Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association Conservation Strategy

Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association Conservation Strategy
thunder-basin-grasslands-prairie-ecosystem-association-conservation-strategy.pdf2.93 MB

This is the Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association (TBGPEA) Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.

Learn more about sagebrush steppe assemblage (greater sage-grouse, sage sparrow, brewer's sparrow, sage thrasher) and shortgrass prairie assemblage (black-tailed prairie dog, mountain plover, ferruginous hawk, burrowing owl).  Appendix A is TBGPEA's Candidate Conservation Agreement (CCA) and Appendix B is the Conservation Agreement (CA).

Publication date
Type of document
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
Facility
A herd of elk in a snowy field and craggy mountains in the backdrop.
Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office
The Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office is responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing federally protected fish and wildlife and their habitats in the State. The office seeks to carry out its responsibilities by working cooperatively with other Federal and State agencies, various...
Conservation Office
Cheyenne,WY
Program
Butterfly with orange, brown, and white wings perched perched on a flower head gathering nectar with another butterfly on the backside of the flower head.
We assess the conservation status of species, using the best scientific information available, and identify those that warrant listing as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. A species that we find warrants a proposal to list as endangered or threatened, but listing is...
Program
Falls Church,VA
Species
Two large, ornate birds with pointed fail features, large white breast on a dry grassland with mountains in the distance

The Greater Sage-Grouse is a large grouse with a chunky, round body, small head, and long tail. Males change shape dramatically when they display, becoming almost spherical as they puff up their chest, droop their wings, and fan their tail into a starburst. Sage-Grouse are mottled gray-brown...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
The Brewer’s Sparrow is a small sparrow of about 12-15 cm in length. Its distinguishing features include a notched tail, conical bill, a finely streaked brown crown, and a defined white eye ring. The underside of the Brewer’s Sparrow is dullish white and gray in color, while the rest of the plumage...
FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
A grey bird with white breast speckled with brown spots perched on scrub
Sage Thrashers, the smallest of the thrashers, have pale yellow eyes, gray back, streaked breast, wing bars and white tail corners.

References cited in Species Profile Alcorn, J. R. 1988. The birds of Nevada. Fairview West Publ. Fallon, NV. Blood, D. A. 1995. Wildlife in...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
a surprised looking black-tailed prairie dog

Prairie dogs are small, stout ground squirrels. The total length of an adult black-tailed prairie dog is approximately 14-17 inches. The weight of an individual ranges from 1 to 3 pounds. Individual appearances within the species vary in mixed colors of brown, black, gray, and white. The black-...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
a rusty brown/grey bird with white breast standing on narrow tan legs

The Mountain Plover is about the size of a Killdeer (Charadrius vocierus) but with longer legs and more erect posture. Sexes are similar in both size and plumage coloration, remaining drably colored most of the year and lacking black breast bands typical of many other plovers.

...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
A small, white breasted hawk and grey/black wings

Ferruginous Hawks are very large, broad-winged hawks with two distinguished types of plumage referred to as light morphs and dark morphs. Light morph Ferruginous Hawks are distinguishable by their white under parts with intermingled gray or brownish speckling, and a dark brownish V on the...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
Burrowing owl with a skink in its beak

In general, Burrowing Owls have a distinct oval facial ruff, framed by a broad, buffy-white eyebrow-to-malar stripe on the interior part. The Iris is usually bright, lemon yellow. Wings are relatively long and rounded, with 10 brown and buffy-white barred primaries, and tails are short with 12...

FWS Focus
Species
Kingdom
Animalia
Taxonomic Rank
Species
Services
Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances
Candidate Conservation Agreements