Miles City (Montana) Field Office

Inventories help identify crucial habitat

The project area includes approximately 11.5 million acres of sage-grouse habitat in southeastern Montana, covering portions of the BLM Miles City Field Office.

Beginnng in the early 1990s, the BLM and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks cooperate to collect strutting ground (lek) and winter range data. Only about 10% of the 11.5 million acres had been inventoried  previously. These inventories have allowed the BLM to identify crucial sage-grouse habitat. Much of the effort has been focused on areas being developed or proposed for coalbed natural gas (CBM) development.

The two agencies also support research by the University of Montana on the potential impact of CBM development on sage-grouse populations, the linkage of sage-grouse populations and habitats, and impacts of West Nile virus on sage-grouse. 

 

Local BLM Contact: Kent Undlin, BLM Miles City Field Office - (406) 233-2845

Fitting sage-grouse in southeastern Montana with radio transmitters gives researchers a better understanding of population dynamics and habitat needs and use.