[obol] Sharp-tailed Grouse in the Wallowas

[Michael Dossett]

While some good points have been brought up regarding suitable habitat for Sharp-tailed Grouse in the Wallowas in the wake of the huge drop in population seen this year I think that one point is being overlooked.  This winter was incredibly different from the norm.  Statewide, the snowpack is at almost record levels, averaging 180% of normal for this time of year.  The Sharp-tailed Grouse would have faired better with more cover and buds available for foraging during deep snow, but we shouldn't overlook the fact that they had been doing well prior to this.  I think more than anything what this situation really highlights is that small populations are VERY susceptible to all kinds of conditions which in any given one bad season can really set things back.  Habitat that might not yet have been optimal but instead just "good enough for now" can be a fine line when dealing with such a small isolated population under extraordinarily unusual and bad
 conditions.  The population of Sharp-tailed Grouse in Washington has always been much larger than that in Oregon and is spread over a much larger area and with better habitat, which allows a lot more flexibility and the ability to bounce back after these kinds of small setbacks.

Habitat improvement, particularly in dealing with a patchwork of private landowners who have there own needs and interests, is much much more complicated than just planting a few trees and shrubs here and there, particularly when it is range and farmland which would make it more difficult and be a much longer process to get new plantings established.  

We have to remember that Sharp-tailed Grouse were extirpated from the state before the reintroduction program and this population is starting out from scratch.  Combined with the fact that they are not federally endangered so there is very little that can be legally done to force private landowners to comply with what may be best for the birds, I think we are fortunate to have had the success at reintroducing this bird that the last 15 years have worked toward.

Michael
 
Michael Dossett
Corvallis, Oregon
www.Mdossettphoto.com
phainopepla at yahoo.com




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