This dataset shows the boundaries of occupied, potential, and vacant/unknown habitat for Gunnison sage-grouse in Colorado and Utah.

Dataset was initially developed for the Gunnison sage grouse Rangewide Conservation Plan, and was last edited for Colorado in 2018.

Gunnison sage grouse GIS data set identifying occupied, potential and vacant/unknown habitats in Colorado. The Colorado data set was created by mapping efforts of Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists and district officers during the spring of 2004 and updated as recently as 2018. Occupied Habitat: Areas of suitable habitat known to be used by sage-grouse within the last 10 years from the date of mapping. Areas of suitable habitat contiguous with areas of known use, which do not have effective barriers to sage-grouse movement from known use areas, are mapped as occupied habitat unless specific information exists that documents the lack of sage-grouse use. Mapped from any combination of telemetry locations, sightings of sage grouse or sage grouse sign, local biological expertise, GIS analysis, or other data sources. Vacant or Unknown Habitat: Suitable habitat for sage-grouse that is separated (not contiguous) from occupied habitats that either: 1) Has not been adequately inventoried, or 2) Has not had documentation of grouse presence in the past 10 years. Potentially Suitable Habitat: Unoccupied habitats that could be suitable for occupation of sage-grouse if practical restoration were applied. Soils or other historic information (photos, maps, reports, etc.) indicate sagebrush communities occupied these areas. As examples, these sites could include areas overtaken by pinyon-juniper invasions or converted rangelands.