Gunnison County, Colorado Photo courtesy of John Chorlton Photo courtesy of John Chorlton Photo courtesy of John Chorlton Photo courtesy of John Chorlton
Gunnison Sage-grouse - Current Events



Current Events
ANTLER SHED SEASON:  On Jan. 10, 2008 the Colorado Wildlife Commission adopted regulations prohibiting the collection of antler sheds on public lands in Game Management Units 54, 55, 551, 66 and 67 to protect Gunnison Sage-grouse during their lekking (breeding) season.  The closed season is from March 15 through May 15 annually.  This regulation was adopted at the recommendation of the Gunnison Basin Sage-grouse Strategic Committee with the support of the Gunnison and Saguache County Boards of County Commissioners 
Gunnison Sage-grouse
Road closures are again scheduled to begin on March 15th.  More information will be forthcoming on both County and BLM closures

On November 6, 2007 the BOCC adopted the 2007 Private Lands Lek Map.  Copies of this map are available at the Sage-grouse Coordinator's Office which is located in the County Administration Office.  Please Contact Jim Cochran at 970-641-7604.
The Road closures are no longer in effect as of May 15th.  Please read our Letter to the Editor below.

On April 3rd, 2007 the BOCC adopted Resolution 2007-17, a Resolution Amending Section 11-106: Protection of Wildlife Habitat Areas, and Related Sections of the Gunnison County Land Use Resolution, and Replacing the Temporary Regulations for Gunnison County Land Use Change, Access, Reclamation, Individual Sewage Disposal System or Building Permits on Lands Located Wholly or Partially Within a 0.60 Mile Radius of a Gunnison Sage-grouse Lek, or Located Wholly or Partially Within Gunnison Sage-grouse Occupied Habitat.  Click here to view Resolution 2007-17. PLEASE NOTE: The underlined language in this resolution is the new language and the struck through language is the deleted language.

On January 23, 2007 the BOCC adopted Resolution 2007-09, a Resolution Authorizing Temporary Closure of Certain Roads Within the County of Gunnison, Colorado for Protection of Gunnison Sage Grouse.  This will supercede Resolution 2006-19.  The new resolution changes the re-opening date from Memorial Day Weekend to May 15th.  To view this Resolution, click on Resolutions & Regulations in the left column.

Click here for a pre-application conference request form.  This form is to request a pre-application conference with the Planning Department, the Sage-grouse Conservation Coordinator and DOW for LUC, ISDS, Access and Building permits.  To view the Planning Department's web-page, please click on planning in the Departments box in the left margin.

This request form can be faxed to the Planning Dept. at 970-641-8585 or mailed to them at 221 N. Wisconsin St., Gunnison CO  81230.

On August 15, 2006 the BOCC adopted the 2006 Lek Map for Gunnison County as provided by the Colorado Division of Wildlife.  The Division revised the map in June after the 2006 lek counts were complete.  The map represents the best available locational information for leks within Gunnison County.  The 2006 Lek Map, as adopted, will be used for evaluation of County permit applications and pre-application consulations under the new LUR Wildlife section amendments.

Hard copies of the private-lands version of the 2006 Lek Map are available on a limited basis.  Please contact Jim Cochran at 970-641-7604 or jcochran@gunnisoncounty.org for more information.

On August 15, 2006 the BOCC sent a letter to the City of Gunnison requesting involvement of the Sage-grouse Conservation Coordinator in the annexation process as applied for by Gunnison Valley Partners, LLC.
Road Closures

NOTICE OF GUNNISON COUNTY AND BLM ROAD CLOSURES

Gunnison County and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have temporarily closed a number of roads to all motor vehicles to protect Gunnison Sage-grouse during their mating season and to prevent road damage during wet spring conditions. These roads will be closed March 15 and will reopen on May 15, 2008.  Click HERE for the current road closure locations.

Copies of the closure list and maps are available at Gunnison County Public Works, 811 Rio Grande Avenue; Gunnison County Administration Office, 200 E. Virginia Ave; Colorado Division of Wildlife Office, 300 W. New York; Bureau of Land Management/USFS Office, 216 N. Colorado; Gunnison, Colorado. Click HERE for a color map of the road closure locations and related closure information.

These closures apply to all motor vehicles. Do not park at the closures in a manner that blocks access through the closure gates. For additional information call Gunnison County Public Works at 641-0044; the Gunnison County Sage-grouse Conservation Coordinator at 641-7604; or the BLM at 641-0471.

The cooperation of the public is required to successfully implement these road closures. The closures will aid in the preservation of the Gunnison Sage-grouse and may assist in reducing impacts on residents and visitors of Gunnison County from a possible Federal listing of the grouse under provisions of the Endangered Species Act.

The public also should be aware of other closures in the Gunnison Basin that have been implemented to protect wildlife during this severe winter: The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) has implemented a Temporary Emergency Closure of all Hunting and Wildlife Related Activities, through May 15, 2008. The CDOW may be contacted at 970-641-7060 for additional information. The United States Forest Service has closed some public lands to all public use, including motorized and non-motorized uses, also through May 15, 2008. Public Use Closures enacted by BLM for big game winter feeding operations were lifted on April 26, 2008. Contact BLM or the USFS at 970-641-0471 for specific information on these closures.

The following Gunnison area roads will be closed each year beginning March 15th until May 15th, for protection of the Gunnison Sage-grouse, and to prevent road damage during muddy spring conditions. Property Owners will be provided access to their property. State and Federal agencies will be provided access for administrative purposes.

  1. CR #25 Pine Creek (closure on HWY #50 side just past end of private plowing)
  2. CR #25 Pine Creek (closure on HWY #149 side at the cattle guard past Blue Mesa Estates)
  3. CR #26 Sapinero Mesa (closure on HWY #50 side at current winter closure gate)
  4. CR #26 Sapinero Mesa (closure on HWY #149 side at current winter closure gate)1/
  5. CR #32 McCabe Lane (closure at first cattle guard past Moncrief Ranch)
  6. CR #818 Wiley Lane (closure at intersection with Mill Creek Road on north end)
  7. CR #7 Miller Lane (closure at existing gate)
  8. CR #818 Wiley Lane (closure at cattle guard at private/BLM boundary on the south end)
  9. Airport Road (County)(closure at intersection of W Mtn Ranch Road and      CR #38)
  10. CR #51B Sun Park (closure just past intersection with Overlook Drive)
  11. CR #743 Lost Canyon (closure at existing winter closure gate)1/
  12. CR #72 Tomichi Heights (closure at gate at BLM boundary)1/
  13. CR #42 Six Mile Lane (closure at existing gate on BLM boundary)1/
  14. CR #43 South Parlin Flats (closure at HWY #114 at Mile Marker 7)1/
  15. CR #43 South Parlin Flats (closure approx. 0.4 mile from HWY 50)
  16. CR #62 Razor Creek (closure at private boundary)1/
  17. BLM #3038 Kezar Basin (Closure just off Hwy 149 at powerline)1/
  18. BLM #3038 Nine Mile Hill (Closure just off Hwy 149)1/
  19. CR #61 Pole Creek (Closure off of CR #31–South Willow Creek/Vulcan Rd.)2/
  20. Hartman Rocks, NW entrance2/
  21. BLM #3061 Hartman Rocks, McCabes Lane (CR32) Entrance2/
  22. Hartman Rocks Powerline Access (Closure off Gold Basin Road—CR #38)1/
  23. BLM #3061 Hartman Rocks, South of Powerline1/
  24. Hartman Rocks Powerline Road (Closure east of South Beaver Creek)1/
  25. Hartman Rocks West Access (Closure to southern part of Hartman Rocks)1/
  26. BLM #3061 (South Entrance into Hartman Rocks)1/
  27. BLM #3107 Cabin Creek Road (Closure just off Hwy 50)1/
  28. BLM #3106 Dry Gulch Road (Closure just off Hwy 50)1/
  29. BLM #3106 Sewell Rim Road (Closure just off Hwy 50)1/
  30. BLM #3103 North Parlin Flats (Closure off CR #76 – Quartz Creek Road)1/
  31. CR #802 Woods Gulch North (Closure off CR #44 – Woods Gulch Cutoff)1/
  32. Woods Gulch Powerline Access (Closure off of CR #44 – Woods Gulch Cutoff)1/
  33. CR #802 Woods Gulch South (Closure off CR #44 – Woods Gulch Cutoff)1/
  34. BLM #3096 Woods Gulch East (Off CR #44 at south end)1/
  35. BLM #3094 Tomichi Dome Road (Off Hwy 50)1/
  36. South Parlin Flats Access Road (Closure off Hwy 114 at Mile Marker 5)1/
  37. WW13 Camp Kettle Gulch (Closure off Hwy 114)1/
  38. WW13 Poverty Gulch (Closure off of CR #45)1/
  39. BLM #3073 Krueger Ranch Road (Closure off Hwy 114)

County Closures: March 15 – May 15.BLM Closures:1/   Roads will be closed by March 15, but could be closed earlier; will reopen May 15.2/   Closed in winter when ski trail grooming begins; will reopen when roads are dry.



For Immediate Release - Mel Lloyd - BLM
March 5, 2008

Land managers announce temporary closure to protect sage grouse

MONTROSE, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management Uncompahgre Field Office (UFO) and the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (NCA) are implementing an immediate temporary closure on approximately 17,570 acres within the Gunnison sage grouse “area of critical environmental concern,” or ACEC, located in and adjacent to the Gunnison Gorge NCA. Effective immediately, the temporary closure is intended to protect the sensitive Gunnison sage grouse and its habitat, as well as reduce stress and disturbance to wintering deer and elk herds. Greater than normal winter snows are anticipated to extend muddy conditions this spring. As a result, all forms of human activity, including motorized, mechanical, foot, horseback, and skiing, will be prohibited through April 30, 2008, on portions of Black Ridge and Fruitland Mesas east of the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness, west of the Black Canyon Road, south of the Smith Fork drainage, and north of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  This area is managed as an ACEC; therefore the BLM is taking extraordinary measures to protect its resources.

“Recent closures on public lands in the Gunnison Basin will likely result in increased human use within the ACEC this spring,” NCA Manager Karen Tucker said. “While winter snows in the ACEC are not nearly as severe as in Gunnison, in recent years we had already begun to see an increase in stress on Gunnison sage grouse and big game populations, and damage to important habitat areas including sage grouse leks, brooding and rearing areas caused by increased motorized and non-motorized use.”

Many people are already familiar with the BLM seasonal gate closure at the intersection of Black Canyon and C-77 Roads.  That closure restricts only motorized use in the Fruitland Mesa portion of the ACEC.  This new temporary closure, encompassing all human activity, will provide increased protection of important habitat, as well as roads from increased rutting and soil erosion. The Colorado Division of Wildlife is supportive of the temporary closure.

“Working closely with BLM to protect wildlife and key habitat is essential,” District Wildlife Manager Doug Homan said. “Minimizing human disturbance during late winter and early spring should help a variety of wildlife species rebound from difficult winter conditions.”

A map depicting the Gunnison Sage Grouse ACEC closure is available for viewing online at www.blm.gov/co (select Uncompahgre on interactive map), or at the Montrose Public Lands Center at 2505 S. Townsend Ave. in Montrose, the DOW office in Montrose at 2300 S. Townsend, and the Forest Service offices at 2250 U.S. Hwy. 50 in Delta and North Rio Grand Avenue in Paonia. BLM will post closure signs at main entry points to the ACEC. The BLM appreciates your cooperation with this effort to protect this special area. For additional information, contact Karen Tucker at (970) 240-5309 or Melissa Siders at (970) 240-5332.

Sincerely,
Mel Lloyd, Public Affairs Specialist
BLM Western Slope, Central Region
2815 H Rd., Grand Junction, CO 81506

Resolution No. 2007-09 is a Resolution Authorizing Temporary Closure of Certain Roads Within the County of Gunnison, Colorado for Protection of Gunnison Sage-grouse.  This will superced Resoltuion 2006-19.  The new resoltuion changes the re-opening date from Memorial Day Weekend to May 15th.
Quarterly Report: 4th quarter, 2007

Gunnison County Sage-grouse Conservation Program Quarterly Report

October 1 through December 31, 2007

 

·          The Gunnison Basin Sage-grouse Strategic Committee (Strategic Committee) met twice this quarter.


o         The Committee continued to work with the Division of Wildlife (DOW) to provide a proposal to the Colorado Wildlife Commission to address the impacts of antler shed collection activities on Gunnison Sage-grouse.

§          A sub-group of the Committee met with DOW staff to develop alternatives to present to the Wildlife Commission in November.

 

o         The Committee assigned a member to work with the Gunnison Rising annexation proponents to develop a mitigation plan for the loss of sage-grouse habitat that will result if the project is approved/completed.

 

o         Strategic Committee operating guidelines amendments, including changing the nomination/appointment process to correspond to other County boards and commissions were approved by the Board of County Commissioners in December.

 

·          Twenty one County building related permit applications were reviewed for sage-grouse issues during this quarter.

o         All were within previously developed areas, or were outside of actual sage-grouse habitat.

 

o         As determined necessary, permits were conditioned to protect sage-grouse and their habitat where the “sphere of influence” of activities on these properties might impact Gunnison Sage-grouse or their habitats.

 

o         One Pre-application Conference was accomplished this quarter which required an on-site evaluation. County staff and Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) and the landowners were involved. In this case we determined that the proposed project would have no direct impact on sage-grouse or their habitats.

 

·          Jim Cochran attended the Colorado Wildlife Commission meeting in Colorado Springs on November 8, 2007. He provided testimony to the Commission on the proposed antler shed collection alternatives presented by the CDOW to the Commission.

 

·          Jim Cochran attended an Endangered Species Act (ESA) conference in Denver.

 

·          Jim Cochran attended the Gunnison Sage-grouse Rangewide Conservation Plan Steering Committee meeting in Montrose on December 6. He presented a report on the Gunnison County sage-grouse program at that meeting.

 

·          Jim Cochran attended a Local Working Group meeting and two subcommittee meetings during this period.

 

·          Jim Cochran attended a meeting of the Crawford Local Working Group. The Crawford sage-grouse population is the nearest neighbor to the Gunnison population. Of interest was the antler shed collection issues being experienced with this population. If anything, because of the relatively small area of occupied habitat and associated leks, the concerns of adverse affects are even greater than those associated with the Gunnison population.

 

·          Jim Cochran attended a City of Gunnison Planning and Zoning Commission work session on the Gunnison Rising annexation application. He provided information to the Commission on sage-grouse issues associated with the project.

 

·          Jim Cochran provided information and comments to the City of Gunnison on their draft trails plan.


(click here to download this report in PDF format.)
Private Land Projects
Over 30% of the important sage-grouse habitat within the Upper Gunnison River Basin is located on private lands.  Though the ranching community has been involved with Gunnison Sage-grouse issues for many years, a number of new landowners have asked what they can do to help.  Any interested landowners who may want to improve habitat for Gunnison Sage-grouse (GUSG) on their lands are welcome to call Jim Cochran at 641-7604.  He is available to answer landowner’s questions regarding possible projects, the implications to a landowner, and assist landowners in determining if a property has important sage-grouse habitat on it and how it might be improved to benefit this unique bird.
Office Staff
Gunnison Sage-grouse Conservation Coordinator
Jim Cochran
970-641-7604
Email Jim
Administrative Assistant
Ruth Dukeman
970-641-7600
Email Ruth
Office Hours
Monday - Friday (except for holidays)
8:00 am - noon & 1:00 - 5:00 

* Prior arrangements can be made for services during the lunch hour.
Contact Information
Gunnison Sage-grouse Conservation
200 E. Virginia Avenue
Suite #104
Gunnison, CO  8123		 Phone:  (970) 641-0248
(Voicemail is available 24 hours per day)

Fax: (970) 641-3061