Collaborative efforts towards ecological habitat restoration of a threatened species, Greater Sage-Grouse, in Wyoming, USA

Wyoming is the least populated state in the U.S. with similar to 250,000 km(2) of relatively undisturbed ecosystems and wildlife habitat as well as an abundance of natural resources. Increasing demand for natural resources has resulted in more resource extraction activities, including surface mining and oil & gas drilling, and associated disturbance in these ecosystems, which, along with wildfire, invasive plants, and infrastructure development have lead to decreases in both the amount of habitat available and the quality of remaining habitat. These are thought to be the primary factors responsible for 50% population loss of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in its historical range. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in 2010, determined the Greater Sage-Grouse was warranted for Endangered Species listing but precluded because other species were under more severe threat. Inclusion of the Greater Sage-Grouse as an Endangered Species would likely result in considerable negative economic impacts in the state of Wyoming which depends on extractive natural resource production for economic health. To conserve the Greater Sage-Grouse and it's habitat in Wyoming, the state developed a natural resource policy titled "Sage-Grouse Core Area Strategy and Governor's Executive Order for Sage-Grouse" which involves protecting existing wildlife habitat and ecological restoration of habitat affecting by resource extraction and other disturbance factors mentioned above. The policy being carried out was developed by a collaborative team of state and federal agencies, industry, non-governmental organizations, and private landowners known as the Sage-Grouse Implementation Team. Specifics of restoration efforts are discussed.