Cooperative Agreement L24AC00588

This Cooperative Agreement award of $249,360 from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the Wildlife Resource Management (CFDA 15.247) program supports research by Oregon State University (OSU) to study greater sage-grouse movement and habitat use in the Bighorn Basin of Montana and Wyoming. The key objectives are to: 1) identify anthropogenic factors inhibiting or promoting sage-grouse movement among seasonal habitats, 2) integrate habitat selection and movement into an assessment of how human activities influence sage-grouse population dynamics, and 3) evaluate sage-grouse breeding season movements in response to human activities, non-native grazers, and predators. The research will leverage GPS tracking data from over 888 female sage-grouse collected since 2011 and expand monitoring efforts to areas with potential barriers between designated core and priority habitats. Findings will provide science-based guidance to the BLM for land management decisions supporting sage-grouse conservation across the region.