Progress 10/01/16 to 04/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Federal land grazing permittees, UDWR, BLM, USFS, NRCS, and USFWS biologists, range conservationist, scientific community, administrators, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), LWG stakeholders, congressional staffers, elected officials, Utah Governor's Office and related cabinet members, commodity organizations, industry, environmental organizations, the petitioners, primary and secondary school teachers and students,, and the news media. Changes/Problems:Our NRCS SGI funding is contingent on the 3 Creeks Grazing Allotment Consolidation. BLM will issue a record of decision this fall. This decision has been delayed for two year because of pending litigation. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Trained 1 graduate student and 9 undergraduates in field research techniques. Trained 100 NRCS staff and scientists on the role of rest-rotation grazing in abating climate change, improving rangeland health, and benefitting wildlife. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Smith, Wayne, and Terry A. Messmer. 2016. Greater sage-grouse responses to livestock grazing in sagebrush rangelands. Annual Report. Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University Extension, and the Jack H. Berryman Institute, Logan UT. 12pps. Dettenmaier, S., T. A. Messmer, T.J. Hovick, and D. K. Dahlgren. (In-press). Effects of livestock grazing on rangeland biodiversity: a meta-analysis of Tetraonidae counts and chick production. Ecology and Evolution. Dettenmaier, Seth J. and Terry Messmer. 2016. Greater Sage-grouse Response to Season-Long and Prescribed Grazing (NRCS Conservation Practice 528) on Paired Study Sites in Rich County, Utah, USA. Final Report, September 2016. Utah State University, Logan, Utah. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Although UAES seed grant funding has expired, we will continue to monitor GPS marked sage-grouse throughout 2017 using funds obtained through our partners. Our VHF marked sage-grouse will be monitored with periodic telemetry flights. If mortalities are discovered we will recover the transmitters so that they can be redeployed on another sage-grouse. We will begin capturing and marking sage-grouse with GPS transmitter in early 2017. We will monitor marked sage-grouse through the breeding, nesting and brooding seasons to determine vital rates. Vegetation data will again be collected on selected and random sites and these data will be combined with 2016 data so that a robust data set will be used to determine preferred habitats and how vital rates are influenced by habitat selection. We are working with NRCS Sage-grouse Initiative to secure $500,000 in funding to continue the research through 2020.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We secured $200,000 in matching funds from the BLM, the Utah Public Policy Coordination Office, Rocky Mt. Power, PacifiCorp, Deseret Land and Livestock, BLM, and the Rich County Commission to purchases additional GPS transmitters, conduct radio-telemetry flights. We developed the adopt-a-sage-grouse web site. We completed the preparation of two manuscripts reporting our data. We organized and conducted sessions at a national SRM conference on livestock grazing and sage-grouse and community-based conservation. We captured and radio-marked 80 female sage-grouse. We marked 9 female sage-grouse on DLL with GPS transmitter and 7 female sage-grouse on Three Creeks with GPS transmitters. These sage-grouse will provide the information we require to evaluate sage-grouse response to livestock grazing. We have summarized and reported our 2016 activities to our target audiences and posted the annual report on our web site. http://www.utahcbcp.org/files/uploads/rich/RichCountyAnnualReport2016.pdf
Publications
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Progress 05/01/15 to 04/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Federal land grazing permittees, UDWR, BLM, USFS, NRCS, and USFWS biologists, range conservationist, scientific community, administrators, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), LWG stakeholders, congressional staffers, elected officials, Utah Governor's Office and related cabinet members, commodity organizations, industry, environmental organizations, the petitioners, primary and secondary school teachers and students,, and the news media. Changes/Problems:Our NRCS SGI funding is contingent on the 3 Creeks Grazing Allotment Consolidation. BLM will issue a record of decision this fall. This decision has been delayed for two year because of pending litigation. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Trained 1 graduate student and 9 undergraduates in field research techniques. Trained 100 NRCS staff and scientists on the role of rest-rotation grazing in abating climate change, improving rangeland health, and benefitting wildlife. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Smith, Wayne, and Terry A. Messmer. 2016. Greater sage-grouse responses to livestock grazing in sagebrush rangelands. Annual Report. Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University Extension, and the Jack H. Berryman Institute, Logan UT. 12pps. Dettenmaier, S., T. A. Messmer, T.J. Hovick, and D. K. Dahlgren. (In-press). Effects of livestock grazing on rangeland biodiversity: a meta-analysis of Tetraonidae counts and chick production. Ecology and Evolution. Dettenmaier, Seth J. and Terry Messmer. 2016. Greater Sage-grouse Response to Season-Long and Prescribed Grazing (NRCS Conservation Practice 528) on Paired Study Sites in Rich County, Utah, USA. Final Report, September 2016. Utah State University, Logan, Utah. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Although UAES seed grant funding has expired, we will continue to monitor GPS marked sage-grouse throughout 2017 using funds obtained through our partners. Our VHF marked sage-grouse will be monitored with periodic telemetry flights. If mortalities are discovered we will recover the transmitters so that they can be redeployed on another sage-grouse. We will begin capturing and marking sage-grouse with GPS transmitter in early 2017. We will monitor marked sage-grouse through the breeding, nesting and brooding seasons to determine vital rates. Vegetation data will again be collected on selected and random sites and these data will be combined with 2016 data so that a robust data set will be used to determine preferred habitats and how vital rates are influenced by habitat selection. We are working with NRCS Sage-grouse Initiative to secure $500,000 in funding to continue the research through 2020.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We secured $200,000 in matching funds from the BLM, the Utah Public Policy Coordination Office, Rocky Mt. Power, PacifiCorp, Deseret Land and Livestock, BLM, and the Rich County Commission to purchases additional GPS transmitters, conduct radio-telemetry flights. We developed the adopt-a-sage-grouse web site. We completed the preparation of two manuscripts reporting our data. We organized and conducted sessions at a national SRM conference on livestock grazing and sage-grouse and community-based conservation. We captured and radio-marked 80 female sage-grouse. We marked 9 female sage-grouse on DLL with GPS transmitter and 7 female sage-grouse on Three Creeks with GPS transmitters. These sage-grouse will provide the information we require to evaluate sage-grouse response to livestock grazing. We have summarized and reported our 2016 activities to our target audiences and posted the annual report on our web site. http://www.utahcbcp.org/files/uploads/rich/RichCountyAnnualReport2016.pdf
Publications
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audience Federal land grazing permittees, UDWR, BLM, USFS, NRCS, and USFWS biologists, range conservationist, scientific community, administrators, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), LWG stakeholders, congressional staffers, elected officials, Utah Governor's Office and related cabinet members, commodity organizations, industry, environmental organizations, the petitioners, primary and secondary school teachers and students,, and the news media. Changes/Problems:Changes/Problems This work is being conducted as part of a long term research effort to better define how best livestock can be grazed on sagebrush ecosystems. This long-term effort includes the conversion of the BLM Three Creeks Allotments to a rest-rotation systems similar to DLL. The BLM has prepared the required NEPA documents, but has not issued a record of decision. These delays have impacted our research in that we cannot study the transition. Once the transition has occurred, NRCS has committed to provide additional on-going support for 4 more years of research. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities Trained 1 graduate student and 4 undergraduates in field research techniques. Trained 30 NRCS staff and scientists on the role of rest-rotation grazing in abating climate change, improving rangeland health, and benefitting wildlife How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination Organized and hosted national forum on the management of the sagebrush ecosystems.the 2016 Sagebrush Conservation Conference. The ISGF (http://sage-grouseforum.org/) energized thousands of stakeholders range wide in in discussion on how best to conserve sage-grouse and working landscapes. The 2016 Sagebrush Ecosystem Conference reached over 800 participants in 20 states and 1 Canadian province (http://sagebrushconference2016.org/). These conferences were co-sponsored by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Great Basin Consortium. hosted 2 field tours, and disseminated 2 newsletters and 2 reports (Annual and Final) to over 1,500 stakeholder who are part of the Utah Community-Based Conservation Program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Plan of Work We will continue to monitor GPS marked sage-grouse throughout the year. Our VHF marked sage-grouse will be monitored with periodic telemetry flights. If mortalities are discovered we will recover the transmitters so that they can be redeployed on another sage-grouse. We will begin capturing and marking sage-grouse with GPS transmitter in early 2017. We will monitor marked sage-grouse through the breeding, nesting and brooding seasons to determine vital rates. Vegetation data will again be collected on selected and random sites and these data will be combined with 2016 data so that a robust data set will be used to determine preferred habitats and how vital rates are influenced by habitat selection. We will launch the adopt-a sage-grouse pilot project tin 2017.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplishments We secured $100,000 in matching funds from the BLM, the Utah Public Policy Coordination Office, Deseret Land and Livestock, and the Rich County Commission to purchases additional GPS transmitters, conduct radio-telemetry flights. We developed the adopt-a-sage-grouse web site. we completed the preparation of two manuscripts reporting our data. We organized and conducted sessions at a national conference on livestock grazing and sage-grouse. We captured and radio-marked 55 female sage-grouse. We marked 9 female sage-grouse on DLL with GPS transmitter and 7 female sage-grouse on Three Creeks with GPS transmitters. These sage-grouse will provide the information we require to evaluate sage-grouse response to livestock grazing. We have summarized and reported our 2016 activities to our target audiences and posted the annual report on our web site. http://www.utahcbcp.org/files/uploads/rich/RichCountyAnnualReport2016.pdf
Publications
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Progress 05/01/15 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audience 1)Inform and educate federal land grazing permittees, UDWR, BLM, USFS, NRCS, and USFWS biologists, range conservationist, administrators, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), LWG stakeholders, congressional staffers, elected officials, Utah Governor's Office and related cabinet members, commodity organizations, industry, environmental organizations, the petitioners, primary and secondary school teachers and students, Ag-in-the-Classroom, and the news media about sage-grouse responses to livestock grazing management. Changes/Problems:Changes/Problems We do not anticipate any changes or problems. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities I am the co-chair and conference organizer for the 2016 Sagebrush Ecosystem Conference. I have included two sessions at this conference which will highlight tour on-going research. This conference will reach hundreds of participants and will provide a forum to share are efforts and engage new funding partners. In 2016 the environmental assessment for the Three Creeks Grazing Allotment Rotational Grazing Plan will be released for public comment. We worked with the Bureau of Land Management to provide the scientific basis for this plan. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination Our work was featured in the fall issue of Utah Science. We presented our research at a tri-state meeting (MT, Idaho, and Utah) of state fish and wildlife management agencies in November 2015. The research scope, goals and methods were presented at the 2016 Sagebrush Conference in an invited speech and poster sessions. The conference was attended by over 525 participants on site and another 300 on line. Participants who attended came from over 20 states. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Plan of Work Radio-Telemetry - Beginning in the spring of 2016, we will capture and radio-mark 30 female sage-grouse on DLL and Three Creeks with VHF radio collars. We will capture and radio-mark 14 additional female sage-grouse (4 on DLL and 10 on Three Creeks) with camouflaged and solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters. The protocols will be approved by the USU Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee prior to implementation. Following release, radio-marked sage-grouse will be re-located using radio telemetry to determine habitat-use patterns, seasonal movements, nesting and brood success, survival rates, and behavior when livestock are present. Sage-grouse and Livestock Interactions - We will also obtain 6 daily locations of GPS radio-marked females. These data will be compared to livestock habitat selection data which will be collected using 47 GPS-collars that will be deployed on cattle in DLL and the Three Creeks Allotment study areas. These data will detect high-use of particular ranch locations (including riparian areas), and illustrate a plausible need for improved livestock distribution across these rangelands. Vegetation Surveys - Upon re-locating radio-marked sage-grouse, a vegetation survey will be conducted at the location to determine the characteristics of the preferred cover and forage plants. Comparisons of these data will be made to determine if differences exist between preferred and random locations based on ecological site and condition. The GPS technology and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping software will be used to create a view shed of the species' vital rates, seasonal movements, and habitat use patterns relative to the vegetation structure and composition, livestock distributions, and ecological sites and condition in the study areas. Predator Surveys - Because predator populations may change in response to changing grazing practices, continuous monitoring is important to explain any observed differences in sage-grouse vital rates. A major objective of our study is to document the relative effect of prescribed and season-long grazing on sage-grouse survival rates or mortality. Most sage-grouse mortality is caused by predation. Changes in abundance of avian, mammalian, and primary prey will be monitored using standardized transects in the treatment and control areas. The prey base for these predators will also be measured to account for any prey shifting that may take place. Monitoring trends of potential sage-grouse predators in concert with changes in vital rates in the study areas will provide data to corroborate any observed differences in vital rates and habitat-use between DLL and the Three Creeks Allotment. We will disseminate the research results using the CBCP network to include hosting a partner-sponsored international forum on the status of the research and management regarding the relationship of livestock grazing to sage-grouse conservation. This forum will be held in Utah in the spring of 2016. To engage secondary and primary educators and their students, we will launch a sponsor-supported pilot program called "Adopt-a-Sage-Grouse." The CBCP has purchased the .net, .com. and .org urls to launch this program. This program will include an interactive, social media component that will allow educators and their students to track "adopted" GPS radio-marked that are co-located with livestock on DLL and the Three Creeks study areas. The program will allow participants to learn first-hand about this dynamic and facilitative relationship. This program would be launched in early 2016. We will also develop a social media app to support the program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplishments 1. Matching Funding - We have secured $160,000 in matching funding from the Public Lands Policy Coordination Office and BLM to purchase 20 GPS collars and research support, $22,000 from Desert Land and Livestock, $68,000 from PacifiCorp/Rocky Mt power, and $90,000 from BLM. 2) Successful deployment of the GPS transmitter and VHF radio-collars - We have deployed 7 GPS transmitters this fall and will deploy the remaining GPS transmitters and VHF radio collars in the spring 2016. All of the sage-grouse females we radio-marked have survived the winter. This spring we will deploy 13 more GPS transmitters and 20 VHF transmitters on sage-grouse roosting near leks on pastures. Twenty-six GPS transmitters will be deployed on livestock in each study area. This will be the first experimental year where we will be able to track GPS equipped sage-grouse movements in response to cattle equipped with GPS transmitters. 3. Graduate student - Because we received only partial funding, I have recruited an MS student who will start January 2016. This student is now working as a technician on this project. 4. Launching a pilot Adopt-a-Sage-grouse program in 2016 - - we are preparing the material to launch the web site supporting this project. The URL has been purchased. We are planning to expand this effort beyond sage-grouse to include all grouse species. We are working with the Swaner Center, Park City, UT, to identify schools to pilot the project. 5. Hosting an international multi-sponsor forum on the role of working landscape in species conservation in 2016 - Status - We are planning to host this conference in February 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah. We will be co-sponsoring this conference with the Great Basin Consortium and the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. We also are meeting with scientists and wildlife biologists from Idaho and Montana in November 2016 to increase range wide communication and collaboration regarding the on-going research regarding sage-grouse and livestock grazing. 6) Mainstream media coverage of the research and Adopt-a-Sage-grouse Program to include AP news stories, NPR, social media, etc., - Status - the research and program was featured in a Utah Science article in the fall of 2016. This article reported on the scope and process of the work. Because of the late funding we did not received the GPS transmitters until after the nesting season, thus we deployed them in the fall on sage-grouse that we captured on the study pastures.
Publications
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