Already popular in Harney County, a new way to spur conservation projects aimed at helping greater sage grouse on private land could be coming to Deschutes, Crook and other Oregon counties that are home to the bird.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a draft deal with soil and water conservation districts in Deschutes, Crook, Baker, Grant, Lake, Malheur and Union counties that would allow the districts to conduct programs with farmers and ranchers to help sage grouse.

The sage grouse, a chicken-sized bird, is a candidate for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. Under the deal, private landowners could enter into conservation agreements and avoid regulations if the federal government lists the sage grouse.

“Enrollment is strictly voluntary and we believe provides peace-of-mind to landowners that their lifestyle and economic livelihoods will continue without added regulation,” Paul Henson, state supervisor at the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Oregon office in Portland, said in a press release. “These partnerships are the best way to provide on-the-ground conservation for the sage-grouse on private lands.”

Sage grouse, known for the male’s unique strutting during courtship, are found in 11 states, including Oregon. The Fish and Wildlife Service listed sage grouse as a candidate for ESA protection in 2010, and the agency is set to make a listing decision in September 2015.

The deal between the Fish and Wildlife Service and the districts is up for public comment until early next month. If finalized, the deal could lead to 2.3 million acres of private land being eligible for conservation agreements. The Fish and Wildlife Service reports it already has at least 45 landowners interested in enrolling. The Harney County Soil and Water Conservation District entered into a similar deal with the agency in May and has seen 30 landowners enroll and enter into agreements covering 280,000 acres.

“Now all Oregon counties that have sage grouse (will) have that opportunity,” said Anna Harris, spokeswoman for the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Service in Portland.

Under the agreements, landowners develop plans specific to their property that address threats to sage grouse and maintain or improve the bird’s habitat. The Fish and Wildlife Service lists wildfire, invasive grasses and juniper encroachment as major factors to sage grouse habitat loss in Oregon. As the name suggests, the birds are often found where there is sage brush.

The conservation measures put in place so far are fairly simple, Harris said, such as putting flagging on fences to help the birds avoid flying into them.

“They aren’t the smartest chicken out there on the range,” Harris said.

Other projects could include juniper removal and invasive grass and weed control, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

“I think it is a no-brainer for land owners,” said Bill Wilber, a Harney County rancher and chairman of the wildlife committee for the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, a statewide cattle industry group. “They should participate.”

Forging the deal in Harney County took about 40 meetings involving a variety of interests.

Like what took place in Harney County, the Fish and Wildlife Service said steering committees formed in the sage grouse counties around the state to create the proposed deal for soil and water conservation districts in the seven additional counties. The committees included private landowners, stock growers, watershed councils, county leaders, state wildlife managers, federal land managers, tribes and other groups.

Wilber called the conservation agreements an insurance policy for private landowners. Harney County Judge Steve Grasty called them “pretty good protection” from potential restrictions that could come with an ESA listing for sage grouse.

“What it really does is (allow private landowners) to keep doing the good operations they are already doing,” he said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7812, ddarling@bendbulletin.com