San Miguel Basin Gunnison Sage-grouse Working Group
March 14, 2011, 10am – 2:30 pm Meeting Minutes
US Forest Service Office in Norwood
Attendees: CPW: Jim Garner, Renzo delPiccollo, Evan Phillips; FS: Curtis Keetch, Luke Holguin; BLM: Eric
Freels, Kiley Whited, Missy Siders, Adam Cochran; Univ. WY: Bill Baker; San Miguel County: Dave Schneck,
Joan May, Rich Hamilton; NRCS: Jim Boyd, Ashley Baillie; Wilderness Society: Barbara Hawke; Sheep
Mountain Alliance: Jennifer Thurston; Working Group: Leigh Robertson
Italics indicate “to dos”
Brief Updates from Agencies, Organizations, & Individuals
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USFS Norwood: this summer will implement Thunder Road trails and will protect some SG habitat,
some single track trail construction as $ becomes available.
BLM Montrose working on RMP update which will affect SG habitat. Early phases. Replacement for
Dean Stindt: Michael Cutler starts end of April.
Coordinator Update, Leigh Robertson
 Presented summary of 2011 accomplishments and news from Feb. rangewide meeting:
o FWS proposed rule should be out between April – Sept. 20, 2012. Everyone should
comment on the proposed rule and critical habitat once it’s out.
o Crawford is very happy with the data from the satellite transmitters that were put on some
of their GUSG. Will also put cameras on lek to compare with lek count data.
 Landowner brochure is complete (attached); feel free to distribute.
 Presented Jim Garner with a GUSG photo as a thank you for being our chairman (see p. 15 of
the March 22 Telluride Watch newspaper for a photo)
 BLM Update, Eric Freels
o San Juan BLM/FS combined RMP: the draft is back, should be signed spring 2013.
Waiting on the listing to see how they’ll address it in the RMP: may amend it later, or
could address it now. Trying to have consistency among BLM field offices, e.g., no
leases in GUSG production areas. State Wildlife Areas: if it’s state land with federal
minerals—would like no leasing, and controlled surface use next to SWA. New
stipulations say No Surface Occupancy in production areas. If one draft alternative said
no leasing, then that’s a possibility.
o Trying to be proactive with the mapping: occupied or potentially suitable. Looking at
what that layer may look like. Want to see what makes sense and agree among the three
field offices.
o BLM did a mapping exercise in 2002 where they looked at soils—they’re looking at that
again. Some mapped habitat no longer has native vegetation, though.
o Programmatic EA that Kathy Nickell did years ago: it’s still good for several years; hope
they’ll still be able to continue to use that after a listing. Will need to check with FWS.
Have several 1000 acres on Monogram Mesa where they could work right away. BLM
will send Leigh, CPW, etc. their analysis once it’s done.
o Leigh could get volunteers and help CPW look at potential habitat and take photos, look
for pellets, etc.
o Exclosures near Andy’s Mesa: need to find them; see if they’ve been monitored.
o Want to coordinate at state level, so oil and gas companies know what land is off the
table for leases.
o Land exchange with Raymond Snyder: looked good when there were 14 males on the
Desert Lek (that was on Raymond’s property); the value is less now that the GUSG aren’t
using the lek, but it could still be good grouse habitat. If all of DCB is critical habitat,
does it still make sense to do a land exchange? Some concerns that if BLM land went to
Raymond, he could remove sagebrush.
o Dry Creek Basin Areas of Critical Environmental Concern designation: it adds a layer of
protection to critical habitat (especially re: oil and gas). Wasn’t listed in the draft plan, so
the public couldn’t comment on it, so not sure if can forward with that. Maybe could
since environmental groups said it should be an ACEC in their comments. Big Gyp and
some of Little Gyp Valley could be ACECs. Montrose has an ACEC on the border in one
alternative, but it’s not the preferred alternative (it would be hard to manage—it’s
separated by private land). ACECs provides funding opportunities. After listing is out,
could amend plans to have GUSG habitat as ACECs.
o Patara would have to request that U25 Road go through (would probably then close part
of U29 Road seasonally)
Landscape Planning Efforts in Dry Creek Basin, Jim Garner
 Jim will coordinate agency and private land habitat work in order to influence population dynamics;
provide planning, tools, assistance, and consolidate funding sources.
 Roles: Garner will plan and facilitate; working group (agencies/members) will implement and
monitor.
 The basin has issues with inadequate cover and brood habitat.
o Jim Boyd has digital soils data for the basin that he can share with Garner.
o Could put in a weather station. The Crawford station was inexpensive; Missy will send a
link to the website.
 Garner’s also in charge of the native seed warehouse that’s being built in Delta.
 Let CPW know if there’s game overgrazing.
 Could try to get more help from college/univ. students, e.g., Pathway to Public Service at CO Mesa
Univ.
Division of Parks & Wildlife Update, Evan Phillips/Brad Banulis
 Status of Grouse: 24 grouse have radio collars
o 5 on Beaver Mesa
o 2 near Gurley Reservoir. There was 1 recent powerline mortality, 1 flew to Miramonte
o 15 at Miramonte: 3 marked chicks are still alive
o 5 Dry Creek Basin (transplanted birds)
 Predator Control: 38 coyotes killed so far in 2012. Will be done by July 2012, and will monitor
juvenile survival through 2013.
 Other: Lek counts start this week. In April, would like to get volunteers to have people counting
every lek at the same time. Maybe have a field trip after the lek count.
Research in GUSG/Sagebrush Habitat using the General Land Office surveys from the late1800s, Bill Baker, University of WY
 Public lands were surveyed from 1876-1885. They marked corners, ran a chain for one mile, and
reported on vegetation.
 Grad students are inputting that data into a computer. Colors show vegetation: sagebrush, PJ,
Gambel oak, etc.
 Should have results late this summer or in the fall.
Future Plans
 Projects
o Seeding at Miramonte: Kristina and volunteers could collect green needlegrass seed this
summer and we could have it commercially grown. May need to Spike the sagebrush on
one plot first before seeding.
o Marking Fences: possible project for Diné Service Learning Camp, June 25 – 29. We
need to see if the markers we put on last year are staying in place on the smooth wire.
Could also try melting the ends of the vinyl onto the wire. Could see if NFWF $ is
available to help pay for materials.
o Satellite transmitters: could help us find leks, see if GUSG use treated areas, if they avoid
gas well sites, see if GUSG are on potential land trade parcels, if they go between
populations, etc. BLM has $13,000 left from trap & transplant money. Transmitters cost
$3,000 each + cost to get data. Leigh can check into grants.
o Plan for proposed listing now—press release ready. Plan to have a working group
meeting soon after the proposed listing comes out.
 Working Group & Committee Meetings, Field Trips: Leigh will organize
Trainings/Events
 Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop June 18-22 in Steamboat Springs
 July 4 Honor Mother Earth Festival at Ute Museum, booths by conservation organizations
Other
 Let Leigh know if you see lots of Cymopterus bulbosus--spring bulbous parsley & get a GPS
waypoint (it has pink/lavender flowers) or make note of the exact location.