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Colorado Division of Wildlife <br />Species Conservation Trust Fund Proposals <br />28 August, 2007 <br />The Division of Wildlife proposes to enhance species conservation efforts in eight program <br />areas. These conservation efforts would be completed within three years. These projects would <br />be accomplished by existing Division staff or by contracting to outside groups; no additional <br />FTEs would be supported with this funding. The conservation efforts and funding needed are <br />described below by program area, and listed in order of priority: <br />(1) Impacts of Energy Development on Wildlife and Evaluation of Mitigation <br />Techniques: ($4.0 million) <br />Development of fossil fuel and wind energy resources is rapidly increasing in many areas of <br />Colorado, with potentially significant impacts to many key wildlife species including greater <br />sage grouse, prairie grouse, deer, elk, pronghorn, all three species of prairie dogs and the species <br />that are associated with prairie dogs. There is a tremendous need to conduct research to better <br />understand how development of these resources impacts these species, and more particularly <br />developing and evaluating best management practices and/or mitigation strategies to minimize <br />the impact to these species. Several specific projects are proposed, including a study to evaluate <br />impacts to, and mitigation strategies for, greater sage-grouse and other sagebrush obligates from <br />gas development in Northwest Colorado; a study to assess and mitigate impacts to white-tailed <br />prairie dogs from gas development in Northwest Colorado; a study to evaluate impacts of <br />powerlines and effectiveness of raptor perch deterrents in reducing sage-grouse mortality; and <br />two studies to assess and mitigate the impact of wind energy development on shortgrass prairie <br />species and bats. <br />(2) Sage Grouse Conservation: ($5 million) <br />Both Gunnison and Greater sage-grouse populations are in need of extensive conservation <br />actions. Conservation strategies are described in detail within their respective range-wide and <br />Colorado conservaticn plans. Eoth snecies F-:•e llso *.he target of federal licting 1itiga±ion. 'Faced <br />with the potential threats of energy and other 'la.nd use developments impacting the sage-steppe <br />habitat required by these grouse species and other sagebrush-obligate wildlife, implementation <br />and evaluation of habitat treatments to restore and enhance suitable habitat will be key to <br />successful conservation. Project topics include better delineation and mapping of seasonally <br />important sage-grouse habitats, sagebrush habitat treatments to remove pinon juniper woodland <br />encroachment and re-seeding to improve native grass and forb understory plant communities; <br />and other habitat improvement projects on private land. A research project research to develop <br />captive-breeding methods for Gunnison sage-grouse is proposed, with progeny from that effort <br />used to augment genetic diversity in small, potentially in-bred populations or used to help <br />expand the range of Gunnison sage-grouse.