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In 2005 ODFW first published the Oregon Sage-Grouse Conservation Assessment and Strategy (linked below), which combines feedback from other organizations, agencies, and individuals across the state to identify how ODFW would manage sage-grouse populations; additionally, the document highlights landscape measures that could be implemented across the state with sage-grouse habitat in mind. Within this document, five Local Implementation Teams (LITs) were first identified. The purpose of the LITs is to use local knowledge and input to determine what the local interests are that meet sage-grouse needs while fulfilling the needs of the people who own, manage, and utilize these large and diverse landscapes.
In 2015 ODFW published the Oregon Sage-Grouse State Action Plan. The intent of this plan was to identify all actions and conservation measures that can be implemented across central and eastern Oregon that either address sage-grouse population or habitat concerns. The document identified more than 300 actions and the group or organization best suited to implement those actions; the LITs are identified as the best suited group to coordinate approximately two thirds of those actions. While the LITs do not have authority to direct management actions for any landowner/land administrator, recommendations provided by the LITs are intended to help inform land management actions and provide opportunities for collaboration across public and private land.
Due to a lack of coordination capacity, all 5 LITs stopped meeting by 2012. However, ODFW and partners across the state acknowledged that the most effective method to implement sage-grouse conservation measures is through locally driven, landscape scale collaborative efforts, therefore, in 2019, ODFW worked with various partners including Baker County, Pheasants Forever, BLM, and the Intermountain West Joint Venture to acquire funding to hire two LIT Coordinators. Currently the coordinators oversee the development of three of the five teams (Baker, Prineville, and Vale); furthermore, ODFW and partners are in the process of applying for grant funding to hire a third coordinator to oversee the development of the Burns and Lakeview teams.
Every aspect of these collaborative groups is voluntary and non-regulatory. All five LITs are open to any individual or organization with an interest and/or investment in sagebrush landscape conservation. If you are interested in becoming involved with one or more of the LITs please contact Prineville/Vale LIT Coordinator, Julie Unfried (541-668-1066 or junfried@pheasantsforever.org) or Baker LIT Coordinator, Dallas Hall Defrees (541-239-7016 or ddefrees@bakercounty.org) for more information.
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