Presentation summarize major findings 27-June-2025

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Project Contacts:

• Courtney Conway – Idaho Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit
• Karen Launchbaugh – University of Idaho

Ecological Context:

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) were once widespread within sagebrush-grassland ecosystems of western North America, but populations have declined since the mid-1960s (Schroeder et al. 2004, Garton et al. 2011). Sage-grouse were petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2010 and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) concluded that the species was ‘warranted but precluded’ from listing.  The USFWS indicated that the major threats to sage-grouse are habitat loss and the lack of regulatory mechanisms to prevent loss and fragmentation of habitat. Litigation followed and the USFWS made a listing determination in September 2015; greater sage-grouse was not listed as a threatened or endangered species.

Livestock grazing is the most extensive land use within sage-grouse habitat and the potential effects of livestock grazing on sage-grouse are of concern to land managers, ranchers, and conservationists. Reliable information about the effects of livestock grazing on sagebrush ecosystems and sage-grouse reproduction and survival are needed to make wise land management decisions.

In fall 2012, representatives from several agencies and organizations in Idaho joined together to draft a research plan to address this need. The research plan was designed to produce scientifically defensible information that could be used to inform grazing management decisions and to promote healthy sage-grouse populations. Spring (when sage-grouse are nesting and raising broods) is often considered the most crucial period for sage-grouse survival. Hence, our research plan is designed to evaluate whether different levels of spring cattle grazing affect sage-grouse. Many of the perceived effects of grazing on sage-grouse (positive or negative) are thought to be most pronounced during the spring when sage-grouse are nesting. We proposed a collaborative research project for a 10-year study to occur on five study sites in Idaho aimed at identifying the effects of spring cattle grazing on demographic traits of greater sage-grouse, sage-grouse habitat characteristics, and wild-land fuel patterns.  View a one page Sage Grouse Prospectus for this project initiated in November in 2012.

We have finished our 10th and final year of data collection in 2023! We have conducted grazing treatments at all 5 study sites and were able to extended work at our first 3 study sites beyond their original 6 year period (10 years at Browns Bench, 8 years at Jim Sage, and 7 years at Sheep Creek). We have compiled annual reports starting in 2015 that contain mostly preliminary and descriptive results. The results presented should not be used to draw conclusions on potential positive or negative effects of spring cattle grazing on greater sage-grouse because we do not yet have a large enough sample of experimental data to fully address this question. We are now beginning the process of analyzing all the data collected over the previous 10 years and hope to put a final report together and begin publishing results in 2024.

Progress over times:

• Spring/Summer 2025 – Completed and published the final report. Continued work on analyzing data and further publish results in scientific journals.
• Fall/Winter 2023 – Met with partners (virtually) to get input on what steps come next now that the final year of field work was completed. Began work on final report and analysis to begin publishing results from study.
• Spring/Summer 2023 – Did not conduct field work at the Jim Sage & Sheep Creek study site. Captured and attached transmitters to 143 sage-grouse hens across the remaining 3 study sites. Conducted vegetation surveys at nest, brood, and random locations within study pastures
• Spring/Summer 2022 – Did not conduct field work at the Jim Sage study site. Captured and attached transmitters to 138 sage-grouse hens across 4 sites. Conducted vegetation surveys at nest, brood, and random locations within study pastures.
• Fall/Winter 2021 – Met with partners (virtually) to give research updates and solicit input. Wrote and disseminated the 2021 annual report. Concluded field work at the Jim Sage study site, but came to an agreement with ranchers and BLM to continue the no graze treatment with plans on conducting vegetation surveys in the future. Wrote and submitted funding proposals to numerous organizations to help sustain the project.
• Spring/Summer 2021 – Captured and attached transmitters to 161 sage-grouse hens across 5 study sites. Began conducting vegetation surveys at cattle use areas and sage grouse wintering locations in addition to brood, nest, and random locations.
• Fall/Winter 2020 – Met with partners (virtually) to give research updates and solicit input. Wrote and disseminated the 2020 annual report. Wrote and submitted funding proposals to numerous organizations to help sustain the project.
• Spring/Summer 2020 – Discontinued field work at the Idaho National Lab due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but continued field work at the other 5 study sites. Captured and attached transmitters to 135 sage-grouse hens. Began conducting vegetation surveys at sage grouse lekking locations in addition to nest, brood, and random locations.
• Fall/Winter 2019 – Met with partners to give research updates and solicit input. Wrote and disseminated the 2019 annual report. Wrote and submitted funding proposals to numerous organizations to help sustain the project.
• Spring/Summer 2019 – Began grazing treatments at the Pahsimeroi Valley study site and conducting first year of field work at the Idaho National Lab study site. Captured and attached transmitters to 181 sage-grouse hens. Conducted vegetation surveys at nest, brood, and random locations within study pastures.
• Fall/Winter 2018 – Met with partners to give research updates and solicit input. Wrote and disseminated the 2018 annual report. Identified an additional study site: Idaho National Lab. Wrote and submitted funding proposals to numerous organizations to help sustain the project.
• Spring/Summer 2018 – Began grazing treatments at the Big Butte study pastures. Captured and attached radio transmitters to 111 sage-grouse hens across five field sites. Continued tracking nests and broods, as well as conducting detailed vegetation measurements at nest and randomly selected sites throughout the study pastures.
• Fall/Winter 2017 – Met with partners to give research updates and solicit input. Wrote and disseminated the 2017 annual report. Wrote and submitted funding proposals to numerous organizations to help sustain the project.
• Spring/Summer 2017 – Captured and attached radio transmitters to >100 sage-grouse hens on five allotments in coooperation with partner agencies, organizations, and ranchers. Currently conducting detailed vegetation assessments at nests and at randomly selected sites throughout study pastures.
• Fall 2016/Winter 2017 – Met with partners to give research updates and solicit input. Wrote and disseminated the 201 annual report. Wrote and submitted funding proposals to numerous organizations to help sustain the project.
• Spring/Summer 2016 – Captured and attached radio transmitters to 229 sage-grouse hens on five allotments in cooperation with partner agencies, organizations, and ranchers. Conducted detailed vegetation assessment at nests, near nests, and randomly selected sites throughout study pastures. Assessed spatial variation in grazing patterns on study pastures that support sage-grouse nests to examine the relationship between cattle utilization patterns and a suite of sage-grouse demographic traits. We also began measuring  breeding density of all birds on the study pastures to document how density of ravens and other avian predators varies among study sites and among years and to assess how the grazing treatments influence popuations of other birds.
• Fall 2015/Winter 2016 – We met with partners to give research updates and solicit input. Identified one additional study site: BLM Challis Field Office (Pahsimeroi Valley allotment). Wrote the 2015 annual report
• Spring/Summer 2015 – Captured and attached radio transmitters to 93 sage-grouse hens at four allotments in cooperation with partner agencies, organizations, and ranchers. Conducted detailed vegetation assessments and tracked hen vital rates. We also initiated research on how grazing influences insect populations which are an important food source for grouse.
• Fall 2014/Winter 2015 – We met with partners to give project updates and solicit input on ways to accomplish grazing treatments. Established two additional study sites: BLM Upper Snake River Field Office (Big Butte allotment) and BLM Bruneau Field Office (Sheep Creek allotment).
• Spring/Summer 2014 – We placed radio transmitters on 86 sage-grouse hens at two study sites: BLM Burley Field Office (Jim Sage allotment) and BLM Jarbidge Field Office (Brackett Bench allotment). We monitored 54 nest attempts and conducted detailed vegetation assessments of habitat features at nests and at random sites throughout the study areas.
• Fall 2013/Winter 2014 – Developed detailed study plan with planning team and collaborators. Visited with grazing permittees to explain proposed research plan and explore opportunities for collaboration.
• Spring/Summer 2013 – Conducted field tours of potential research sites to select study sites and secure collaboration with BLM land managers and permittees.
• Fall 2012 – Initiated discussion about the proposed research objectives and methods. Formed an 11-member planning team.