU fire historian says
By: Scott Seckel
Wildfire is a striking story, often filled with the drama of danger. But there's a narrative missing from many of the reports: We need more controlled fires to prevent these runaway infernos, said fire historian and Arizona State University Regents’ Professor Stephen Pyne.

pdf Outcomes in Conservation - Sage Grouse Initiative
By: Natural Resources Conservation Service/USDA
In 2010, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) designated the greater sage-grouse a Candidate species for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

pdf Pocket Guide to Sagebrush Birds
By: Melissa Pitkin and Laura Quattrini
This Guide was created by staffs at Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and at PRBO Conservation Science, describes 40 of the most common bird species in sagebrush habitats.& ...

pdf Pocket Guide to Sagebrush
By: Leila Shultz
This Guide provides identifying characteristics and range maps for 18 species of sagebrush, encompassing 27 different kinds (including subspecies and hybrids).

Greater Sage-grouse Comprehensive Conservation Strategy
By: San J. Stiver, Anthony D. Apa, Joe Bohne, S. Dwight Bunnell, Patricia Deibert, S.C. Gardner, M.A. Hilliard, C.W. McCarthy, and M.A. Schroeder
This Strategy outlines the critical need to develop the associations among local, state, provincial, tribal, and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and individual citizens to design and implement cooperative actions to support robust populations of sage-grouse and the landscapes and habitats upon which they depend.

Summary of Science, Activities, Programs, and Policies That Influence the Rangewide Conservation of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
By: D.J. Manier, D.J.A. Wood, Z.H. Bowen, R.M. Donovan, M.J. Holloran, L.M. Juliusson, K.S. Mayne, S.J. Oyler-McCance, F.R. Quamen, D.J. Saher, and A.J. Titolo

pdf Sage Grouse Initiative - Success on the Range
By: Deborah Richie, Sage Grouse Initiative Communications Director
The Sage Grouse Initiative launched in 2010 and five years later is a primary catalyst for sage-steppe conservation, conserving 4.4 million acres across 11 western states.

pdf Science to Solutions - Private Lands Vital to Conserving Wet Areas for Sage Grouse Summer Habitat
By: Christine Paige, Sage Grouse Initiative
A recent groundbreaking study reveals a strong link between sites, which are essential summer habitat for sage grouse to raise their broods, and the distribution of sage grouse breeding areas or leks.

pdf BLM Fire and Aviation - Sage Grouse Efforts
By: BLM Director Bob Abbey
Fire is an important part of the ecology of sagebrush habitats. It’s not possible to eliminate all fire from sagebrush, nor is it advisable.

pdf Trial by Fire - Improving Our Ability to Reduce Wildfire Impacts to Sage-Grouse and Sagebrush Ecosystems Through Accelerated Partner Collaboration
By: Tim Murphy, David E. Naugle, Randall Eardley, Jeremy D. Maestas, Tim Griffiths, Mike Pellant, and San J. Stiver
Wildfire and subsequent invasion by exotic annual grasses in the Great Basin challenge land managers and impede the success of conservation practices designed to improve habitat quality for sage-grouse.

pdf Birds in a sagebrush sea - managing sagebrush habitats for bird communities
By: C. Paige and S. A. Ritter
The purpose of this document is to help anyone who is a steward of sagebrush shrublands include management practices that help support a thriving community of wild birds.

pdf Watering Facility Wildlife Escape Ladder Design
By: Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory
Guide provides an approved design for wildlife escape ladders in watering facilities.

pdf Science to Solutions - Conifer Removal Restores Sage Grouse Habitat
By: Christine Paige
The invasion of juniper and other conifers into sagebrush rangelands degrades habitat for sage grouse. The most effective approach is to target early encroachment stands, completely removing small trees, and thereby sustaining the existing sagebrush community.

pdf Livestock Water Tanks and Sage-grouse - A Landowners Guide
By: USDA - NRCS
Watering tanks installed for livestock are often used by wildlife as well, with unintended consequences. Sage-grouse are known to drown in livestock water tanks that do not have escape ramps.

pdf Science to Solutions - Marking High-Risk Fences Saves Sage Grouse
By: Christine Paige
Marking fences for visibility can dramatically reduce sage grouse collisions. A new mapping tool can help managers and landowners target those fences that pose the highest risk for grouse strikes: fences close to leks and in flat or rolling terrain.

pdf Who’s on the Lek A Guide to Players
By: Notes from the Lek: Greater Sage-grouse Conservation Primer Series Primer # 2
Document describes some of the key entities in the conservation of sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystems.

pdf Interagency Sage-grouse Conservation Implementation MOU
By: WAFWA, USDA-Forest Service, U.S. Department of Interior-BLM, U.S. Department of Interior-FWS,U.S. Department of Interior-Geological Survey, USDA-NRCS, USDA-FSA
MOU provides for cooperation among the participating State and federal land, wildlife management and science agencies in the conservation and management of Greater sage-grouse, sagebrush habitats and other sagebrush-dependent wildlife throughout the Western United States and Canada.

pdf Overview of Greater Sage-grouse and Endangered Species Act Activities
By: Notes from the Lek: Greater Sage-grouse Conservation Primer Series Primer # 4
The Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a game bird managed under State authorities. Summarizes petitions to USFWS to list the species under ESA, the Services conclusions and litigation status.

pdf Sage-grouse Mapping and Priority Habitats
By: Notes from the Lek: Greater Sage-grouse Conservation Primer Series Primer # 3
This primer displays the historic and current range of sage-grouse, sage-grouse management zones, and the breeding bird density map.

pdf Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Findings for Petitions to List the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) as Threatened or Endangered
By: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior
Fish and Wildlife Service’s March 2010 status review provides a detailed description of seasonal habitats, sage-grouse natural history and population trend analyses.

pdf Beginner’s Guide to Greater Sage-Grouse
By: Notes from the Lek: Greater Sage-grouse Conservation Primer Series Primer # 1
Introductory guide provides key points for a basic understanding of the greater sage-grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus and  its habitats.

pdf Near Term Sage-Grouse Conservation Action Plan
By: Range-wide Interagency Sage-grouse Conservation Team
Plan presented to Greater Sage-grouse Executive Oversight Committee & Sage-Grouse Task Force, September 11, 2012.

pdf Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Conservation Objectives - Final Report
By: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
February 2013 report delineates reasonable objectives, based upon the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of its release, for the conservation and survival of greater sage-grouse.

pdf Sage-Grouse Initiative - Conservation Beyond Boundaries
By: USDA - NRCS
2012 Progress Report describes the need, goals, and results/outcomes of the Initiative.

pdf Two Win-Win Initiatives with Common Recovery Goals Lesser Prairie-Chicken and Greater Sage-Grouse
By: Christian Hagan
Lesser prairie-chickens and greater sage-grouse depend on large prairie and steppe landscapes shared by agricultural producers, primarily ranching operations.

pdf Sage Grouse Initiative - Tracking Success
By: Tim Griffiths, David Naugle and Jeremy Maestas (eds.)
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) launched the Sage Grouse Initiative in 2010, applying the power of the Farm Bill to target lands where habitats are intact and sage grouse numbers are highest.

pdf Guide to Environmental Markets for Farmers and Ranchers
By: Don Stuart, Dennis Canty, and Katherine Killebrew
The Guide to Environmental Markets for Farmers and Ranchers, produced by the American Farmland Trust (AFT), provides an overview of available market opportunities for environmental credits and services, how farmers and ranchers can get involved in them, and ways to encourage their continued growth.

pdf Guidance for the Establishment, Use, and Operation of Conservation Banks
By: US Fish and Wildlife Service
This document provides guidance on the establishment, use, and operation of conservation banks for the purpose of providing a tool for offset mitigating adverse impacts to species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.

pdf Applying the Sage-Grouse Fence Collision Risk Tool to Reduce Bird Strikes
By: USDA - NRCS

pdf A Landowner's Guide to Wildlife Friendly Fences - How to Build Fence with Wildlife in Mind
By: Christine Paige

pdf A Landowner's Guide to Fences and Wildlife - Practical Tips to Make Your Fences Wildlife Friendly
By: Christine Paige
Wyoming Edition  

pdf Influences of Livestock Grazing on Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat - Context and Management
By: Jeff Beck, Karen Launchbaugh and Mike Smith

pdf Greater Sage-Grouse Field Indicator Guide
By: NRCS Montana
This brochure is offered to the public to further outreach and education about sage-grouse; a species being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Program.

pdf Frequently Asked Questions About Marking Fences to Prevent Sage Grouse Collisions
By: Sage Grouse Initiative

pdf Working Lands for Wildlife Predictability FAQs
By: USDA - NRCS

pdf Working Lands for Wildlife Implementation Process
By: USDA

pdf Working Lands for Wildlife Greater Sage-Grouse
By: USDA
FAQs Including CCAA and SGI Comparison

pdf Inventory of State and Local Governments’ Conservation Initiatives for Sage-Grouse
By: Western Governors' Association
The 2014 Sage-Grouse Appendix identifies all sage-grouse conservation initiatives reported by states and counties between 2011 and 2014. &n ...

pdf Sage-Grouse Inventory - 2014 Conservation Initiatives
By: Western Governors' Association
The fourth annual inventory produced by the Governors, through the Western Governors' Association, has expanded its focus from previous years.

pdf Inventory of State and Local Governments' Conservation Initiatives for Sage-Grouse - 2014 Conservation Initiatives
By: Western Governors' Association

pdf Inventory of State and Local Governments' Conservation Initiatives for Sage-Grouse - 2014 Appendix
By: Western Governors' Association

pdf How to make and install fence markers for sage grouse
By: USDA NRCS
Fence marking using vinyl undersill trim is an effective and practical approach to increasing wire fence visibility and reducing potential sage-grouse collisions.

pdf Guidance for Developing Greater Sage-Grouse & Range Management Candidate Conservation Agreements on National Forests and Grasslands, ROcky Mountain Region, Wyoming
By: USDA Forest Service - Rocky Mountain Region, US Fish and Wildlife Service - Wyoming Ecological Services Office
The Candidate Conservation Agreement (CCA) is an agreement between the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, and participating permittee.

pdf BLM Guidance and Support Document for Developing Greater Sage-Grouse & Range Management CCAs on BLM Lands in Wyoming
By: U.S. Bureau of Land Management - Wyoming State Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Wyoming Ecological Services Office
The CCA is an agreement between the Fish and Wildlife Service, the BLM, and the participating permittee. It provides a framework for participating permittees/lessees to voluntarily implement conservation measures for sage-grouse beyond those that they are required to implement by regulation, such as those measures required as a condition of a grazing permit.

pdf Greater Sage-Grouse Candidate Conservation Agreement for Range Management on Bureau of Land Management Lands in Wyoming
By: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management
The purpose of this Candidate Conservation Agreement (CCA) is to support implementation of consistent conservation measures across public and private lands operations to further reduce or eliminate potential threats to sage-grouse from rangeland management practices and to maintain and support livestock grazing practices that are beneficial or neutral to sage-grouse on enrolled allotments administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Wyoming.

pdf USFWS Greater Sage-Grouse CCAA for Wyoming Ranch Management Individual Conservation Plan
By: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Private landowners within the State of Wyoming have an opportunity to participate in a statewide Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus).

pdf Working Lands for Wildlife - Sage Grouse
By: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Wyoming
The Working Lands for Wildlife - Sage Grouse program conserves sage-grouse and other wildlife through sustainable ranching.

pdf Landowner Handbook for Greater Sage-Grouse Umbrella CCAA for Wyoming Ranch Management
By: David J. Willms
This handbook is designed as a resource to assist landowners in making decisions about whether or not to enter into an individual Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances as provided by the Umbrella CCAA.

pdf A Landowner's Approach to Greater Sage-Grouse Umbrella CCAA for Wyoming Ranch Management
By: Leanne Correll
Using CCAAs and CCAs as a tool.

pdf Tri-fold Sage-Grouse CCAA brochure
By: Wyoming Stock Growers Association
An overview of the greater sage-grouse umbrella CCAA for Wyoming ranch management and complementray public land CCA.

pdf Inventory of State and Local Governments' Conservation Initiatives for Sage-Grouse - 2013 Appendix
By: Western Governors’ Association
The Appendix collects all initiatives reported by the relevant states and counties between 2011 and 2013 to avoid a threatened or endangered listing of sage-grouse and Gunnison sage-grouse on the federal endangered species list.

pdf BLM's Best Management Practices for Sage Grouse
By: Bureau of Land Management
In this report, produced by the Sage-grouse National Technical Team in 2011, the BLM outlines Best Management Practices for Sage-grouse in the Appendixes.

pdf Guidelines to manage sage grouse populations and their habitats
By: John W. Connelly; Michael A. Schroeder, Alan R. Sands, and Clait E. Braun
This paper summarizes the current knowledge of the ecology of sage grouse and, based on this information, provides guidelines to manage sage grouse populations and their habitats.

pdf Sweetwater County Conservation District-Land & Resource Use Plan and Policy
By: SCCD
The Plan identifies and applies goals, objectives, and policies to the state and federal regulatory framework that governs the management of private, state, and federal land and the rangeland, soil, water, and wildlife resources.

pdf Sage-grouse Conservation Plan for the Big Horn Basin,Wyoming - Five-Year Addendum, 2007-2013
By: The Big Horn Basin Sage - grouse Local Working Group
The Sage-grouse Conservation Plan for the Big Horn Basin was finalized in 2007. Updates to the Plan were scheduled to be completed every five years.

pdf Wyoming Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan
By: Sage-Grouse Working Group
The purpose of the Wyoming Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan will be to: establish the framework for local working groups to guide ma ...

pdf Conserving Greater Sage-Grouse - A Sportsmen's Priority
By: Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
The Backcountry Hunters and Anglers' Report on the Greater-Sage Grouse shows how Wyoming got Sage-Grouse conservation right by getting everyone around the table.& ...

pdf Greater Sage-Grouse Umbrella CCAA for Wyoming Ranch Management A Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
By: Wyoming Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts, U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Umbrella Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for greater sage-grouse in Wyoming.

pdf Conference Report for the Natural Resource Conservation Service's Sage-grouse Initiative
By: US Fish and Wildlife Service
Report evaluates  the collective, landscape-level effects of implementing all aspects of NRCS' SGI and related planning process on two species of sage grouse and their habitats.

pdf Prescribed Fire As a Management Tool In Xeric Sagebrush Ecosystems - is it worth the risk to Sage-Grouse?
By: Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Technical Committee
This white paper is prepared by the Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Technical Committee for the WAFWA describing the risks and benefits of prescribed burns in Sage-Grouse habitat.

pdf Inventory of State and Local Governments’ Conservation Initiatives for Sage-Grouse 2013 Update
By: Western Governors’ Association
Western states, through the WGA and Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), have worked collaboratively to address challenges facing sage-grouse and their habitat.