Sage grouse working groups retired
Effective Jan. 31, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) will retire the Sage Grouse Local Working Groups, marking a new chapter in conservation efforts which began in 2004.
“We greatly appreciate the 21 years of dedicated service from our local working group members,” WGFD Director Angi Bruce said. “Their efforts are part of the foundation for our ongoing work in sage grouse conservation.”
Local working groups
The working groups were a direct response to the 2003 Wyoming Greater Sage Grouse Conservation Plan.
The primary role of the groups was to localize sage grouse conservation strategies focused on improving and maintaining sage grouse populations and habitats.
Providing key local perspectives and insights, the groups were instrumental in implementing crucial sage grouse conservation plans and funded 377 projects.
Through the efforts of these working groups, more than $11 million in sage grouse focused conservation actions and $68 million in matching funds were secured.
Since 2018, the role of the working groups has evolved. Conservation funding authority shifted from the legislature to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, while policy decisions moved to the Sage Grouse Implementation Team (SGIT).
The decision to conclude the working groups follows a departmental assessment which identified opportunities to improve efficiency, reallocate personnel time and streamline habitat project funding without impacting sage grouse management.
Continued conservation efforts
WGFD will continue to allocate funds to department projects specifically benefiting the sagebrush ecosystem, although Sage Grouse Local Working Group project-specific funding is gone.
The SGIT will continue to meet on a regular basis, providing opportunity for public discussions and policy recommendation development. Partnerships with other state and federal agencies, conservation groups and local nonprofit organizations will continue to play a vital role in sage grouse management.
Sage grouse habitat conservation also is a priority in the Statewide Habitat Plan (SHP), a roadmap defining how WGFD will move forward with key habitat conservation projects. For sage grouse, SHP priorities include habitat connectivity, crucial winter habitat and core management areas.
Maps of these areas can be found on the sage grouse data page at wgfd.wyo.gov.
“We will continue to honor the work of our local working groups, managing sage grouse through effective partnerships and initiatives,” Bruce said. “Wyoming has a proven track record of successful management of this species, and we will continue to provide the public, as well as our former Sage Grouse Local Working Groups members, with opportunities to work with us.”
“While our strategies are evolving and adapting to current needs, our mission to conserve Wyoming wildlife remains the same,” she added.
WGFD is dedicated to conserving, enhancing and protecting Wyoming’s exceptional fish and wildlife resources and the habitats that support them. For more information, visit wgfd.wyo.gov.
