Greater Sage-Grouse Nesting Habitat in Idaho and Southwestern Montana

2015 habitat data for Greater Sage-Grouse nesting and late brood-rearing, defined by a 10 km buffer around active leks to capture approximately 80% of nests. The dataset was created by the Bureau of Land Management and partners for the Idaho and Southwestern Montana Greater Sage-Grouse Final Environmental Impact Statement, combining buffered lek data from Idaho, Montana, and Utah.

Use Cases

• Modeling habitat connectivity using the 10 km lek buffer polygons.
• Assessing overlap between nesting habitat and other land-use features like winter habitat.
• Planning conservation areas by analyzing the combined habitat layer from Idaho, Montana Dillon Field Office, and Utah Raft River Unit data.

Strengths

• Spatial data derived from active lek locations and a defined 10 km buffer methodology.
• Incorporates unpublished data from state wildlife agencies and federal field offices.

Limitations

• Late brood-rearing habitat is not mapped in detail but assumed to be embedded within nesting habitat areas.
• Data currency is from 2015, which may not reflect recent habitat changes.

Provenance

Source

Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Montana BLM Dillon Field Office, U.S. Forest Service.

Collection Method

Created by applying a 10 km buffer around active leks and combining data from multiple administrative units.

Time Range

2015

Freshness

Last updated on platform in 2026, but underlying analysis is from 2015.

Geography

Idaho, Southwestern Montana (BLM Dillon Field Office), and the Raft River Unit of the Sawtooth National Forest in Utah.