6 Ways to Help Sage-grouse Right Now

The Greater Sage-grouse won鈥檛 be listed under the Endangered Species Act, but that doesn鈥檛 mean important conservation opportunities aren鈥檛 ongoing.

The spike-tailed Greater Sage-grouse, icon of the West, will not be added to the Endangered Species List, U.S. Fish and Wildlife announced today. The announcement was largely celebrated as a victory among conservationists鈥攊t means the ongoing efforts to protect the bird are working (read our full story about the decision here). An unprecedented amount of collaboration among stakeholders鈥攊ncluding industry, ranchers, conservationists, state and local government, and landowners鈥攈as put the sage-grouse on the road to recovery.

Here鈥檚 a sampling of ways the various groups can help the sage-grouse, now and into the future:

1. Remove Invasive Plants. Sagebrush habitat may look hardy, but it鈥檚 quite delicate. The land is particularly susceptible to invasive pi帽on and juniper trees, which can turn the scrubby prairie into a low, thin forest. To prevent that, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, among others, partners with ranchers to. This not only restores habitat for sage-grouse, but also for sagebrush songbirds. Invasive cheatgrass, imported from Asia, is also poised to take over sagebrush habitat鈥攁nd since cattle can鈥檛 eat cheatgrass, ranchers and conservationists alike are eager to eliminate it.

2. Mark Fences. While in flight, sage-grouse can鈥檛 see wire fences鈥攖heir eyes, situated on opposite sides of their head, are ideal for spotting predators, but not great for looking straight ahead. So the birds have a tendency to crash into the fences when they鈥檙e in the vicinity鈥攚hich is a problem, because sagebrush breeding grounds (also known as leks) often overlap with fenced-off ranches. By attaching vinyl flags to fences, ranchers have already prevented sage-grouse fence strikes across the West.

3. Establish No-drill Buffer Zones. Unfortunately, some sage-grouse habitat lies right on top of major oil and gas deposits. The Bureau of Land Management will establish around the critical leks, which will keep new wells far enough away that the birds remain undisturbed.

4. Prevent Wildfires. Fires are terrible news for sage-grouse: When sagebrush burns, it takes a, allowing invasive species to take hold in its place. Moreover, those same invasive plants, like juniper and cheatgrass, make excellent fuel for more fires. By removing these plants, the U.S. Department of the Interior hopes to in sage-grouse habitat.

5. Establish Conservation Easements. By allocating some land as a conservation easement, private landowners can be reimbursed for permanently protecting land from development. More than  of sage-grouse habitat have already been restored or conserved, saving their leks and migration paths from being overrun by agriculture or ranches.

6. Do More Research. There鈥檚 still a lot we don鈥檛 know about the sage-grouse, and how to best protect it. The USGS is encouraging research on sage-grouse genetics, breeding patterns, and ecological needs through its. Hopefully, their discoveries will guide conservation efforts in the future to boost the birds on their long recovery.