Where is the Bi-State?
The Bi-State area occurs along the California-Nevada border, it covers an area approximately 170-miles long and up to 60 miles wide. It includes portions of five counties in western Nevada: Douglas, Lyon, Mineral, Carson City, and Esmeralda; and three counties in eastern California: Alpine, Mono, and Inyo. Land ownership is composed of federal, state, county, tribal and private lands.
What is the Bi-State Sage-Grouse?
The Bi-State sage-grouse (BSSG) is a genetically unique meta-population of greater sage-grouse, known as a distinct population segment (DPS), that lives in the far southwestern limit of the species’ range in the Bi-State area. This genetic distinction may be the result of natural geologic events and subsequent long-term geographic isolation based on prevailing physiographic and habitat conditions. Learn more about the Bi-State Sage-Grouse here. [1]
What are the threats to Bi-State sage-grouse populations and its habitats?
The primary threats to the BSSG and its habitat vary by Population Management Unit (PMU) (See table for threats by PMU [2]). However, wildfire and conifer encroachment are the highest threats across the entire Bi-State.
What is the current status of Bi-State sage-grouse?
On May 16, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California overturned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2020 withdrawal of a proposed Endangered Species Act listing for Bi-State sage-grouse. As a result, the 2013 proposed threatened status is reinstated, 1.8 million acres is again considered proposed critical habitat [3], and the USFWS will issue a new final listing decision. Learn more about the listing history of Bi-State sage-grouse [4]. [5]