OAR 635-140-0010: Habitat Management

(1) Goals: The Department’s habitat goals are to achieve the following, recognizing that such achievement is dependent upon authorities, programs, collaborative partnerships, and other factors beyond those within the Department’s authority alone: (a) Maintain or enhance the distribution of sagebrush habitats within greater sage-grouse range in Oregon; (b) Manage those habitats with a goal of protecting and growing ecostate A habitats to benefit greater sage-grouse while reducing or minimizing habitat threats and promoting resilience; (c) Avoid development actions in sage-grouse core, low density, and general habitats which adversely impact sage-grouse habitat or sage-grouse use of those habitats; (d) Limit the extent, location, and negative impacts of development actions over time within sage-grouse core, low density, and general habitats. In core areas, direct impact levels from development actions will be limited to no more than 3% of any “Priority Area for Conservation” and a rate not to exceed 1.0% over a ten - year period, as described in OAR 660 023 0115; (e) Require compensatory mitigation for direct and indirect impacts from developments within sage-grouse core, low density, and general habitats. Ensure such mitigation provides a net conservation benefit to sage-grouse and their habitat by providing an increase in the functionality of their habitat to support sage-grouse, consistent with OAR 635-140-0025. (2) Objective: Manage a minimum of 70% of greater sage-grouse range at the statewide and PAC-scale for sagebrush habitat in ecostates A (good condition shrubland), B (good condition grassland) and A-C (intermediate condition shrubland) and prioritize the protection and growth of these areas. The remaining approximately 30% includes areas of juniper encroachment, non-sagebrush shrub land, and grassland and should be managed to increase or maintain available habitat and facilitate connectivity within greater sage-grouse range. (3) Objective: Manage sagebrush habitats to achieve a net conservation gain of intact sagebrush communities (ecostate A) and maintain stable or increasing amounts of sagebrush and perennial grassland habitats in ecostates A, B, and A-C, at the statewide and PAC-scale.