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Places We Protect

Gunnison Sage-Grouse Protected Area

Utah

A few people are riding horses on sagebrush land.
Gunnison Sage-Grouse Preserve View of protected critical habitat for the Gunnison sage-grouse. © Sue Bellagamba/TNC.

Sagebrush salvation. Protecting critical habitat for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse.

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Overview

Description

A sanctuary for one of North America’s most endangered birds.

There are only two places left on Earth where you might spot the elusive Gunnison sage-grouse: southwestern Colorado and Utah’s San Juan County. Once widespread across the sagebrush sea, this bird has now vanished from more than 90% of its historic range. Identified in 2000 as a species distinct from the Greater sage-grouse, it was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 2014.

In Utah, The Nature Conservancy is working to turn the tide. Our Gunnison Sage-Grouse Preserve spans 1,385 acres of intact sagebrush habitat near Monticello, including 305 acres added in 2025. These lands sit in the core of Utah’s only remaining Gunnison sage-grouse population and provide year-round habitat adjacent to a known lek, or mating site.

Out of respect for the sensitivity of the species and the fragility of its habitat, the preserve is closed to visitors.

Thank you for helping us protect this critically important space.

Access

CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

Protecting critical habitat for the Gunnison sage-grouse

Location

San Juan County, Utah

Map with marker: Because of the extremely sensitive nature of this species, the preserve is closed to all visitors.

Size

1,385 acres

Explore our work in this region

Restoring hope for a vanishing species.

Sue Bellagamba, TNC’s Canyonlands Regional Director, explains the urgency behind this land protection effort. “When the habitat range is this small, and the population numbers are this low, we know each action we take can truly mean the difference between survival or extinction.”

Saving land is just the first step. TNC and partners are working to restore and reconnect habitat, enhance genetic diversity, and support a resilient future for the species. In collaboration with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), TNC restored 130 acres of dry farmland back to sagebrush, helping the birds move more easily between seasonal habitats for mating, nesting and chick-rearing.

More than 15,000 sagebrush plants were added by volunteers. And with a refurbished earthen dam collecting spring runoff, the property now features a wet meadow—critical for young chicks that rely on its lush vegetation for food and cover.

“These birds need different types of habitat for each part of their life cycle—from mating to breeding to chick rearing,” explains Bellagamba. “In San Juan County, drought and fragmentation have really reduced the diversity of habitat available to the birds.”

 “TNC is committed to, and has a long track record of, conservation strategies and solutions that benefit both wildlife and people.”

By protecting more land, restoring what’s been lost, and thinking long term, TNC is working to ensure the Gunnison sage-grouse has a future in Utah.

Learn more about TNC's work across the vast sagebrush sea.

Gunnison sage-grouse To bolster the population in San Juan County, TNC is restoring 130 acres of dry farmland to sagebrush to provide the birds more room for wintering, nesting and brood-rearing. © Lance Beeny
Gunnison Sage-Grouse Preserve View of protected critical habitat for the Gunnison sage-grouse. © Sue Bellagamba/TNC.
Sagebrush salvation The preserve is situated within the core of Utah’s remaining sagebrush shrublands. © Sue Bellagamba/TNC

Support Our Work

You can help us protect Utah's incredible places and rare species like the Gunnison sage-grouse by supporting our conservation work.

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