 This year’s sign-up follows two years of private landowners working with NRCS
under the Sage-Grouse Initiative to remove over 55,000 acres of juniper in
priority sage-grouse habitat areas and mark over 21,000 feet of high-risk fences
to reduce accidental bird collisions near breeding sites. The overarching
goals of this initiative are to improve or restore sage-grouse habitat and
demonstrate that sage-grouse conservation is compatible with the sustainability
of working ranches.
The Oregon Sage-Grouse Habitat Improvement Initiative, developed
collaboratively with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, focuses on
making measurable and significant progress toward treating a specific threat to
sage-grouse on private lands through strategic use of conservation programs.
This approach is based on the principle that focusing resources on a specific
problem in the most critical locations on the landscape results in the highest
likelihood of affecting sage-grouse populations in the shortest amount of time.
Details can be found in the Oregon Implementation Plan.
The following document requires
Adobe Acrobat.
Sage-Grouse Habitat Improvement Initiative – Executive Summary (PDF, 988 KB)
Sage-Grouse Habitat Improvement Initiative - Oregon Implementation Plan (PDF,
4 MB)
Fact Sheets, Specifications and References
The following document requires
Adobe Acrobat.
Financial
Assistance Available for Juniper Removal in Sage-Grouse Habitat
(PDF, 1.65 MB)
Introduction to NRCS’ New Sage-Grouse
Initiative: Wildlife Conservation through Sustainable Ranching (PDF, 1.80
MB)
Fence Considerations in
Sage-Grouse Habitat (PDF, 224 KB)
How to Make and Install
Fence Markers For Sage-Grouse (PDF, 5 MB)
Wildlife Escape Ramps for
Livestock Watering Troughs (PDF, 1.1 MB)
USFWS Conference Report for the
NRCS Sage-Grouse Initiative (PDF, 852 KB)
Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Assessment and Strategy for Oregon
(ODFW April
2011)
Financial Assistance Available for Juniper Removal in
Sage-Grouse Habitat
Targeted Threat to Sage-Grouse: Juniper Expansion
 The sage-grouse, a ground-dwelling bird native to the sagebrush steppe ecosystem
of the American West, has experienced a significant decline in population and
habitat over several decades. Sage-grouse are found in California, Colorado,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and
Wyoming. The birds are highly dependent on sagebrush for cover and food and
historically could be found anywhere sagebrush existed.
Since the late 1800’s, juniper has subtly been invading vast acreages of
rangeland in eastern Oregon that were once dominated by sagebrush, grasses, and
forbs. Juniper is now estimated to occur on more than 5 million acres in the
state. Although juniper is a native plant, fire suppression and other factors
have allowed this tree to expand to sites it never occupied historically. As
juniper expands its range, it gradually results in a number of resource
problems, such as reduced forage production, increased soil erosion, altered
wildlife habitat, and reduced stream and spring flows.
Besides affecting a rancher’s bottom line by reducing forage production, juniper
invasion is severely impacting rangeland wildlife like mule deer and
sage-grouse. These wildlife species depend primarily upon the shrubs, grasses,
and wildflowers that are lost when trees move in. Sage-grouse, in particular,
are sensitive to juniper invasion and their range has shrunk dramatically due to
the loss of habitat to trees.
Early Intervention Is the Key
Once junipers become dense and mature, the understory grasses and shrubs die
out and it becomes much more difficult and expensive to restore forage
production and reverse other resource problems. However, areas that are still in
the early phases of juniper invasion often retain a large component of grasses
and shrubs. This provides an opportunity to reverse resource degradation
relatively inexpensively through the removal of young trees.
Focus of
Financial Assistance
In
Oregon, this initiative will focus primarily on providing financial assistance
for removal of juniper in the early stages of succession (Phase I & II) to
alleviate the threat of juniper expansion to sage-grouse and prevent further
resource degradation. Other threats to sage-grouse may be addressed concurrently
in juniper treatment areas if present, such as, invasive weeds, problematic
fences, stock water troughs without wildlife escape ramps, and inadequate
herbaceous cover. Juniper treatment will be particularly encouraged in and
adjacent to
ODFW sage-grouse core areas. The
initiative includes the following counties: Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Harney,
Lake and Malheur.
|
Photo: Example of Phase I - II stage juniper invasion site that is the
focus of this initiative. |
Photo: Removal of encroaching junipers restores open landscape
required by sage-grouse. |
Financial assistance will be provided through the Wildlife Habitat Incentives
Program (WHIP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Program
participants may choose to do the work themselves or hire it out. NRCS
reimburses participants a set rate upon successful completion of the practice.
Eligibility
At a minimum, applicants and their land must meet the eligibility
requirements for EQIP or WHIP. Eligible applications are ranked and compete
against other projects for funding. Generally, higher preference for juniper
management will be given for projects located in high priority sage-grouse
habitat.
Click here for additional Sage-Grouse Initiative ranking information.
2012 Sage-Grouse Initiative Practice Payment List
The following document requires
Microsoft Excel.
2012 EQIP Sage-Grouse
Initiative Practice Payment List - Standard Rates (XLS, 13 KB)
2012 EQIP Sage-Grouse
Initiative Practice Payment List - Historically Underserved Rates (XLS, 13 KB)
In the News
How to Apply
Interested participants can apply for assistance through NRCS at the local
USDA Service Center. NRCS field office phone numbers for counties with High
Priority Sage-Grouse Habitat:
Deschutes &
Crook Counties............................ 541-923-4358
Lake County................................. 541-947-2367
Harney County............................. 541-573-6446
Malheur County........................... 541-889-7637
Baker County................................ 541-523-7121
Archives
Contact
Jeremy Maestas
State Habitat Biologist
Phone: 541-923-4358, ext. 109
Email: Jeremy.Maestas
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