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.