United States 

Department of

Agriculture

Minerals, Mining and 

Greater Sage-grouse Conservation

Mineral activities have been identified as 

threats to greater sage-grouse (GRSG) and their

habitat. Minerals activities have the potential 

to fragment habitat, increase noise due to

drilling, blasting, heavy equipment, traffic, and

compressor stations, and include structures that 

predators may use. These factors may impact 

GRSG activities such as breeding, nesting, feeding,

and migration between seasonal use areas. The

following is a general summary of the items in the

proposed plan amendments designed to eliminate

or minimize the impacts of minerals activities on

GRSG. All actions will be consistent with the rights

granted the mining claimant under the General 

Mining Act of 1872, as amended.

Photo courtesy of Charity Parks/USFS

Non-energy leasable minerals

In priority habitat management areas (PHMAs),

general habitat management areas (GHMAs),

and sagebrush focal areas (SFAs) when issuing

prospecting permits, exploration licenses and 

leases, or readjustment of leases, the Forest

Service will provide recommendation to the

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the

protection of the GRSG and its habitat.

The Forest Service will recommend to the BLM 

that expansion or readjustment of existing leases

in PHMAs, GHMAs, or SFAs avoid, minimize, or

mitigate effects to the GRSG or its habitat.

Forest Service

Intermountain Region

324 25th Street

Ogden, UT 84401

www.fs.usda.gov/r4

@usfs_r4 on twitter
United States 

Department of

Agriculture

Coal (Idaho and Utah only)

When consenting to new underground coal leases, the Forest Service will include a lease stipulation 

prohibiting the location of surface facilities in PHMAs and SFAs.

New appurtenant or secondary facilities related to existing underground mines will not be authorized in

PHMAs and SFAs unless no technically feasible alternative exists. If the facilities cannot be located 

outside of these areas, they should be located within any already disturbed area or constructed to

minimize disturbance.

Locatable Minerals

Sagebrush focal areas (SFAs) that are not already withdrawn from mineral entry will be recommended

for withdrawal from mineral entry under the Mining Law of 1872, as amended, subject to valid existing 

rights.

The Forest Service will only approve Plans of Operation in PHMAs and SFAs, if they include mitigation to

protect the GRSG and its habitat.

A phased development approach in PHMAs, GHMAs, and SFAs will be applied to operations to keep

disturbance to a minimum.

Mineral Materials

The Forest Service will close PHMAs and SFAs to new mineral material disposal or development. These

areas will remain open to free-use permits and expansion of existing permitted active pits except during

lekking (March 1 to April 30) and within two miles from the perimeter of occupied leks.

Split Mineral Estate

In PHMAs, GHMAs, and SFAs, where the federal government manages the mineral estate and the surface

is in non-federal ownership, the Forest Service will coordinate with the mineral estate owner/lessee

to apply appropriate stipulations, conditions of approval, conservation measures, and required design

features.

On existing federal leases in PHMAs, GHMAs, and SFAs, when surface occupancy cannot be restricted,

disturbance and surface occupancy will be limited to areas least harmful to the GRSG.

Forest Service

Intermountain Region

324 25th Street

Ogden, UT 84401

www.fs.usda.gov/r4

@usfs_r4 on twiller