Sage-Grouse Conservation Partnership (SageCon)

Wrapped up in the name “sage-grouse” are a host of complex issues related to public lands, the settlement of the American West, roles and layers of government, rural communities, energy and economic development, wildfire, outdoor recreation and vast ecosystems supporting unique and important wildlife. While often expressed shorthand in the name of this particular bird species, these deeper, ongoing threads and conversations continue to shape Oregon and the West as a whole. Oregon is home to over 15 million acres of sage-grouse habitat spanning private and public lands across eight counties in Eastern Oregon. The sagebrush steppe ecosystem serves the needs of hundreds of plant and animal species from the declining pygmy rabbit to flowering plants, shrubs and grasses. Sage-Grouse represent an umbrella species in the sagebrush sea as it has disappeared from most of its historic range and faces threats from fire, invasive species and habitat fragmentation.

The SageCon Partnership’s overarching goal is to advance policies and actions that reduce threats to sage-grouse and Oregon’s sagebrush ecosystem as well as promote rural community and economic health, according to the goals, approaches and strategies adopted in the Sage-Grouse State Action Plan in 2015. 

The Sage-Grouse State Action Report to fulfill Executive Order 15-18 has been updated to detail state-funded implementation activities from 2016-June 2018. Thanks to staff from ODFW, DLCD, ODF, DSL, ODOT, OWEB, ODOE as well as local implementation partners for all of your efforts and helping to document the range and scale of conservation efforts in Oregon. The State Action Report is prepared for the Governor’s Office and legislature to document progress to date as well as make a case for ongoing investments.

Objectives

The Sage Grouse Conservation Partnership formed out of discussions beginning in Oregon in 2010 and represents a broad base of stakeholders in order to:

• Provide a forum for coordination of federal, state, local, NGO, and private efforts to conserve sage grouse and advance sage-steppe habitat and rural community health in Oregon, including matters related to funding, policy, and implementation;
• Implement, coordinate and monitor conservation, regulatory, and voluntary strategies across public and private lands where relevant to habitat, species, economic and community health; and
• Coordinate with other state, regional, or federal efforts relevant to sage-grouse in order to provide timely and relevant input on Oregon’s strategies/approaches, including those related to future ESA listing or federal land management reviews.

For more information about the SageCon Partnership see:  https://orsolutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/SageCon_OverviewFactSheet_2013.pdf

• Why Care Fact Sheet
• Land Use Development Fact Sheet
• Grazing Fact Sheet
• Fire and Invasives Fact Sheet

2018 SageCon Summit Recordings Day 1 (October 25) and Day 2 (October 26)