The Impacts of Energy Development on Greater Sage-

Grouse: What we know

Christian A. Hagen, Ph.D.Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

Overview

• Sagebrush obligate

• Landscape species

• Potential for conflicts in resource use

Greater sage-

grouse

Greater Greater sagesage--

grousegrouse

Gunnison sage-grouse

Gunnison Gunnison sagesage--grousegrouse

Photo: SBCN

Photo: J SadowskiPhoto: J Sadowski

Photo: M Schroeder

The effects of wind energy?• Currently no research

• Hypothesize:– Fragmentation &

Disturbance– Lead to avoidance– Ecological trap– Threshold effects

Basis for Hypothesis• Effects of oil / gas

development• Recent research

– Avoidance– Demographic

consequences• Direct & indirect

Avoidance by Nesting Hens

2.1 km12.4 kmDistance

50%50%Nest success

89%65%Nest Initiation

Undisturbed**Disturbed**Variable

Lyon and Anderson (2003)

**Habitat conditions similar between sites

Avoidance Winter Habitat Use

Doherty et al. 2007

Legal max density

(or 1.5 sections)

Demographic effects

Holloran100%69%Survival YF

Holloran100%53%Survival YM

Kaiser2.501.17Chicks: hen

Kaiser63%64%Nest Succ

StudyOut-fieldIn-fieldVariable

Demographic effects

Holloran 2005Distance (km)

Ann

ual p

ropo

rtion

al c

hang

e in

lek

coun

ts

Demographic effects

Walker et al. 2007

0102030405060708090

100

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Yr

% o

f 200

1 po

pula

tion

Outside CBNGIn CBNG

-12%

-82%

What does this mean?

Oil /gas pad = 4 acresTurbine pad = 1 acre (or 35 acres)

3.13 km / km3.13 km / km22

1 per day1 per day

40 40 db(Adb(A) )

37 37 db(Adb(A) )

52 52 db(Adb(A) )

44--60 m60 m

GasGas

??

1 per year1 per year

??

NANA

35 35 db(Adb(A))

6666--122 m122 m

WindWind

Maintenance visits

Road density

Haul roads

Compressor

Noise @ 0.25 miles

Structure height

VariableVariable

Things to consider

• Clearly research is needed– What is the ecological footprint?– Need to go beyond mortality strike data– What are the thresholds?– Replicated paired-study designs

Questions?