Participatory modeling of endangered wildlife systems: Simulating the sage-grouse and land use in Central Washington

The Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) occupies the sage brush habitats of Western North America. Large population declines in the last several decades have made it a candidate for possible listing under the Endangered Species Act. Listing was recently avoided in part because local working groups are developing long-range management plans in conjunction with federal and local agencies. The Foster Creek Conservation District, a working group in Douglas County, Washington, saw the potential for system dynamics to synthesize known sage-grouse dynamics and local land use patterns to support development of their Habitat Conservation Plan and subsequent land management decisions. This case study highlights the integration of science, local knowledge and social concerns into a participatory process that uses system dynamics as a forum for the exploration of the impacts of land management decisions upon the sage-grouse population and the landowners of Douglas County, Washington.