Management plan for the conservation of Columbian sharp-tailed grouse in Idaho 2015–2025

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This Management Plan for the Conservation of Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse in Idaho (Plan) functions to provide guidance for IDFG and its partners to implement conservation measures that will enhance Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (CSTG) habitat and populations in Idaho and prevent the need for future ESA protections. The Plan is organized into 2 main sections. The introduction provides background on CSTG distribution, population size, conservation status, and ecology, including habitat relationships during breeding, nesting, brood-rearing, and wintering life stages. The Introduction also provides IDFG legal policy and framework for Plan development. A second section reviews threats, limiting factors, and opportunities for CSTG conservation. Threats to CSTG include loss of habitat due to agricultural and human development; habitat modification from improper livestock grazing, wildfire, invasive species, and shrub control; climate change; disease; pesticide use; and human disturbance. Limiting factors to CSTG populations include concerns associated with isolated populations, predation, interspecific competition, and regulated harvest. A variety of opportunities exist for IDFG to improve management and conservation of CSTG populations, including working with private landowners to secure habitat, engaging the public in citizen-science projects and educational programs, identifying funding to implement research and monitoring programs, and evaluating success of translocation efforts and impacts on source populations. This Plan follows The Compass and identifies 7 conservation objectives, with specific management direction, performance objectives, and strategies to be implemented over the next 10 years (2015—2025).

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology

SWAP (2/19/2016) citation:
[IDFG] Idaho Department of Fish and Game. 2015. Management plan for the conservation of Columbian sharp-tailed grouse in Idaho 2015–2025. Draft. Boise (ID): Idaho Department of Fish and Game. 61 p. [accessed 2016 Feb 01]. http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/wildlife/draftPlanCSTG.pdf.