Publications

The role of livestock grazing in managing wildlife and their habitats on western rangelands has been long-debated by public land stakeholders, local communities, landowners, livestock producers, and wildlife managers.

In 2012 the CBCP worked closely with The Utah Governor’s Office Task Force to develop the Strategic Plan for the Conservation of Greater Sage-grouse in Utah (Plan). Utah’s Plan was designed to protect high-quality sagebrush habitat to address and ameliora...

In April of 2013, the Strategic Plan for the Conservation of Greater Sage-grouse (Plan) was released for public review. The Plan protects high-quality habitat to sustain greater sage-grouse populations in the state and negate need for the listing of the s...

The CBCP encompasses the historical range of sage-grouse in Utah. The CBCP has focused on implementing conservation strategies in the sage-grouse management areas (SGMAs) identified in the Utah Plan (Figure 1). The Utah Plan reinforced the role of local s...

Declining sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations may be characterized by poor recruitment largely attributed to low chick survival. However, few published studies have explicitly examined factors that influence chick survival. We used a sutur...

Research on iteroparous species has shown that reproductive success may increase with age until the onset of senescence. However, from the population perspective, increased reproductive success with age could be a consequence of within-individual variatio...

We present the first known case of aspergillosis found in a wild, augmented Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) population. This case was not directly associated with the sage-grouse translocations and is the first documented in wild sage-grou...

Over the last several decades, biologists have grown increasingly concerned about declines in populations of two species of sage-grouse (Centrocercus spp.), a bird whose range covers a vast portion of eleven western U.S. states and two Canadian provinces

Winter-feeding of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in developed landscapes is often advocated by stakeholders to compensate for lost or fragmented winter range. However the reported benefits of winter- feeding mule deer to increase survival and productivit...

State wildlife agencies often use input obtained through public meetings to develop management policies. Because public meetings can be dominated by single stakeholder groups, these policies may not reflect the attitudes of new wildlife stakeholders. In 2...

In the fall of 2011, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and the Utah Department of Natural Resources jointly convened a collaborative group to discuss sustainable grazing on the U.S. Forest Service lands in southern Utah. The Forests under consi

The rapid pace of wind‐energy development has increased stakeholder concerns regarding the potential effects on wildlife. Locations targeted for wind‐energy development frequently overlap prairie grouse and greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

Policies regulating wildlife winter-feeding programs may have long-term impacts on conservation and future management of both target and non-target species. In 2000, the Utah Wildlife Board, upon reviewing input from a series of public regional meetings,

Utah’s Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse (Plan) is designed to protect high-quality habitat, enhance impaired habitat and restore converted habitat to support, in Utah, a portion of the range-wide population of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus ur...

This document is a compilation of the major programs in Utah that provide opportunities for landowners to conduct conservation work on private land. Each program summary answers the same set of questions so that it is easier to compare opportunities in s

In March 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) identified the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) as a candidate species for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) because of habitat loss and fragmentation and

As a hunted species becomes increasingly rare, the effort required to locate and harvest an individual tends to increase. As rarity increases, governmental over-sight, including changes in hunting regulations and protection of habitats and individuals usi...

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) are sagebrush obligates and are therefore considered to be key indicators of sagebrush ecosystem health. Sage-grouse populations have declined range-wide over the last century due to loss and fr...

Range-wide population declines of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) have been largely attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation. However, the specific conservation threats affecting the ecology of sage grouse populations may

Effective long-term wildlife conservation planning for a species must be guided by information about population vital rates at multiple scales. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations declined substantially during the twentieth century...

My research provided new information regarding the effects of livestock grazing on grouse species worldwide and greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nesting and female survival in particular. When I began my graduate studies, there were no stud...

Research on long-lived iteroparous species has shown that reproductive success may increase with age, until the onset of senescence and that prior reproductive success may influence current reproductive success. Such complex reproductive dynamics can comp...

Livestock grazing affects over 60% of the world’s agricultural lands and can influence rangeland ecosystem services and the quantity and quality of wildlife habitat, resulting in changes in biodiversity. Concomitantly, livestock grazing has the potential

Species conservation efforts often use short-term studies that fail to identify the vital rates that contribute most to population growth. Although the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) is a candidate for protection under the U....

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) populations declined substantially during the 20th century (Connelly et al. 2004, Schroeder et al. 2004). These declines have been largely attributed to the loss and/or degradation of

Recent declines in Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus, hereafter sage-grouse) populations have been attributed to low productivity and poor recruitment caused by declining habitat quantity and quality (Connelly and Braun 1997, Connelly et al.

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) occupy an estimated 56% of the potential pre-European settlement range. Prior to this study, little was known about the seasonal movements and habitat-use patterns of sage-grouse that inhabit th...

Estimating the climatic and habitat factors that affect animal movement patterns (e.g., migration, dispersal, site fidelity) is informative for management and conservation. Juvenile Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have been identified as h...

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) adult hen and juvenile survival have been shown to have a significant influence on population growth rates. However, assessing the sensitivity of population growth rates to variability in juveni...

The link between individual variation in resource selection (e.g., functional response) and fitness creates a foundation for understanding wildlife-habitat relationships. Although many anthropogenic activities adversely affect these relationships, it is l...

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) are sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) obligates that inhabit sagebrush areas throughout the West (Patterson 1952, Schroeder et al. 2004). Sage-grouse populations throughout much of this range have been declining (C...

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) is a species of conservation concern in Utah and range-wide due to declines in populations and threats to sagebrush habitat on which they depend. To effectively conserve the species, detaile...

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) are a species of conservation concern throughout western North America. Obtaining valid population estimates is essential to understanding population trajectories and the effects of management.

A potential consequence of climate change, altered fire regimes, and a legacy of resource exploitation in western North America are the increased displacement of desirable sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities by invasive plant species. Annually, an esti...

Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems are diverse habitats found throughout western North America. Anthropogenic disturbances has resulted in the loss of over half of the sagebrush ecosystems impacting sagebrush obligate species such as sage-grouse (Centr...

Conservation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) systems is one of the most difficult and pressing concerns in western North America. Sagebrush obligates, such as greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse), have experienced populatio...

Population declines of Greater Sage-Grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) throughout the western United States have been attributed to the loss, degradation, and fragmentation of sagebrush ( Artemisia spp.) habitats. Increased energy development may furthe...

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) currently occupy an estimated 56% of the potential range-wide pre-European settlement habitat. Population declines have been largely attributed to direct habitat loss and fragmentation related t...

Studying wildlife–habitat relationships at the edges of their range can provide valuable insights into the environmental factors limiting wildlife distributions and most likely to drive extirpations and range shifts in response to landscape change. Yet th...

Range-wide declines in Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have prompted extensive research on sage grouse habitat use. However, habitat use information for fringe populations is limited. We examined nest, brood-rearing, and summer...

In Utah Greater sage-grouse (sage-grouse) habitat has been reduced to 50% of what is considered historical availability, due to habitat degradation and loss. We conducted a small study to determine the home range size, space use, and movement patterns of

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) depend on sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) to complete its annual life cycle. The winter diet for sage-grouse consists almost entirely of sagebrush leaves, and individual birds may gain weight while f...

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) is a species of conservation concern that occupies sagebrush-dominated (Artemisia spp.) landscapes across the western United States and southern Canada. In September 2015, as the result of a...

The construction and operation of electric power transmission lines (“power lines”) and their associated infrastructure has been identified as a conservation threat to the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus ; sage-grouse). The conservation buf...

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) designated greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus ) as a candidate species to receive protection under the Endangered Species Act in 2010. Several states in the western United States have developed manage...

The fWS based their 2010 decision to designate sage-grouse as a candidate species for eSA protection on two listing factors: 1) continued habitat loss and fragmentation due to human influences and increased frequency of wildfires have resulted in range-wi...

Sage-grouse (Centrocercus spp.) inhabit sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) rangelands of western North America (Patterson 1952, Schroeder et al. 2004). Sage-grouse utilize sagebrush during all life stages, thus their distribution is closely associated with sagebr...

In situ measurements of sagebrush have traditionally been expensive and time consuming. Currently, improvements in small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) technology can be used to quantify sagebrush morphology and community structure with high resolution im...

While range-wide population declines have prompted extensive research on greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), basic information about southern periphery populations, such as the Bald Hills population in southern Utah, has not been documented.

Human enterprise has led to large-scale changes in landscapes and altered wildlife population distribution and abundance, necessitating efficient and effective conservation strategies for impacted species. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; h...

Range Rider Programs (RRPs) is one example of a proactive non-lethal tool that has been implemented in the western United States to mitigate wolf-livestock conflicts. I surveyed 51 participants from 17 RRPs in Montana, Washington, and Oregon to develop a

Across the range of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse), collaborative groups focused on local-scale sage-grouse management, known as local working groups (LWGs), have been a core component of state-level efforts toward the conser...

Much interest lies in the identification of manageable habitat variables that affect key vital rates for species of concern. For ground-nesting birds, vegetation surrounding the nest may play an important role in mediating nest success by providing conc

Declining populations of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) have increased stakeholder concerns regarding the management and stability of the species range-wide. Numerous conservation strategies have been identified to

Translocations have been recommended to reestablish, augment, and sustain genetic diversity in declining wildlife populations, including greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse). Characteristics of successful sage-grouse translocations...

In the western United States, fire has become a significant concern in the management of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentataNutt.) ecosystems. This is due to large-scale increases in the cover of the fire-prone invasive annual cheatgrass (Bromus tectorumL...

Mapping suitable habitat is an important process in wildlife conservation planning. Species distribution reflects habitat selection processes occurring across multiple spatio-temporal scales. Because habitat selection may be driven by different factors at...

In Utah, greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) range has been reduced to 50% of what is considered historical availability due to habitat degradation and loss. In an effort to improve sage-grouse habitat in southern Utah,...

Need for information on the LWGs identified in the Rangewide Conservation Strategy for sage-grouse.

The State of Utah has a long history and tradition of successful wildlife management and conservation. Utah Code Title 23 establishes and defines the State’s legal wildlife management authority within the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR). In the...

The loss and fragmentation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) landscapes in the West have caused the decline of sage-grouse (Centrocercus spp.) range-wide. The grouse depend on sagebrush-dominated landscapes for food and cover. Sagebrush is critically importan...

Dr. David Dahlgren's professional pursuits focus on providing science-based information concerning wildlife habitat and ecosystem management within working landscapes, especially on western North American rangelands. His role is primarily within Utah Stat...

The State of Utah has a long history and tradition of successful wildlife management and conservation. In the case of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), significant contributions to the science, management, and conservation of the specie...

Parker Mountain, is located in south-central Utah, it consists of 153 780 ha of high elevation rangelands dominated by black sagebrush (Artemisia nova A. Nelson), and mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. subsp. vaseyana [Rybd.] Beetle) commu...

Delineation, protection, and restoration of habitats provide the basis for endangered and threatened species recovery plans. Species recovery plans typically contain guidelines that provide managers with a scientific basis to designate and manage critical...

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) is considered an umbrella species for sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) landscapes in western North America. In 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined sage-grouse unwarranted for protectio...

The U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 required all state and federal agencies to grant utility access permits to promote reliable, renewable energy production and transmission. Contemporary transmission relies largely on above-ground electric transmission st...

The Paunsaugunt Plateau, located in South-Central Utah is well known as home to one of North America's premier trophy mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herds. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) Paunsaugunt Plateau Deer Management Unit (DMU) enco...

Survival of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) has been well described in large populations across the species range. Very little published information exists, however, on survival rates of translocated sage-grouse or grouse from a long-term

Anthropogenic infrastructure can negatively affect wildlife through direct mortality and/or displacement behaviors. Some tetranoids (grouse spp.) species are particularly vulnerable to tall anthropogenic structures because they evolved in ecosystems void

Sage grouse Centrocercus urophasianus have been translocated in at least seven states and one Canadian province, but little published information documents the success of these attempts. Historical and recent efforts at translocations are reviewed, their

Wildlife managers need current human dimensions information to develop outreach and management programs that address public concerns about predation and predator management. No human dimensions studies assessing public attitudes toward managing medium-siz...

Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) constitutes the majority (>99%) of sage-grouse (Centrocercus spp.) winter diets. Thus, the identification and protection of important winter habitats is a conservation priority. However, not all sagebrush may be alike.

WREN Project: Population Experiments for High School Students. Powerpoint presentation "Using Scientific Method to Study Wildlife Populations".

The “green wave” hypothesis posits that during spring consumers track spatial gradients in emergent vegetation and associated foraging opportunities. This idea has largely been invoked to explain animal migration patterns, yet the general phenomenon under...

Do you have sage-grouse on your land? Have you ever wondered how that might be turned into a benefit to you or your property? Or how you can help prevent these birds from declining? Utah’s Sage-grouse Compensatory Mitigation Program (CMP) may provide an o...

In 2006, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) entered into a cooperative agreement with Utah’s Community-Based Conservation Program (CBCP) to have CBCP staff coordinate and facilitate the development of a statewide conservation plan for Gunnison...

Translocations have been used as a management strategy to successfully augment declining native wildlife populations. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) population declines on Anthro Mountain, Utah prompted managers to translocat...

Declines in greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus ; hereafter, sage-grouse) populations in Utah over the last century parallel range-wide trends. However, little is known about the ecology of sage-grouse populations that inhabit Utah’s naturally

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse), as their name implies, depend on sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) for their survival. In fact, during the winter sage-grouse survive by only eating sagebrush.

Sage-grouse are a landscape-level species (fig. 1). They depend on sagebrush habitats on private and public land in 11 Western States and two Canadian provinces. Sage-grouse populations across this range have been declining over the last several decades d...