The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is putting together a draft plan to help bolster sage-grouse populations through habitat management and conservation.
BLM officials say the draft plan has been informed by the best available science and input from local, state, federal, and Tribal partners.; built on decades of partnership, research, and on-the-ground knowledge and experience in maintaining, protecting, and restoring healthy sagebrush habitats.
Researchers attributed the loss of habitat to climate change, the frequency of wildfires, invasive species, and drought, which has resulted in the drastic decline in the population of sage grouse, which once was in the millions and now is less than 800,000.
The BLM says the draft plan incorporates new sage-grouse conservation science and lessons learned, accommodating changing resource conditions while increasing implementation flexibility. The agency considered nearly 1,900 comments gathered during an initial public scoping period and information shared by state, local, federal, and Tribal partners in more than 100 meetings.
Local wildlife biologist Brian Ehler with the Califronia Department of Fish and Wildlife, who is partnering with the BLM on the conservation efforts, confirms the impacts of wildfires on sage grouse. Following the Rush Fire, the sage-grouse population in the county declined by half. Ehler says the population has been stable but not increasing, noting ravens have been one contributor BLM and Partners have identified.
In response, Ehler says the agencies are investigating ways to control ravens, such as oiling their eggs, to keep the raven population from increasing. Yet, the effort may not be enough, and corvicide poison control may be considered.
The BLM will hold 13 public meetings to answer questions and take further comments on the draft alternatives and analysis. Information on public meetings will be posted in the events column on the main page of the BLM website.
The draft environmental impact statement and plan amendments will open for public comment on March 15, 2024, and end on June 13, 2024. More information on how to comment on this draft will be posted at https://www.blm.gov/sagegrouse. This fall, a final environmental impact statement is expected, followed by Records of Decision in each state.
