BACKGROUND:
Sage Grouse were recently petitioned for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2000. In 2005 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) found that the species was "not warranted" for ESA protections, discounting large-scale losses of sage-grouse population and habitat throughout the sage-steppe biome.  In 2007, it was discovered that the USFWS decision to not grant Sage Grouse federal protection was the result of political pressure.  This information and the realization that there was political interference in dozens of other endangered species decisions resulted in the resignation of Assistant Interior Secretary Julie MacDonald. The new decision as to whether or not to list Sage Grouse hopefully will be decided by the time we head out on this trip!

"Leks" are locations where groups of male  Sage Grouse return year after year to strut their stuff in the hopes of attracting a mate.  To the human eye the lek sites really don't look all that different from the surrounding sage brush, so any new Leks are usually found during the breeding season by looking for groups of males.  There are about 52 known leks on the Hart Mountain refuge. Collecting data at the leks allows the Refuge to document population trends on Hart Mountain.  A large proportion of this data collection work is done entirely by volunteers.

PROJECT DETAILS:
Participants will work in small groups of 2 or 3 using GPS units to navigate to Sage Grouse leks to count males and females present. In addition to safety reasons, a team approach is especially helpful since the methods require multiple counts, and the cryptic nature of the birds can make some individuals difficult to see. 

While this trip is very popular, it is important to note that: This trip involves a commitment to waking up extremely early (4AM), and hiking and standing in the cold/dark with wind and potentially snow.

TIMELINE:
ONDA trip participants will arrive at 1PM on Thursday March 18th at the Hart Mountain Headquarters to get our specific assignments, gear and instructions.  I will give folks a GPS orientation and we will have some time to practice. The bunkhouse is available for us to stay in again this year:  It is modern and roomy, with 13 beds in 7 separate rooms, and a full modern kitchen with some utensils.

On the first day of lek observations, one or both of our groups of ONDA volunteers will be accompanied by a USFWS employee or an experienced volunteer lek observer. All leks will involve at least a short drive and a hike of about 1-3 miles in the dark. The refuge provides vehicles and refuge radios. Because counts are done so early in the morning, everyone will usually return from their leks by about 10 a.m.  Usually we are all starving, so after a second breakfast we will head out again to scout out the location of the next day's leks. If the scouting doesn't take too long we may even have time to sneak in a quick extra hike, to see petroglyphs or other sights (or nap), before dinner and an early bedtime.  The subsequent days will follow the same routine: On Sunday after monitoring leks, we will be able to clean the bunkhouse and be ready to head home by around lunch time.

GROUP SIZE:
Space is limited to 5 volunteers.

REGISTRATION:
A FULL ITINERARY, DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS AND "WHAT TO BRING", WILL BE PROVIDED UPON REGISTRATION.  To aid in our planning, on your registration form "comments" please indicate: Your general hiking ability (high, medium, low) and if you have participated on this trip previously .

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
This trip is essentially identical to the Sage Grouse Monitoring Trip #2.  It will be led by ONDA's Development Assistant, Devon Comstock

If you would like to volunteer to monitor leks on a different date, or would like to stay longer, the refuge needs volunteers from March 17 to May 4. For more information regarding volunteering on different dates contact Marla at the Refuge: marla_bennett@fws.gov or 541-947-2731.