Special status species are those listed as threatened, endangered, proposed, or candidates for listing under the provisions of the ESA and those the BLM State Director designates as sensitive. Special status wildlife species in the Planning Area inhabit a variety of habitat types, including sagebrush shrublands, grasslands, and riparian/wetland habitats. Comprehensive data on population numbers and distribution within the Planning Area are not available for most special status species.
One endangered wildlife species (black-footed ferret), two threatened wildlife species (grizzly bear and Canada lynx), one candidate species (greater sage-grouse), one proposed threatened species (mountain plover), and one nonessential experimental population (gray wolf) are known to occur in the Planning Area. Twenty-six BLM sensitive species are known to occur or have potential habitat in the Planning Area. Table 3–31 and the discussion of special status wildlife species in this section are organized by the applicable Wyoming statutory categories (see Section 3.4.6 Fish and Wildlife Resources - Wildlife). Table 3–31 identifies all special status wildlife species that (1) occur in, (2) have potential habitat in, or (3) could be influenced by activities in the Planning Area. Table 3–31 also summarizes status and general habitat for each special status wildlife species. The BLM uses HMPs to focus habitat management for special status and other species in the Planning Area. There is no critical habitat in the Planning Area.
Most of the trends that affect other species of wildlife in the Planning Area also affect special status species. These include habitat degradation and fragmentation; livestock, wildlife, and ungulate grazing and browsing; invasive species; motor vehicles; and climate.
Table 3.31. Special Status Wildlife Species Habitat in the Planning Area
| Common Name | Habitat | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Trophy Game | ||
| Grizzly bear | Woodlands, forests and alpine. | Threatened |
| Game Birds | ||
| Greater sage-grouse | Sagebrush habitats. | Candidate for listing |
| Nongame Raptors | ||
| Bald eagle | Large bodies of open water such as lakes, marshes, and rivers where there is an abundance of fish and tall trees to roost. | BLM sensitive species |
| Burrowing owl | Open, dry grasslands, agricultural lands, rangelands, and desert habitats often associated with burrowing animals. | BLM sensitive species |
| Ferruginous hawk | Arid and semiarid grassland regions with open, level, or rolling prairies. Foothills or middle elevation plateaus largely devoid of trees, and cultivated shelterbelts or riparian corridors. | BLM sensitive species |
| Northern goshawk | Forested areas and open areas near forested areas. | BLM sensitive species |
| Peregrine falcon | Found in a variety of habitats, most with cliffs for nesting and open areas for foraging. | BLM sensitive species |
| Nongame Neotropical Migrants | ||
| Baird’s sparrow | Native mixed-grass and fescue prairie. | BLM sensitive species |
| Brewer’s sparrow | Northern Rocky Mountains including sagebrush and alpine meadows. | BLM sensitive species |
| Loggerhead shrike | Grasslands interspersed with scattered trees and shrubs that provide nesting and perching sites. | BLM sensitive species |
| Long-billed curlew | Plains, grasslands, and prairies. | BLM sensitive species |
| Mountain plover | Short-grass prairie dominated by the blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis). Also can be found in taller grasses that have been grazed or associated with prairie dog colonies. | Proposed threatened; BLM sensitive species |
| Sage sparrow | Sagebrush flats, alkaline flats with saltbush, and semi-desert shrublands in the lowlands. | BLM sensitive species |
| Sage thrasher | Open, shrub-steppe country dominated by sagebrush or bitterbrush, with native grasses intermixed, generally avoiding cheatgrass-dominated landscapes. | BLM sensitive species |
| Trumpeter swan | Ice-free water in estuaries and sheltered coastlines. Rocky Mountain flock concentrate in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, where geothermal activity prevents freezing. | BLM sensitive species |
| White-faced ibis | Shallow lake waters, muddy ground of wet meadows, marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers, flooded fields, and estuaries. | BLM sensitive species |
| Yellow-billed cuckoo | Woodlands with clearings and dense scrubby vegetation, often along water. | BLM sensitive species |
| Nongame Mammals | ||
| Black-footed ferret | Shortgrass and midgrass prairies in close association with prairie dog colonies. | Endangered |
| Canada lynx | Coniferous forests at higher elevation, with substantial winter snow accumulations. | Threatened |
| Gray wolf | The gray wolf has thrived in many different environments, but primarily forested areas. | BLM sensitive species |
| Long-eared myotis | Coniferous forests in mountain areas. Roosts in small colonies in caves, buildings, and under tree bark. | BLM sensitive species |
| Spotted bat | Prominent rock features in extreme, low desert habitats to high elevation forests. | BLM sensitive species |
| Townsend’s big-eared bat | Mines, caves, and structures in woodlands and forests to elevations above 9,500 feet amsl. | BLM sensitive species |
| White-tailed prairie dog | Altitudes ranging between 4,000 to 8,000 feet amsl in desert grasslands and shrub grasslands. | BLM sensitive species |
| Black-tailed prairie dog | Inhabits dry, flat, open, shortgrass and mixed-grass grasslands with low, relatively sparse vegetation, including areas overgrazed by cattle. | BLM sensitive species |
| Nongame Amphibians | ||
| Boreal toad | Marshes, springs, creeks, small lakes, meadows, woodlands, forests, and desert riparian areas. | BLM sensitive species |
| Columbia spotted frog | Marshes, springs, creeks, small lakes, and meadows. | BLM sensitive species |
| Great basin spadefoot toad | Arid or semiarid regions usually with open habitats such as desert brush and grasslands. | BLM sensitive species |
| Northern leopard frog | Permanent ponds, swamps, marshes, and slow-moving streams throughout forest, open, and urban areas. Waterbodies with abundant aquatic vegetation. | BLM sensitive species |
| Source: BLM 2010a amsl above mean sea level BLM Bureau of Land Management | ||
The grizzly bear, a BLM threatened species, is the only trophy game special status species in the Planning Area. Grizzly bears are found in the Absaroka and Beartooth mountain areas and have been observed along the western part of the Owl Creek Mountains. Along the Absaroka Front there has been an expansion of grizzly bear range, primarily in the spring and fall, due to increased federal protection, and in some cases forage shortages (pine nuts, moths, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, and berries) during drought years. There has also been an expansion of grizzly bear range due to a steadily growing and expanding Greater Yellowstone bear population during the past 20 years. Grizzly bears have ranged to new areas (including BLM-administered lands) outside of the core population centered in Yellowstone National Park, because protected status has allowed population growth and expansion.
There are no known furbearing special status species in the Planning Area.
The gray wolf is a BLM sensitive species and currently listed as a predatory animal (Cerovski et al. 2004). In Wyoming, the USFWS lists the gray wolf as an experimental population, nonessential (USFWS 2009). Wolves were reintroduced to the Greater Yellowstone region in winter 1994/1995. Reintroduction has been successful in establishing a wide-ranging population with many packs in northwestern Wyoming. Recovery numbers indicate a recovered population that will be managed by state wildlife agencies as long as the USFWS and the courts accept the Wyoming Wolf Management Plan. Gray wolves might be classified as a trophy game animal if they are delisted from the ESA. The WGFD proposes to manage wolves as a trophy game animal along the western side of the Bighorn Basin and as a predator that will be allowed only temporary or limited occupation in conflict-identified areas of the central and eastern Bighorn Basin.
If gray wolves went unmanaged, there would be an upward population trend for years until unoccupied habitat was occupied. Because this species is managed as an experimental, nonessential endangered species in the Planning Area, there are lethal actions that restrict the wolf’s range. Despite this intensive management, the population has increased beyond the minimum pack numbers for Wyoming identified in the recovery plan.
There are no known small game special status species in the Planning Area.
The greater sage-grouse is a candidate species for listing under provisions of the ESA (USFWS 2010). Greater sage-grouse are distributed in sagebrush habitat throughout the Bighorn Basin, where habitat fragmentation and degradation has not reduced habitat to unsuitable. Greater sage-grouse leks are generally at mid elevations within sagebrush habitat. Nesting and brood-rearing habitat is sometimes associated with the lek and sometimes found at a distance from the lek in sagebrush habitat. These remaining suitable sagebrush habitat areas could be productive for greater sage-grouse; however, fragmentation and degradation might limit the distribution and abundance of greater sage-grouse. The WGFD has identified core areas, which represent these relatively productive areas, and has suggested special management for these areas (Wyoming Office of the Governor 2008). These core areas do not address all productive habitats, including the Little Mountain Mexican Hills area. The BLM identified Key Habitat Areas for greater sage-grouse and the analysis will focus on these Key Habitat Areas due to their importance to greater sage-grouse in the Planning Area. Map 31 identifies the current BLM Key Habitat Areas for greater sage-grouse in the Planning Area. However, Key Habitat Areas may change over time; the criteria under which the BLM would modify Key Habitat Area boundaries appear in Appendix Q. There are approximately 339 known leks in the Planning Area.
There are many sources of habitat fragmentation, all of which may affect the greater sage-grouse. Industrial development, livestock and wildlife grazing, mining, gravel pit operations, oil and gas activity, land exchanges and disposal, vegetation manipulation, fuel reduction projects and other activities may cause an artificial component to a natural habitat condition. Structures such as powerlines and towers and industrial disruptive activities may cause avoidance and abandonment of habitat. Livestock grazing, fuels treatments, and weed spread infestations are factors which may cause habitat degradation depending upon severity, intensity, and design. West Nile virus, which recently has had lethal effects on greater sage-grouse in parts of Wyoming, could become an important factor in greater sage-grouse survival. There has been little research to document the presence of the virus and its effect on greater sage-grouse in the Bighorn Basin.
Greater sage-grouse have been declining across the west, which has prompted several petitions to list them as threatened under the ESA, including a recent petition that led to the March 5, 2010 finding by the USFWS of warranted for listing but precluded (USFWS 2010). Population levels throughout the Planning Area declined during the mid 1990s. Since 2004, the levels have maintained or slightly increased. It is thought this resurgence was a result of well-timed precipitation events (WGFD 2000; WGFD 2004). These precipitation events promoted forage growth, which aided the survival of young. Population growth has varied throughout the Planning Area based on specific local conditions, with some areas showing little change; other areas have had a recent increase in lek count numbers. With recent improvement in spring and summer conditions in many parts of the Bighorn Basin, there are some greater sage-grouse leks that have become active again after many years of non-use. Winter conditions generally are not a limiting factor in the Bighorn Basin because snow depths are not as severe as in other parts of Wyoming.
There are no known migratory game bird special status species in the Planning Area.
There are five nongame special status raptor species in the Planning Area bald eagle, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, northern goshawk, and peregrine falcon all BLM sensitive species. Raptor populations in the Planning Area are generally increasing due to current protection measures. Map 31 shows the locations of special status raptor species nests in the Planning Area.
Management challenges for special status raptor species include habitat degradation and fragmentation, collision and electrocution from powerlines, and incompatible land use practices (e.g., land conversion, clearcutting, snag removal, industrial activities, intensive recreational activities, and removal of burrowing mammals). Other challenges include impacts from contaminants and human disturbance during sensitive periods.
The Bighorn Basin, because of climate and food sources, is predominantly a wintering area for bald eagles, with as many as 200 to 300 observed during the mid-winter eagle count. Bald eagles nest in trees near large bodies of water such as lakes, reservoirs, and large rivers. Bald eagles feed mainly on fish, although they will also consume waterfowl and carrion. Bald eagles are being observed more frequently moving through the Planning Area, and as indicated by mid-winter surveys, it is assumed their population numbers are continuing upward. New nesting sites have been reestablished along larger river systems in the Bighorn Basin over the last 20 years. There are approximately 14 known bald eagle nests in the Planning Area.
The burrowing owl is a mid-sized owl closely associated with prairie dog colonies. Burrowing owls nest in abandoned prairie dog burrows and feed on prairie dogs and other rodents.
Ferruginous hawks usually nest on rock outcrops, promontories, tall sagebrush, or in junipers where numerous small mammals provide abundant prey base. Ferruginous hawks are not common in the Bighorn Basin. Many previously active ferruginous hawk nest sites are inactive, so populations might be declining.
Northern goshawks occur in coniferous and deciduous forests (BLM 2010a). Due to dense canopy cover in these areas, nests are difficult to find and inventories for these species are limited to areas identified for habitat alterations.
Peregrine falcons usually build their nests on steep cliffs and rock ledges. Peregrine falcons are now established in several areas of the Bighorn Basin as a result of reintroduction efforts.
There are ten BLM sensitive neotropical migrants in the Planning Area Baird’s sparrow, Brewer’s sparrow, loggerhead shrike, long-billed curlew, yellow-billed cuckoo, sage sparrow, sage thrasher, trumpeter swan, white-faced ibis, and mountain plover ; the mountain plover is also a proposed threatened species under the ESA. These species occur throughout a variety of habitats in the Planning Area (see Table 3-31). The BLM has little abundance or occurrence data for these species.
Management challenges for neotropical migrants include habitat fragmentation and degradation, land conversion, incompatible land uses (e.g., industrial activities, human disturbance, contaminants, and agricultural practices), water quantity and quality, collision with powerlines, and interspecific competition for nest sites.
The sage thrasher, loggerhead shrike, Baird’s sparrow, Brewer’s sparrow, sage sparrow, and long-billed curlew depend somewhat on sagebrush and some are considered sagebrush obligates. Threats to this habitat type include fragmentation and degradation. Sagebrush habitats in the Planning Area are important breeding areas for these migratory species (Birds of North America Online 2008). These migratory birds occupy habitats that are at risk or in decline; therefore, populations might be declining.
This species occupies grasslands and nests in depressions. The Baird’s sparrow forages on insects or seeds.
The Brewer’s sparrow is a sagebrush-obligate bird that requires intact sagebrush habitats for almost all its nesting and foraging needs.
Shrublands are the preferred habitats for the loggerhead shrike. This species typically nests in deciduous trees or tall shrubs and feeds on insects, small vertebrates, and carrion.
The long-billed curlew is an upland shorebird occupying grasslands and wet meadows. Typical nest sites are on the ground near water with a supply of insects and aquatic macroinvertebrates.
The mountain plover inhabits shortgrass prairies and shrub-steppe habitats, both for breeding and wintering. This species prefers areas with little vegetative cover for nesting, particularly prairie dog towns. The species is now included on the BLM sensitive species list and is a proposed threatened species under the ESA.
The sage sparrow is a sagebrush-obligate bird that requires intact sagebrush habitats for almost all its nesting and foraging needs.
Similar to the sage sparrow, the sage thrasher is a sagebrush-obligate bird that requires intact sagebrush habitats for almost all its nesting and foraging needs.
The trumpeter swan can occupy still-water areas such as lakes, ponds, and marshes, and can use these areas for nesting or migration. The trumpeter swan population might be increasing in the Planning Area. This riparian associated species and its habitat are threatened by invasive species such as Tamarisk, Russian olive, and knapweed, which degrade its habitat. Pesticide use and collision with anthropogenic features also cause direct mortality and reduce habitat suitability.
The white-faced ibis can occupy still-water areas such as lakes, ponds, and marshes, and can use these areas for nesting or migration. The white-faced ibis population might be increasing due to breeding-range expansion in the last 2 decades, due in part to improved nesting habitat management in federal and state refuges (Birds of North America Online 2008). Similar to other riparian-associated species and their habitats, the white-faced ibis is threatened by invasive species such as Tamarisk, Russian olive, and knapweed, which degrade its habitat. Pesticide use and collision with anthropogenic features also cause direct mortality and reduce habitat suitability.
The yellow-billed cuckoo can occupy still-water areas such as lakes, ponds, and marshes, and can use these areas for nesting or migration. Yellow-billed cuckoo can occupy the river corridors and any associated riparian areas nearby. They have been shown to prefer open cottonwood galleries with a low-profile shrub component. The yellow-billed cuckoo is on the decline throughout its range. The yellow-billed cuckoo and its habitat are threatened by invasive species, pesticide use, and the threats other riparian associated species face.
Eight nongame special status mammal species occur in the Planning Area black-footed ferret (endangered), Canada lynx (threatened), Townsend’s big-eared bat (BLM sensitive), long-eared myotis (BLM sensitive), spotted bat (BLM sensitive), white-tailed prairie dog (BLM sensitive), and black-tailed prairie dog (BLM sensitive). Management challenges for special status mammals include habitat fragmentation and degradation, land conversion, incompatible land uses (e.g., industrial activities, human disturbance, use of contaminants, abandoned mine lands [AMLs] and cave closures, and animal damage-control practices), lack of cottonwood and willow regeneration, collision with wind turbines (bats), and snag removal in preferred habitats. Management actions are intended to maintain and enhance the presence of nongame mammals and the habitats upon which they depend.
Thought to be extinct for many years, the black-footed ferret was rediscovered in 1981 northwest of Meeteetse in a large white-tailed prairie dog colony in the Planning Area. The species was taken into captivity and is now successfully being bred, raised, and reintroduced into historical habitats. The black-footed ferret has not been documented elsewhere in the Planning Area or any other locations since its rediscovery. Loss of habitat is the primary reason black-footed ferrets remain listed as endangered. Conversion of grasslands to agricultural uses, widespread prairie dog eradication programs, and incidences of the plague have reduced ferret habitat to less than 2 percent of what once existed. Remaining habitat is now fragmented, with prairie dog towns separated by great expanses of cropland and human development. Since the black-footed ferret was found, researched in the mid 1980s, and subsequently removed for species preservation at breeding facilities, there have been no known and confirmed occurrences in the Planning Area.
Canada lynx occurrence in the Planning Area is not common, with only two unverified observations in the Owl Creek Mountains within the past 10 years. Along the Absaroka Front, an area of approximately 12,000 acres is identified as a portion of a lynx analysis unit (LAU). The entire LAU is 168,000 acres and is primarily composed of USFS land in the Wood River and Gooseberry Creek drainages, and managed as part of the Shoshone National Forest. Lynx habitat does overlap BLM-administered lands. Lynx population information is difficult to obtain due to their reclusive nature. It might be possible that lynx occupy suitable habitat on BLM-administered lands but are not observed. There is no critical Canada lynx habitat designated in the Planning Area, and there have been no confirmed or known occurrences on BLM-administered land. There is no known population trend. Critical habitat designations are being identified for Wyoming.
There are three BLM sensitive bat species in the Planning Area Townsend’s big-eared bat, long-eared myotis, and spotted bat. These bat species are associated with riparian, upland range, forested, and karst habitat and are susceptible to disturbance and degradation of these habitats. Maternity, hibernacula, and day-roost sites are important to these species and could be disturbed by recreation activities associated with caving. Sometimes these disturbances can cause habitats to become unsuitable for critical life history requirements. There is little population data for bat species, so a trend cannot be determined.
The white-tailed prairie dog is associated with desert grasslands and shrub grasslands. A long-term study of white-tailed prairie dogs in the Planning Area indicated that there has been a decline in abundance and distribution of this species.
There is one black-tailed prairie dog colony in the Planning Area, which is typically associated with the short grass prairie north and east of the Bighorn Basin.
Special status amphibians in the Planning Area include the boreal toad, Columbia spotted frog, northern leopard frog, and Great Basin spadefoot toad, all of which are BLM sensitive species. These species are associated with riparian/wetland, woodland, and forested habitat and are susceptible to disturbance from habit degradation and fragmentation, pollution, modified hydrology, and other factors related to the current global decline in amphibian populations.
Management challenges for amphibian species include habitat degradation, land conversion, incompatible land uses (e.g., contaminants and conversion or degradation of aquatic habitats) and degradation of water quantity and quality. Amphibian populations in the Planning Area are thought to be declining because of these issues and other factors related to the general global decline in amphibians.