Presentations from the
7th Annual OFWIM Conference
Baltimore, Maryland
November 1st-5th, 2002

SAGEMAP: A GIS Database for Sage Grouse and Shrubsteppe Management in the Intermountain West (Knick/Zariello/Schueck/Finn/Taylor, USGS/BRD-FRESC)

Sagebrush ecosystems in the Intermountain West recently have undergone radical and rapid changes. Consequently, populations of many wildlife species dependent on sagebrush have declined or now are absent from parts of their historical range. Sage grouse have been petitioned for listing as a Threatened or Endangered Species. Actions to prevent listing include determining the condition and distribution of sagebrush, monitoring sage grouse populations, and identifying areas for restoration efforts. These efforts and the information required span administrative boundaries and involve federal, state, private land managers. Many sage grouse and sagebrush conservation issues are regional in scale and available data either are limited in the extent of their coverage or are inconsistent across ecological or administrative boundaries. Additionally, many datasets are not accessible via web sites, and therefore are 'invisible' to other agencies and the public. We developed the SAGEMAP project to identify and collect spatial data layers needed for research and management of sage grouse and shrubsteppe systems and make common datasets readily available on a web-based site. Success of the project in obtaining spatial data and making it available for distribution depended on the collaboration among federal, state, university, tribal, and non-profit data stewards. We currently have greater than 1,100 datasets available for download from the website. Each data layer has an associated metadata record. We discuss mechanisms and challenges of this data compilation and exchange, and illustrate how researchers, managers, and planners at varied levels are using the information to address conservation issues associated with sagebrush ecosystems.

Visit the SAGEMAP Web site at: http://SAGEMAP.wr.usgs.gov

This presentation available as:
PowerPoint presentation (Schueck/Knick): SAGEMAP (PPT)
Adobe Acrobat Reader file (Schueck/Knick): SAGEMAP (PDF)