In 2019, Montana implemented a compensatory mitigation system for sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat. Since then, Montana has experienced an increasingly complex landscape, posing unique challenges for the habitat mitigation system. The development of a geospatial model (Habitat Quantification Tool [HQT]) provides a non-biased, science-based, and stakeholder-supported process to quantify sage-grouse habitat. The HQT is used to establish a statewide baseline of existing habitat (i.e., HQT Basemap). Over time, impacts from newly implemented projects are used to update the HQT Basemap. By reviewing spatial changes in sage-grouse habitat over time, we can assess the efficacy of the sage-grouse mitigation system.
