This data set was updated with WY updated historic range from the "WyomingHistoricRange2014.shp" data provided by Tom Christiansen on March 4th, 2016.
The Sage-Grouse Coordinator, Sage-Grouse GIS Analyst, and several Wyoming Game and Fish Department biologists updated the 2004 version of Wyoming’s sage-grouse historic and current occupied habitat maps.
Original metadata:Thismetadatareferencesthe polygonalARC/INFOGIScovershowing the currentand historic distributionofpotentialhabitat,orrange,ofthe GreaterSage- grouse(Centrocercusurophasianus)and GunnisonSage-grouse(Centrocercusminimus)in Western NorthAmerica.Thisdata wasinitiallyresearchedand compiledbyDr. MichaelA. Schroeder,researchbiologistfor the WashingtonStateDepartmentofFishand Wildlife.
Theinitialdraftofcurrentand historicrangedata wasmappedand submittedtostate, federal,orprovincialnaturalresource agenciesandotherexperts forreview,comment, and editing.Thefinal productrepresentsthebestavailablescienceandexpertreview availableatthe timeofcompilation.Definitionof"CurrentRange"-Thecurrentsage- grousedistributionisthe rangebelievedtobeoccupiedinthe late1990's,based onthe best informationavailable.Definitionof"HistoricRange"-Thehistoricdistribution representsthebird'smaximumdistributionfromthe early1800'stothe present(late 1990's).
2014 updateswere made based on collaredsage-grouselocationsinWyomingand neighboringstates,internalWildlife ObservationSystemData,lek locations,biologists’localknowledge,and other availablescience including the Wyoming Natural History Database (WYNHD) predicted distribution of suitable habitat for sage-grouse.Thepurposeofthis data compilationand mappingeffortwastodigitally compile, standardize and updatecurrentand historicsage-grouserangedata,atastatewidescale. Effortwasmade tomatchoccupied rangesdocumentedinneighboringstates.
