Public Scoping Meeting on the revision of the

10-Year Greater Prairie-Chicken

Management Plan

Outline

• Greater Prairie Chicken (GPC) population status

• Overview of planning process

• Summary of accomplishments since previous plan

• Overview of research

• “Conceptual alternatives”

• Opportunities for public input

• a.k.a. CWGCA

• Established in 2004

• DNR landscape-scale

grassland protection

project

• Primary goal of

protecting land for

GPC and other

grassland species

Central WI Grassland Conservation Area

Map provided by Thompson & Hernandez (2015)

GPC Population Status

• State-threatened

• <1,000 individuals

• Separated into 4 mostly

isolated populations

(wildlife areas)

• Great fluctuations over last

30+ years, overall decline

• Continued range contraction

Past 30 Years of Lek Counts

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012

Nu

mb

er

of

ma

les

Buena Vista Leola Paul Olson Mead

Phase One: Plan Initiation

• Current GPC population status & management; preliminary

research results

Conceptual Alternatives

Public input

Phase Two: Plan Development

• Background information; research; public comments

• Develop management goals & strategies

Draft Plan

Public input

Phase Three: Final Draft Plan and Approval

• Presentation of plan to NRB for approval

Public input

Plan Review Process

• Develop draft plan: Late winter-spring,

2017

• Release draft plan for public comment:

Late spring-early summer, 2017

• Prepare final draft of plan: Summer-early

fall, 2017

• Present plan to NRB: Fall, 2017

Timeline

Summary of Accomplishments Since completion of previous plan in 2004

• Maintained prairie chicken genetic diversity o Translocation successfully introduced MN genes into WI pop’n

• Increased/improved protected grassland

habitat o Acquired 3,440 additional acres of state land (via grants,

partnership cost-share)

o Private lands grassland conservation

• USDA FSA/NRCS farm bill programs – GRP/CRP/EQIP

• conservation easements – USFWS/DNR LIP

• Managed grazing – county/RC&D

Summary of Accomplishments Since completion of previous plan in 2004

• Established/grow partnership for grasslands & associated wildlife o Central WI Grassland Conservation Area (CWGCA)

o CWGCA Partnership Coordinator

• Promoted grass-based agricultural in CWGCA o Farm Bill biologist

o Golden Sands RC&D (Coordinator, grazing specialists)

o Managed grazing/haying on state lands

• Raised public awareness for grasslands & prairie chickens o GPC Festival, quarterly newsletter, landowner mailings, local

school programs, etc.

Research Overview

• Population Viability Analysis (PVA): What’s the

likelihood of GPC persistence in central WI?

o Populations at Buena Vista and Paul Olson likely to persist

o Leola & Mead populations are at high risk of extinction

• Which life history stages have the greatest effect on

prairie-chicken population growth?

o Nest success, chick survival, and 2+ year old adult survival

o Key appears to be getting chicks to survive their 1st year,

as well as increasing the survival rate of older females (which are more inclined to nest)

Research Overview

• Landscape/land use change analysis: How have

landscape changes within the CWGCA impacted

prairie-chickens?

o Forested habitat and row crop agriculture have become

increasingly more common within wildlife areas and the

surrounding landscape

o Annual spring lek counts appear to be negatively

associated with the prevalence of forested habitat and row crops

o Annual growth rates were strongly associated with grassy

non-alfalfa habitats

o Increasing the size of contiguous grassy habitat may prove especially beneficial for GPC in central Wisconsin

Research Overview

• Additional/on-going research:

o How does habitat & land use affect long-term GPC

persistence?

o Identify management goals:

• Should we focus only on Buena Vista & Paul Olson?

• Keep all sites active?

• Establish new populations?

o Link management goals to PVA:

• How can we manage in the CWGCA to achieve goals?

• What effect will specific management strategies have on

GPC persistence?

• Is there an “optimal strategy”?

“Conceptual” Alternatives

• 4 potential management alternatives

• Each alternative proposes different levels of

management on the 4 wildlife areas where

most prairie chickens reside, including:

o Probability of chickens persisting in WI over next 50 years

o Management actions needed

o Possible implications

Alternative 1: Shrink CWGCA

• Buena Vista (BV) & Paul Olson (PO) Wildlife Areas

• Maintain GPC populations on BV & PO

• Cease management on Mead/Leola Wildlife Areas

• 50-year GPC persistence: likely for BV & PO

• Management o Status quo - BV & PO

o Continue lek surveys for entire GPC range

• Possible Implications o GPC range contraction/state listing

o Continued consequences of genetic drift

o Reduced management costs

o Loss of partner support

o Impact to federal program funding

Alternative 2: Maintain

• Maintain all existing management on 4 wildlife areas

• 50-year GPC persistence

o BV & PO likely

o Mead & Leola unstable

• Management

o Same as alternative 1, continue work on Mead & Leola

• Possible implications – status quo

Alt. 3: Improve 3 subpopulations • Improve BV, PO, Leola; abandon Mead

• 50-year GPC persistence o BV & PO stable, Leola may stabilize

o Mead likely extinct

• Management o Habitat: increase brush control, improve nest/brood habitat

o Intervention: one-time GPC translocation to Leola

o Partnerships: develop CWGCA private lands program, USDA RCPP

initiative, Conservation Innovation Grant, groundwater quality/quantity

• Possible implications o > GPC persistence within CWGCA

o More funding needed (translocation)

o Improve genetics (translocation)

o Landscape change depends on agricultural market

o Success depends on landscape scale actions

Alt. 4. Stabilize/Improve 4 properties

• Increase GPC #’s (BV & PO), stabilize Mead/Leola

• 50-year GPC persistence o BV & PO potential to increase

o Mead & Leola may stabilize

• Management o Habitat: great increase habitat management on Mead/Leola

o Intervention: regular translocations (every 5-10 yrs) to Mead/Leola

o Partnerships: Full scale Working Lands Initiative (local, state, federal funding)

• Possible implications o Greatest chance of persistence within CWGCA

o > funding needed (translocations)

o Improve genetics (translocation)

o Landscape change depends on agricultural market

o Success depends on landscape scale actions

• Today:

Conceptual alternatives

Paper comment form

Online comment form (after tomorrow)

• Future Opportunities:

• Draft plan

• NRB approval

• Stay involved:

• Join contact list

• Sign up for updates

Public comment period

closes March 10th

http://dnr.wi.gov/

Keyword search: “prairie

chicken plan”

We Welcome Your Input

Thank You!