SageGrouseWinterConcentrationAreas

Version 1 - 03.17.08: Sage-Grouse (sg) Core Areas as defined by the Governor's Sage Grouse Implementation Team (SGIT) on 3.17.08 in Lander, WY. Polygons were drawn on a paper map using a sage-grouse breeding density background that was created using Dr. Kevin Doherty's kernel lek density method. At the SGIT meeting, industry, NGOs, and various governmental organizations used pooled knowledge to draw polygons to protect sg breeding habitat. Version 2 - 08.07.08: Everything from version 1 except the redrawing of East Buffalo core area in the BLM Buffalo field office to match up with PLSS lines and better reflect the local conditions identified in an EIS. These changes were approved by the Governor's Office. Version 3 - 06.29.10: These core areas took the versions 2 core area concept further and refined the boundaries based on local conditions and more up-to-date threats to sage-grouse habitat. Each of the eight Local Working Groups (LWGs) met at least once and used core area scale maps (~1:90,000), local knowledge and known seasonal habitat use (winter and brood-rearing) to make recommended edge adjustments to the core area boundaries. The data available included: NAIP 2009 imagery to access the habitat and topography, oil/gas development, mining permit boundaries, permitted wind development, leks, and baseline data (roads, counties, etc.) The LWG's also had sagebrush habitat maps, WGFD Wildlife Observation System data, human footprint data, updated sage-grouse breeding density, and other supplemental datasets to make their decisions. The SGIT reviewed the recommendations by the LWGs and all the available data and finalized the boundary lines. Two connectivity corridors to Montana were also identified by the SGIT in consultation with the Northeast LWG. The final map, version 3 core areas, was presented and approved by the governor on 6/29/10. Version 4 - 07.29.15: Similar process as the version 2 to version 3 revision. The best available science and data was used to refine the core area edges to include new leks, dense population areas, and associated habitats while excluding known conflicts. The data available included: NAIP 2012 imagery to access the habitat and topography, oil/gas development, oil/gas unit boundaries, mining permit boundaries, EIS boundaries, transmission corridors, land ownership, permitted wind development, leks, updated sage-grouse current range, statewide existing disturbance data from the Density Disturbance Calculation Tool (DDCT), baseline data (roads, counties, etc.), sagebrush habitat maps, WGFD Wildlife Observation System data, research locations from Chapter 33 permits issued by WGFD, updated sage-grouse breeding density polygons from Dr. Kevin Doherty, and other supplemental datasets to make their decisions. Each of the 8 LWG's examined the core area boundaries in their area and heard proposals from NGO's, government agencies, private land owners, and industry to modify the version 3 core area boundaries. The LWG recommendations were passed along to the mapping subgroup of the SGIT. The mapping subgroup held public meetings where the original proposals were reviewed and new proposals to modify the core area boundaries were considered. The mapping sub group presented its findings to the SGIT along with the original LWG suggestions. All options and suggestions were weighed by the SGIT and they made formal recommendations to Governor Matt Mead who decided on the final core area version 4 boundaries. In addition to the core areas and connectivity areas, winter concentration areas (separate file) were also delineated. These polygons, located in western Wyoming, delineate a large portion of winter birds not covered by core area designation. In the spring of 2013, the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society (WY-TWS) was asked by the Governor’s Sage-Grouse Implementation Team (SGIT) to review the protocol developed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department WGFD) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to map greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) winter concentration areas within the Normally Pressured Lance natural gas development project area (NPL) in southwest Wyoming. WY-TWS convened a group of wildlife professionals from state and federal agencies, the private sector, and academia (hereafter, the Committee) to review the existing protocol for delineating winter concentration areas and, if warranted, suggest an alternative protocol. The Committee met on April 8–9, 2013 to address these requests. The Committee recommended that winter concentration areas in the NPL be delineated through a combination of sage-grouse locations, as determined from live flock counts obtained from aerial surveys, and use of a resource selection function (RSF) model. An RSF is any model that yields values proportional to the probability of use of a resource unit. Such models often rely on location data such as aerial observations or telemetry locations, and robust statistical techniques for data analysis. The objective identified by the Committee was to generate a science-based, highly accurate map of winter concentration areas for sage-grouse in the NPL area that is readily amenable to evaluation, refinement, and application in efforts to focus sustainable landscape management, including conservation of sage-grouse. With SGIT approval, the RSF approach was applied. In addition the Committee developed a winter location density map approach that delineated a single index which considered where multiple aerial observations of > 50 sage-grouse and the highest quality habitat surrounding those locations as determined through the RSF model in the NPL. This approach captured where sage-grouse were repeatedly located and the highest quality habitat around those locations.版本1 - 2008年3月17日：由州长办公室艾草松鸡实施团队（SGIT）于怀俄明州兰德市2008年3月17日划定的艾草松鸡（Sage-Grouse）核心区域。上述多边形系基于凯文·多赫蒂博士的核求偶场密度法生成的艾草松鸡繁殖密度背景图层，在纸质地图上绘制而成。在SGIT会议上，行业机构、非政府组织及各类政府部门依托多方汇集的集体知识绘制多边形，以保护艾草松鸡繁殖栖息地。 版本2 - 2008年8月7日：包含版本1的全部内容，仅调整了美国土地管理局（BLM）布法罗外勤办公室辖区内东布法罗核心区域的界线，使其与公共土地测量系统（PLSS）界线匹配，并更好地反映环境影响报告书（EIS）中明确的当地实际情况。上述调整已获州长办公室批准。 版本3 - 2010年6月29日：本版核心区域延续了版本2的核心区域理念，结合当地实际情况及针对艾草松鸡栖息地的最新威胁，对边界进行了细化。八个地方工作组（LWGs）均至少召开一次会议，依托核心区域比例尺约为1:90000的地图、当地知识及已知的季节性栖息地利用数据（冬季及育雏期栖息地利用数据），提出核心区域边界的边缘调整建议。本次可获取的数据集包括：2009年美国国家农业航空影像计划（NAIP）影像（用于评估栖息地与地形）、油气开发项目、采矿许可界线、获批风电开发项目、求偶场（leks）及基础地理数据（道路、行政区划界等）。此外，地方工作组还可获取艾草灌丛栖息地地图、怀俄明州鱼类和野生动物部门（WGFD）野生动物观测系统数据、人类足迹数据、更新版艾草松鸡繁殖密度数据及其他补充数据集，用于辅助决策。SGIT对地方工作组的建议及全部可用数据进行审议，最终敲定边界线。SGIT还会同东北地方工作组划定了两条通往蒙大拿州的连通廊道。2010年6月29日，州长正式公布并批准了本版核心区域（版本3）最终地图。 版本4 - 2015年7月29日：本次修订流程与版本2至版本3的修订流程一致。团队依托最新可用的科学数据与资料，对核心区域边界进行细化，纳入新增求偶场、高密度种群区域及相关栖息地，同时排除已知存在冲突的区域。本次可获取的数据集包括：2012年美国国家农业航空影像计划（NAIP）影像（用于评估栖息地与地形）、油气开发项目、油气区块界线、采矿许可界线、环境影响报告书（EIS）界线、输电廊道、土地所有权信息、获批风电开发项目、求偶场、更新版艾草松鸡当前分布范围、来自密度扰动计算工具（DDCT）的全州现有扰动数据、基础地理数据（道路、行政区划界等）、艾草灌丛栖息地地图、怀俄明州鱼类和野生动物部门（WGFD）野生动物观测系统数据、怀俄明州鱼类和野生动物部门签发的第33章许可相关研究点位、凯文·多赫蒂博士更新的艾草松鸡繁殖密度多边形及其他补充数据集，用于辅助决策。八个地方工作组分别对辖区内的核心区域边界进行核查，并听取了非政府组织、政府机构、私人土地所有者及行业机构提出的修改版本3核心区域边界的提案。地方工作组的建议提交至SGIT的制图分组委员会。制图分组委员会召开公众会议，审议原始提案并讨论修改核心区域边界的新提案。制图分组委员会将审议结果与地方工作组的原始建议一并提交至SGIT。SGIT对所有方案与建议进行权衡，正式向州长马特·米德提出建议，由其最终敲定版本4核心区域的界线。除核心区域与连通区域外，本次还划定了冬季聚集区（单独文件）。上述位于怀俄明州西部的多边形区域，覆盖了未被纳入核心区域的大部分冬季栖息艾草松鸡种群。 2013年春季，州长办公室艾草松鸡实施团队（SGIT）委托怀俄明州野生动物学会（WY-TWS），对怀俄明州鱼类和野生动物部门（WGFD）与美国土地管理局（BLM）制定的、用于在怀俄明州西南部常压兰斯（Normally Pressured Lance, NPL）天然气开发项目区内绘制大艾草松鸡（Centrocercus urophasianus）冬季聚集区的规程进行评审。WY-TWS召集了来自州级与联邦机构、私营部门及学术界的野生动物专业人士（下称“委员会”），对现有的冬季聚集区划定规程进行评审，必要时提出替代规程。委员会于2013年4月8日至9日召开会议，处理上述委托事项。委员会建议，NPL区内的冬季聚集区应结合航空调查获得的活体种群计数点位与资源选择函数（RSF）模型进行划定。资源选择函数是一类可生成与资源单元利用概率成正比的数值的模型，此类模型通常依托航空观测或遥测点位等位置数据，并采用严谨的统计分析技术。委员会设定的目标是，为NPL区内的艾草松鸡生成一套基于科学、高精度的冬季聚集区地图，该地图可便捷地进行评估、细化与应用，以助力可持续景观管理工作，包括艾草松鸡的保护。经SGIT批准后，该团队采用了资源选择函数方法。此外，委员会还开发了一套冬季点位密度图方法：通过构建单一指数，综合考量航空观测到的50只以上艾草松鸡的聚集点位，以及通过资源选择函数模型确定的这些点位周边的优质栖息地。该方法可精准捕捉艾草松鸡频繁栖息的点位及其周边的优质栖息地。