Utah\u27s Own Habitat Guidelines for Sage-Grouse

Those living and working within western North America’s sagebrush landscapes have most likely been exposed to sage-grouse issues for many years now and may have felt anxiety concerning the potential impacts that could result from implementing conservation measures designed to help this iconic species persist. Society’s challenge to seek the delicate balance between the conservation of nature and the growth related to human endeavors exemplifies the need to use the best available science as we move forward. Representative information, especially at the landscape level related to sage-grouse, has been hard to come by. However, due to the vast amount of research conducted within Utah’s sage-grouse populations and the yeoman efforts carried out by many individuals, Utah researchers have had the unique opportunity to quantitatively assess sage-grouse habitat characteristics across the vast variation in vegetation communities in most of Utah’s sage-grouse populations. From this assessment, representative habitat guidelines have been developed to help all affected parties responsibly move sage-grouse conservation forward in Utah