Commentary: Upper Midwest Prairie Grouse Summit sheds light on concerns, solutions for sharptails, greater prairie-chickens

Last March, a call went out from wildlife managers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. They were concerned about the state of sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie-chicken populations, their common issue of fragmented populations from loss and degradation of habitat (primarily from natural succession, fragmentation, and conversion), and lack of awareness of the birds and the issue. Thus, the idea of an Upper Midwest Prairie Grouse Summit was “hatched.”