Steven E Hanser
Since 2019, Steve has served as the Deputy Center Director of the Fort Collins Science Center.
Biography
Steve Hanser has served as the Deputy Center Director of the Fort Collins Science Center since 2019. Before his current position at the Fort Collins Science Center, Steve was the Sagebrush Ecosystem Program Specialist in the Ecosystems Mission Area where he led the USGS effort to provide research and technical assistance on sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystem management to the Department of the Interior, DOI bureaus, State wildlife agencies, and other partners. This work focused on inter-agency coordination, setting multi-agency research priorities, developing high-profile information syntheses, increasing outreach and communication opportunities, and improving multi-agency data sharing tools. Prior to his position in Reston, Steve spent 13 years working in the field at the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Boise, ID where he focused on using geospatial tools and field-based measures to improve the understanding of the multi-scale environmental drivers of wildlife populations.
Experience
- Deputy Center Director, Fort Collins Science Center, U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: June 2019 - Present
- Chief, Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics Research Branch (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: July 2019 - Present
- Chief, Decision Support Science and Tools Branch (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: April 2019 - June 2020
- Sagebrush Ecosystem Program Specialist (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA: June 2019 - Sept 2019
- Sagebrush Ecosystem Program Specialist, U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA: January 2015 – June 2019
- Wildland Fire Science Coordinator (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA: July 2014 - Oct 2014
- Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, ID: 2002-2015
- Biological Science Technician, , U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, ID: 2002
- GIS Intern, City of Pocatello, Pocatello, ID: 2002
- Graduate Research Assistant, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID: 1999–2002
- Research Technician, Iowa State University, Ames, IA: 1998-1999
- Undergraduate Research Assistant, Iowa Cooperative Research Unit, Ames, IA: 1998-1999
Education
- M.S. Biology, Idaho State University, 2002
- Geotechnologies Post-baccalaureate Certification, Idaho State University, 2002
- B.S. Biology, Iowa State University, 1999
Science and Products
USGS Cool Tools for Hot Topics
The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area hosted an interactive session at the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 2018 Annual Meeting that featured USGS science-based tools and approaches to address a variety of fish and wildlife management hot topics, including how and when to apply them to specific...
Energy Development and Changing Land Uses
Applied research and integrated regional assessments emphasize spatially explicit analyses of ecosystem components affected by energy development and land-use change in the western United States. Topics include sagebrush-steppe ecology; sagebrush habitat assessments; the effets of human activities (including energy development, transportation, and recreation) on habitats and wildlife behavior...
Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: Baseline Synthesis
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) addresses effects of land-use and climate changes on Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources. In partnership with twelve Federal, State, and local natural resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations– FORT and ten other USGS centers are conducting dozens of integrated science projects to assess the status of Southwest Wyoming’s...
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI)
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) addresses effects of land-use and climate changes on Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources. In partnership with twelve Federal, State, and local natural resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations– FORT and ten other USGS centers are conducting dozens of integrated science projects to assess the status of Southwest Wyoming’s...
Conservation of Sagebrush Ecosystems and Wildlife
Sagebrush ecosystems are diverse habitats found throughout western North America that support a variety of flora and fauna. Home to unique wildlife such as Sage-grouse, Sage Thrashers, Brewer's Sparrows, Ferruginous Hawks, and pygmy rabbits, these ecosystems have undergone intense changes since the time when millions of bison roamed the plains. European settlement and intense agricultural...
SAGEMAP
A GIS Database for Sage-grouse and Shrubsteppe Management in the Intermountain West
Raster digital data sets identifying a range-wide network of priority areas for greater sage-grouse
We used graph theory, representing priority areas as spatially distributed nodes interconnected by movement corridors, to understand the capacity of priority areas to function as connected networks in the Bi-State, Central, and Washington regions of the Greater Sage-Grouse range.
Synthesizing and analyzing long-term monitoring data: A greater sage-grouse case study
Long-term monitoring of natural resources is imperative for increasing the understanding of ecosystem processes, services, and how to manage those ecosystems to maintain or improve function. Challenges with using these data may occur because methods of monitoring changed over time, multiple organizations collect and manage data differently, and...
O'Donnell, Michael; Edmunds, David R.; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Heinrichs, Julie A.; Monroe, Adrian P.; Coates, Peter S.; Prochazka, Brian G.; Christiansen, Thomas J; Hanser, Steve E.; Wiechman, Lief A.; Cook, Avery A; Espinosa, Shawn P.; Foster, Lee J.; Griffin, Kathleen A.; Kolar, Jesse L; Miller, Katherine S; Moser, Ann M.; Remington, Thomas E.; Runia, Travis J; Schreiber, Leslie A; Schroeder, Michael A; Stiver, San J; Whitford, Nyssa I; Wightman, Catherine S
Range-wide greater sage-grouse hierarchical monitoring framework—Implications for defining population boundaries, trend estimation, and a targeted annual warning system
Incorporating spatial and temporal scales into greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) population monitoring strategies is challenging and rarely implemented. Sage-grouse populations experience fluctuations in abundance that lead to temporal oscillations, making trend estimation difficult. Accounting for stochasticity is critical to...
Coates, Peter S.; Prochazka, Brian G.; O'Donnell, Michael S.; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Edmunds, David R.; Monroe, Adrian P.; Ricca, Mark A.; Wann, Gregory T.; Hanser, Steve E.; Wiechman, Lief A.; Chenaille, Michael
Sagebrush conservation strategy—Challenges to sagebrush conservation
The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) biome, its wildlife, and the services and benefits it provides people and local communities are at risk. Development in the sagebrush biome, for many purposes, has resulted in multiple and often cumulative negative impacts. These impacts, ranging from simple habitat loss to complex, interactive changes in ecosystem...
Remington, Thomas E.; Deibert, Patricia A.; Hanser, Steve E.; Davis, Dawn M.; Robb, Leslie A.; Welty, Justin L.
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published from 2015 to 2019
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter GRSG) has been a focus of scientific investigation and management action for the past two decades. The 2015 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing determination of “not warranted” was in part due to a large-scale collaborative effort to develop strategies to conserve GRSG populations...
Carter, Sarah K.; Arkle, Robert S.; Bencin, Heidi L.; Harms, Benjamin R.; Manier, Daniel J.; Johnston, Aaron N.; Phillips, Susan L.; Hanser, Steven E.; Bowen, Zachary H.
U.S. Geological Survey sagebrush ecosystem research annual report for 2020
The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem extends across 251,473 square miles over portions of 13 western States. Affected by multiple stressors, including interactions among fire, invasive plants, and human land uses, this ecosystem has experienced significant loss, fragmentation, and degradation of landscapes once dominated by sagebrush. In turn...
Hanser, Steve E.; Wiechman, Lief A. Designing multi-scale hierarchical monitoring frameworks for wildlife to support management: A sage-grouse case study
Population monitoring is integral to the conservation and management of wildlife; yet, analyses of population demographic data rarely consider processes occurring across spatial scales, potentially limiting the effectiveness of adaptive management. Therefore, we developed a method to identify hierarchical levels of organization (i.e., populations...
O'Donnell, Michael S.; Edmunds, David R.; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Heinrichs, Julie A.; Coates, Peter S.; Prochazka, Brian G.; Hanser, Steve E.
U.S. Geological Survey sagebrush ecosystem research annual report for 2019
The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem extends across a large portion of the Western United States. Affected by multiple stressors, including interactions among fire, exotic plant invasions, and human land uses, this ecosystem has experienced significant loss, fragmentation, and degradation of landscapes once dominated by sagebrush. In turn,...
Hanser, Steve E. Spatial, road geometric, and biotic factors associated with Barn Owl mortality along an interstate highway
Highway programs typically focus on reducing vehicle collisions with large mammals because of economic or safety reasons while overlooking the millions of birds that die annually from traffic. We studied wildlife‐vehicle collisions along an interstate highway in southern Idaho, USA, with among the highest reported rates of American Barn Owl ...
Arnold, Erin M.; Hanser, Steve E.; Regan, Tempe; Thompson, Jeremy; Lowe, Melinda; Kociolek, Angela; Belthoff, James R.
U.S. Geological Survey sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystem research annual report for 2018
The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem extends across a large portion of the Western United States, and the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is one of the iconic species of this ecosystem. Greater sage-grouse populations occur in 11 States and are dependent on relatively large expanses of sagebrush-dominated habitat. Sage-grouse...
Hanser, Steven E.
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published since January 2015
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter GRSG) has been a focus of scientific investigation and management action for the past two decades. The 2015 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing determination of “not warranted” was in part due to a large-scale collaborative effort to develop strategies to conserve GRSG populations...
Carter, Sarah K.; Manier, Daniel J.; Arkle, Robert S.; Johnston, Aaron; Phillips, Susan L.; Hanser, Steven E.; Bowen, Zachary H.
Greater sage-grouse science (2015–17)—Synthesis and potential management implications
Executive SummaryThe greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter called “sage-grouse”), a species that requires sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), has experienced range-wide declines in its distribution and abundance. These declines have prompted substantial research and management investments to improve the understanding of sage-grouse and...
Hanser, Steven E.; Deibert, Patricia A.; Tull, John C.; Carr, Natasha B.; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Bargsten, Travis D.; Christiansen, Thomas J.; Coates, Peter S.; Crist, Michele R.; Doherty, Kevin E.; Ellsworth, Ethan A.; Foster, Lee J.; Herren, Vicki A.; Miller, Kevin H.; Moser, Ann; Naeve, Robin M.; Prentice, Karen L.; Remington, Thomas E.; Ricca, Mark A.; Shinneman, Douglas J.; Truex, Richard L.; Wiechman, Lief A.; Wilson, Dereck C.; Bowen, Zachary H.
U.S. Geological Survey sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystem research annual report for 2017
The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem extends across a large portion of the Western United States, and the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is one of the iconic species of this ecosystem. Greater sage-grouse populations occur in 11 States and are dependent on relatively large expanses of sagebrush-dominated habitat. Sage-grouse...
Hanser, Steven E.
Fort Collins Science Center Scientists Share Expertise at Society for Range Management Meeting
Scientists from the US Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center will be presenting on topics ranging from sage-grouse to invasive plant species at the upcoming Society for Range Management Annual Meeting.
Annotated Bibliography of Scientific Research on Greater Sage-Grouse Published
The U.S. Geological Survey has reviewed and summarized the substantial body of literature related to the conservation, management, monitoring, and assessement of the greater sage-grouse, creating an annotated bibliography that provides easy access to sage-grouse science developed since 2015.
New Rangeland Fire Science Plan Essential for Sage-Grouse, Sagebrush Conservation and Restoration
Plan also addresses other rangeland threats