Greater Sage-Grouse Fact Sheet: Overview and Effects of Wind Energy Development

Hatchet Ridge, Pattern Energy

This fact sheet, published by the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NWCC), provides an overview of knowledge on greater sage-grouse ecology, status, conservation challenges, and current conservation efforts, and presents a summary of recent research findings on the interactions between sage-grouse and wind energy development.

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Literature Cited

  1. Carlisle JD. 2017. The effect of sage-grouse conservation on wildlife species of concern: implications for the umbrella species concept. PhD thesis at University of Wyoming.

Gamo RS and Beck JL. 2017. Energy disturbance and productivity of mule deer habitat in sage-grouse core areas. Rangeland Ecology and Management 70: 576-583.

 

  1. Connelly JW, Hagen CA, and Schroeder MA. 2011. Characteristics and dynamics or grater sage-grouse populations. In: Greater Sage-Grouse: Ecology and Conservation of a Landscape Species and Its Habitats (Studies in Avian Biology). University of California Press, Berkeley: 53-68.

 

  1. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2010. Beginner’s Guide to Greater Sage-Grouse. https://www.fws.gov/greatersagegrouse/factsheets/Primer1-SGBeginnersGuide.pdf

 

  1. Dinkins JB, Conover MR, Kirol CP, Beck JL, and Frey SN. 2014. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) hen survival: effects of raptors, anthropogenic and landscape features, and hen behavior. Canadian Journal of Zoology 92: 319-330.

Taylor RL, Walker BL, Naugle DE, Mills LS. 2012. Managing multiple vital rates to maximize greater sage-grouse population growth. The Journal of Wildlife Management 76(2): 336-347.

 

  1. Becker JM, Duberstein CA, Tagestad JD, Downs JL. 2009. Sage-grouse and wind energy: biology, habits, and potential effects from development. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-18567.pdf

 

  1. Becker JM, Duberstein CA, Tagestad JD, Downs JL. 2009. Sage-grouse and wind energy: biology, habits, and potential effects from development. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-18567.pdf

Defenders of Wildlife. Fact sheet: sage-grouse. http://www.defenders.org/sage-grouse/basic-facts

 

  1. Becker JM, Duberstein CA, Tagestad JD, Downs JL. 2009. Sage-grouse and wind energy: biology, habits, and potential effects from development. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-18567.pdf

 

  1. Becker JM, Duberstein CA, Tagestad JD, Downs JL. 2009. Sage-grouse and wind energy: biology, habits, and potential effects from development. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-18567.pdf

Johnson DH, Holloran MJ, Connelly JW, Hanser SE, Amundson CJ, and Knick ST. 2011. Influence of environmental and anthropogenic features on greater sage-grouse populations, 1997–2007. In: Greater Sage-Grouse: Ecology and Conservation of a Landscape Species and Its Habitats. (Studies in Avian Biology). University of California Press, Berkeley: 407–450.

 

  1. Becker JM, Duberstein CA, Tagestad JD, Downs JL. 2009. Sage-grouse and wind energy: biology, habits, and potential effects from development. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-18567.pdf

Blickley JL, Blackwood D, Patricelli GL. 2012. Experimental evidence for the effects of chronic anthropogenic noise on abundance of Greater Sage-Grouse at leks. Conservation Biology 26(3): 461-471.

 

  1. Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2010. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee Recommendations. https://www.fws.gov/ecological-services/es-library/pdfs/Wind_Turbine_Guidelines_Advisory_Committee_Recommendations.pdf

 

  1. Walker BL, Naugle DE, Doherty KE. 2007. Greater sage-grouse population response to energy development and habitat loss. Journal of Wildlife Management 8: 2644-2654.

 

  1. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Centrocercus urophasianus. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22679503A92816586.en

 

  1. Defenders of Wildlife. December 21, 2016. New report highlights greater sage-grouse as conservation priority for trump administration. https://www.defenders.org/press-release/new-report-highlights-greater-sage-grouse-conservation-priority-trump-administration

Fears D. September 22, 2015. Decision not to list sage grouse as endangered is called life saver by some, death knell by others. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/09/22/fewer-than-500000-sage-grouse-are-left-the-obama-administration-says-they-dont-merit-federal-protection/?utm_term=.76d4987579de

 

  1. U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Fact sheet: BLM, USFS greater sage-grouse conservation effort. https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/BLM-USFS%20Plans%20Fact%20Sheet%20Final915.pdf

 

  1. Gamo RS and Beck JL. 2017. Effectiveness of Wyoming’s sage-grouse core areas: influences on energy development and male lek attendance. Environmental Management 59: 189-203.

 

  1. Gruver M. March 19, 2015. Wyoming still plans on sage grouse hunting this fall. Capital Press. http://www.capitalpress.com/Nation_World/Nation/20150319/wyoming-still-plans-on-sage-grouse-hunting-this-fall

 

  1. U.S. Department of the Interior. August 7, 2017. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke statement on sage grouse report. https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-interior-ryan-zinke-statement-sage-grouse-report

 

  1. Secretary of the Interior. August 4, 2017. Memorandum: Improving the BLM’s 2015 Sage-Grouse Plans. https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/so3353_memo_coverletter_report_080717.pdf

 

  1. Becker JM, Duberstein CA, Tagestad JD, Downs JL. 2009. Sage-grouse and wind energy: biology, habits, and potential effects from development. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-18567.pdf

 

  1. Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2010. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee Recommendations. https://www.fws.gov/ecological-services/es-library/pdfs/Wind_Turbine_Guidelines_Advisory_Committee_Recommendations.pdf

 

  1. National Wind Coordinating Collaborative. Sage-Grouse. https://www.nationalwind.org/research/collaboratives/sage-grouse/

 

  1. Fremgen AL, Hansen CP, Rumble MA, Gamo RS, and Millspaugh JJ. 2016. Male greater sage-grouse detectability on leks. The Journal of Wildlife Management 80(2): 266–274.

Fremgen AL, Rota CT, Hansen CP, Rumble MA, Gamo RS, and Millspaugh JJ. 2017. Male greater sage-grouse movements among leks. Wildlife Management 81(3): 498-508.

Hansen CP, Schreiber LA, Rumble MA, Millspaugh JJ, Gamo RS, Kehmeier JW, and Wojcik N. 2016. Microsite selection and survival of greater sage-grouse nests in south-central Wyoming. Wildlife Management 80(5): 862-876.

Schreiber LA, Hansen CP, Rumble MA, Millspaugh JJ, Gamo RS, Kehmeier JW, and Wojcik N. 2015. Microhabitat selection of brood-rearing sites by greater sage-grouse in Carbon County, Wyoming. Western North American Naturalist 75(3): 348-363.

Schreiber LA, Hansen CP, Rumble MA, Millspaugh JJ, Thompson FR, Gamo RS, Kehmeier JW, and Wojcik N. 2016. Greater sage-grouse apparent nest productivity and chick survival in Carbon County, Wyoming. Wildlife Biology 22: 37–44.

 

  1. LeBeau CW, Beck JL, Johnson GD, Nielson RM, Holloran MJ, Gerow KG, and McDonald TL. 2017. Greater sage-grouse male lek counts relative to a wind energy development. Wildlife Society Bulletin 41(1): 17-26.

LeBeau CW, Johnson GD, Holloran MJ, Beck JL, Nielson RM, Kauffman ME, Rodemaker EJ, and McDonald TL. 2017. Greater sage-grouse habitat selection, survival, and wind energy infrastructure. Wildlife Management 81(4): 690-711.

 

  1. LeBeau CW, Johnson GD, Holloran MJ, Beck JL, Nielson RM, Kauffman ME, Rodemaker EJ, and McDonald TL. 2017. Greater sage-grouse habitat selection, survival, and wind energy infrastructure. Wildlife Management 81(4): 690-711.

Winder VL, McNew LB, Gregory AJ, Hunt LM, Wisely SM, and Sandercock BK. 2013. Effects of wind energy development on survival of female greater prairie-chickens. Journal of Applied Ecology 51(2): 395-405.

 

  1. LeBeau CW, Johnson GD, Holloran MJ, Beck JL, Nielson RM, Kauffman ME, Rodemaker EJ, and McDonald TL. 2017. Greater sage-grouse habitat selection, survival, and wind energy infrastructure. Wildlife Management 81(4): 690-711.

 

  1. LeBeau CW, Beck JL, Johnson GD, Nielson RM, Holloran MJ, Gerow KG, and McDonald TL. 2017. Greater sage-grouse male lek counts relative to a wind energy development. Wildlife Society Bulletin 41(1): 17-26.

 

  1. LeBeau CW, Beck JL, Johnson GD, Nielson RM, Holloran MJ, Gerow KG, and McDonald TL. 2017. Greater sage-grouse male lek counts relative to a wind energy development. Wildlife Society Bulletin 41(1): 17-26.

LeBeau CW, Johnson GD, Holloran MJ, Beck JL, Nielson RM, Kauffman ME, Rodemaker EJ, and McDonald TL. 2017. Greater sage-grouse habitat selection, survival, and wind energy infrastructure. Wildlife Management 81(4): 690-711.

The National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NWCC), formed in 1994 and retired in 2020, was initiated and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); AWWI facilitated the NWCC from 2012 until 2020. Learn more.