Sharing the Land with Pinyon-Juniper Birds

The Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory created this document to educate land managers about beneficial practices that can enhance pinyon-juniper bird habitat on their land. It was developed with funding primarily provided by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The principle goal of the guide is to provide information on managing pinyon-juniper woodlands to benefit birds while sustainably using grasslands for additional purposes such as farming and ranching.

The document focuses predominantly on protection and enhancement of grassland habitat. Creation of habitat corridors is advocated alongside habitat restoration, soil regeneration and site-specific planning for erosion control.  It also addresses water quality in grassland landscapes and recommends creating watering areas specifically for livestock and/or wildlife to avoid contaminating the watershed.

The document states that the following techniques will benefit the environment and livestock: site-specific grazing schemes, close monitoring of stocking levels, removing livestock from degraded areas and rest periods for grasslands to ensure grass root formation. The document advises employing integrated pest management to control invasive species. Lastly, it encourages careful design of operations to protect sensitive habitats and recommends clustering developments to minimize environmental impact.