BLM WY Sage Grouse Habitat Assessment Using High Resolution Aerial Images (CESU)

archived

A. Project Background Information: This is a cooperative study among BLM, USDA ARS and the Department of Renewable Resources, University of Wyoming (UW). BLM has an existing agreement with ARS for this project and this document will establish a similar agreement between and the BLM and UW. B. Project Objective: A total of 1080 ground photos and over 3,000 aerial photos were taken in June 2010 with high- resolution digital cameras. The aerial photos were taken along pre-determined flight lines that covered the sage-grouse trapping focus area for the western Natrona County Sage-grouse Distribution Project (Cooperative University of Wyoming, BLM and Wyoming Game and Fish Department Research Project). The aerial photos covered an area of approximately 138,000 acres. The ground photos locations were identified using stratified randomly selected sites among the aerial photo target sites. No target location used for ground photography was within less than 50 m from a road. Ground and aerial photos will be analyzed under the direction the University of Wyoming, for ground cover (percentage bare ground, litter, grass, and shrubs and forbs by species and shadow and unknown). C. Period of Agreement: August 2010 thru December 2012

High