Sage Grouse Population and Habitat Recovery
One of the last known greater sage grouse leks in NE California鈥�

Clear Lake NWR has one of the last known greater sage grouse leks in NE California鈥�, down from over fifty active leks in the mid 20th century鈥�.  鈥婼鈥媔nce then, sage grouse numbers have declined precipitously.  Leks are relatively open areas in the sage steppe traditionally used each spring by male sage grouse to strut and display to attract female grouse.  鈥婼pring c鈥媜unts of males on the lek has been鈥� the traditional鈥� 鈥媤ay鈥� to assess sage grouse populations.  Spring of 1992 had over 60 males counted at Clear Lake.  S鈥媝ring 2004 鈥媍ounted 鈥媜nly five males 鈥媡here鈥�.  The next year a working group of government agencies, private landowners and ranchers was formed to鈥� determine鈥� 鈥媡he cause鈥� and try to rebuild populations. 

 Conifer encroachment into the sage steppe and wildfire were identified as the biggest threat鈥媠鈥� to the grouse in the area.  鈥媁鈥媏stern juniper trees in NE California have significantly expanded their range . Sage grouse avoid areas with trees since they serve as perches for preying raptors and egg stealing ravens.  Wildfire which once kept junipers confined to rocky areas, is now a threat because it 鈥媎estroys鈥� sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States鈥� sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.

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which most often doesn鈥檛 grow back due to encroachment by non-native annual grasses which green up early in the spring, using up soil moisture.  They also dry out earlier in the year thus feeding more frequent and severe wildfires. 

 鈥婽he group took a two鈥�-pronged approach鈥嬧€� which both 鈥媌olste鈥媟s鈥� the sage grouse population and  鈥媔mproves 鈥� the habitat for sage grouse. To bolster the local grouse population in 2005 we caught 10 grouse at Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge鈥� 鈥媔n Oregon鈥�, fitted them with tracking devices鈥�, 鈥媡hen released鈥� them at Clear Lake. Over the next ten years, a total 150 grouse鈥� were relocated 鈥媐rom areas in SE Oregon and NW Nevada.  In 2006, we began juniper removal on the refuge, treating 4000 acres within a few years.  Forty thousand total acres have since been treated to remove or thin junipers within the leks.  鈥婤y 2017, we counted 34 male grouse at Clear Lake.鈥�

D鈥媏spite our efforts, though, the sage grouse population on the refuge has鈥� since declined.  The annual grass  Medusa head has spread to intact sage brush areas, decreasing鈥� habitat and increasing the threat of wildfires.  However, we鈥檝e seen some promising results using herbicides on annual grass 鈥媤hile creating 鈥媐ire breaks.   The threat to the integrity of the sage steppe and populations of sage grouse, pronghorn, mule deer, and the multitude of less visible species that need sage brush is not going 鈥媋way鈥� anytime soon.  It will likely take generations and breakthroughs in biological control of exotic plant species.  The work on the refuge and the surrounding area continues with a study by Oregon State University on the viability of the Clear Lake population with expected completion by 2022. 

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Biologists (USFWS)
Habitat conservation