FACTOR E. Other Natural or Man-Made Factors Affecting Its Continued Existence Recreation USFWS notes that recreational activities, a significant use on federal lands, can result in direct and indirect effects on sage-grouse and habitat. Citing the RCP, the USFWS notes that direct disturbance during critical biological periods, including lekking, nesting, and early brood-rearing grouse, “can result in abandonment of lekking activities and nest sites, energy expenditure reducing survival, and greater exposure to predators” (75 FR 187, 59846). Early studies of the indirect effects of widespread motorized recreational access on wildlife habitat indicates that high-frequency human activity along established corridors can affect wildlife through habitat loss and fragmentation, including facilitating the spread of predators and invasive plants (Knick et al 2011). Furthermore, domestic dogs on recreation trails are anticipated to be an additional stressor when within vicinity of sage-grouse, although dogs alone are not currently identified as a population-level threat. In general, USFWS notes that recreational activities do not pose a singular threat to GUSG now or in the foreseeable future, although localized impacts may occur (59846- 7). Most recreation use is not spread evenly across the federal lands in the Gunnison Basin. Several areas see concentrated use such as Xxxxxxx Rocks Recreation Area. Visitation at Xxxxxxx Rocks averages 40,000 visits each year. NPS does see a substantial number of visitors each season (approximately 924,468 estimated visitors to CURE in 2011). Many of these visitors exclusively recreate on Blue Mesa Reservoir and its shores or within the Xxxxxx Point and Crystal Reservoir canyons. However, visitors do use the two trails and ten recreation facilities located in sage-grouse habitat (approximately 142,147 estimated visitors to sage-grouse habitat in 2011). Recreationalists using facilities in trails in sage- grouse habitat often bring their dogs. While NPS enforces a leash law for all dogs, many visitors allow dogs to run off-leash. To minimize physical disturbance during critical biological periods, NPS closes a campground located near a historic lek site to all use seasonally from October 1 to May 15. Yet the recreation use over the majority of occupied habitat is largely dispersed and infrequent. FWS notes in the 2010 status review, “the act of recreating does not singularly pose a significant threat to Gunnison sage-grouse, especially in ar...
