sage grouse Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

‘It Sometimes Is Depressing’: Conservation Moves Forward, And Uphill, For Washington’s Sage Grouse

By Courtney Flatt April 24, 2021

A male greater sage grouse struts its stuff on Bureau of Land Management land in this April 21, 2012, photo. Bureau of Land Management

Sage grouse in the Columbia Basin are cut off from others in Oregon and southern Idaho, making them unique in their recovery. In 1998, Washington listed its sage grouse as threatened. They now occupy around 8 percent of their historic range in the state.Read More

We Can See Clearly Now The Smoke Is Gone: 2020 Fires Greatly Affected Northwest Wildlife Habitat

By Courtney Flatt November 28, 2020

Workers save adult fish at the Rock Creek Hatchery in Oregon during fires that swept through the region in September 2020. CREDIT: Matt Hill

“In this year of, well, exceptions, we’ve been handed an unprecedented level of damage to our wildlife mitigation program,” a Washington state wildlife biologist recently told the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.Read More

Numbers Of Imperiled Sage Grouse Tumble Even Lower Across The West

By NWPB News September 12, 2019

Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming and other states are reporting population declines for the birds in 2019. CREDIT: Jerret Raffety/The Rawlins Daily Times via AP

Grouse numbers also continued to drop in 2019 in Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming. Weather can affect populations from year to year, and wildlife officials say those short-term cycles are most directly responsible for the recent declines.Read More

Could Relocating Sage Grouse Save The Birds In Washington?

By Courtney Flatt September 3, 2019

A male greater sage grouse struts its stuff on Bureau of Land Management land in this April 21, 2012, photo. CREDIT: BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT/FLICKR

Moving imperiled sage grouse from one spot to another can be hard on the birds. But research from Washington State University suggests that after a restless adjustment period, the birds eventually get used to their new homes.Read More

Judge To Rule On Grazing Allowance For Family Whose Case Sparked Malheur Occupation

By Conrad Wilson June 30, 2019

President Trump pardoned Dwight and Steven Hammond Tuesday, June 10 2018 CREDIT: OPB

After hours of testimony, a federal judge in Portland extended a temporary restraining order as he considers whether or not to prevent a controversial Harney County ranching family from grazing their cattle on certain parcels of public land in southeast Oregon.Read More

A Sea Of Sagebrush Disappears, Making Way For Fire-Prone Cheatgrass

By NPR News June 3, 2019

Jon Griggs has been ranching in northern Nevada for more than 30 years. Fires have always been a part of this landscape, he says, but in the past 20 years, he has seen a significant increase. CREDIT: ASHLEY AHEARN/NPR

It may seem, to anyone who has driven long stretches of highway across the West, that there is plenty — maybe even more than enough — sagebrush. Sagebrush once covered 250 million acres of western North America, but today that ecosystem is half the size it once was and it's burning more frequently.Read More

Bird Advocates Question Raven-Killing Plans To Protect Sage Grouse

By Courtney Flatt March 21, 2019

Deep in Oregon’s sagebrush country, there’s one county with an abundance of ravens. Biologists say those ravens like to eat sage grouse eggs, and they’ve come up with plans to take care of the raven problem. That’s got bird advocates questioning whether killing one bird for the sake of another is the right move.Read More

Federal Action Removes Grazing Restrictions Meant To Protect Sage Grouse In Western States

By Courtney Flatt March 15, 2019

The Trump administration is lifting restrictions meant to protect greater sage grouse across seven western states. In Oregon grazing restrictions are being removed in 13 locations that provide habitat for the imperiled birds.Read More

Grazing Restrictions Could Be Lifted On Some Of Oregon’s Sage Grouse Habitat

By Courtney Flatt December 7, 2018

The Trump administration wants to reduce restrictions for greater sage grouse across seven states. For the imperiled birds in Oregon, that means fewer grazing restrictions in some specific habitat. The decision has rankled conservation and hunting groups and been supported by ranchers.Read More

Public Lands Grazing Helps Ranchers, Sage Grouse, Study Says

By Courtney Flatt October 6, 2018

Grazing restrictions on public lands may have unintended consequences for greater sage grouse, according to a recent study. The imperiled birds depend on habitat on both public and private lands, and much of that habitat can be lost when ranching operations go under.Read More

Will These High Desert Sage Grouse Be ‘Nevermore’ With Egg-Stealing Ravens In Their Midst?

By Courtney Flatt April 9, 2018

Lindsey Perry prepares a tag for a female sage grouse. CREDIT: COURTNEY FLATT

Sage grouse are found in 11 Western states. But they’re in trouble. In Oregon, their fragmented habitat is threatened by human development, invasive species, wildfires and overgrazing. Researchers are just starting to look into raven depredation, a more controversial problem for the birds. In a policy shift, the federal government wants sage grouse work to focus on the Read More

Can Ranchers Use Conservation To Keep Sage Grouse Off The Endangered Species List?

By Courtney Flatt July 30, 2015

Andrew Shields, a wildlife biologist for Roaring Springs Ranch in southeastern Oregon, searches for a radio collared sage grouse. Photo credit: Courtney Flatt Listen The plight of greater sage […]Read More