• Overview
• Presentations and Posters
• General and Detailed Workshop Agenda
• Workshop Registration
• Hotel Registration
• Transportation
• Student Financial Assistance Grant
• Host and Sponsors 
• Robert L. Patterson Award Nominations

Overview

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Western Agencies Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Technical Committee welcome you to beautiful Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The Sheraton Steamboat Resort is ready to make you feel right at home in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Whether you plan on presenting a paper or attending the meeting to learn more about these 3 amazing grouse species, Steamboat Springs has much to offer. Although we will have a busy meeting schedule, free time will be provided for you to enjoy Steamboat Springs or the surrounding area. 

Our meeting will start on Tuesday morning with an informative plenary session and end with technical papers on Friday morning. On Wednesday we will have an all day field tour. On Thursday, after a day of technical papers, we will take a short gondola ride to the Champagne Powder Room at the Steamboat Resort for the evening banquet.  We will have a special guest speaker and presentation of the Patterson Award(s). The Steamboat Resort provides for magnificent views of the Yampa Valley. We will also have the pleasure of seeing the sun set over Sleeping Giant as the sky paints a colorful picture for all of us to savor.

Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse	Greater Sage-Grouse	Gunnison Sage-Grouse

We have accepted technical papers and poster abstracts on all aspects of population and habitat research and/or management of Greater or Gunnison Sage-grouse, or Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (e.g. population ecology, habitat use, population or habitat management, policy, genetics, energy development, etc.).

We plan on 20 minute blocks of time for presentations (15 minutes for the talk and 5 minutes for questions), but the Technical Presentation/Poster Session Co-Chairs, Drs. Mike Phillips and Brett Walker are the primary contacts and will work with presenters regarding additional details. Their contact information is listed via the above link.

General and Detailed Workshop Agenda

Workshop Registration

Print and complete your registration form . Meeting registration is $150 if received by May 18, 2012 or $185 if received after May 18, 2012.  Student registration is $110 if received by May 18, 2012 or $145 if received after May 18, 2012.

There are two (2) ways to pay your registration fees in advance.

1. Check:  Make check payable to WAFWA Sage Grouse Conference.  Mail it with your completed registration form to Kathy Griffin at the address on the form.
   
2. Credit Card: Complete the registration form. Send form to Kathy Griffin via email or snail mail to the address on the form. Upon receipt, you will then receive an electronic invoice (your email address is required) for the Grand Total via email from wafwasgwksp@gmail.com. Watch your spam incase this email gets quarantined. Click on the PayPal link (button) within the email. You will be directed to PayPal to securely pay via credit card. Fill out the appropriate payment information and submit.  You will receive a receipt and email confirmation.

If you plan on paying at the workshop we will only accept checks or cash and the higher fees will apply.

For the FIRST 50 people to register…you will receive a special gift at registration!!!

Hotel Registration

Meeting and sleeping arrangements are with the Sheraton Steamboat Resort.  Overnight accommodations are available for a special group rate of $103.00/night (other room types are available) up to $349.00/night for a 3 bedroom Villa Mountain View. Call 970-879-2220 or 800-848-8877 to book a room (mention "WAFWA Grouse Workshop"), email the Sheraton at steamboat.reservations@sheraton.com, or visit the special website to book rooms online (Sheraton Steamboat Resort Grouse Workshop Room Registration).

The Sheraton Steamboat Resort is honoring these special rates 3 days prior and 3 days after the Workshop. 

The Sheraton is currently sold out of rooms for Thursday night (21st). (Rooms are still available for all other nights.) As other guests cancel more rooms are added to our block but getting reservations for that night is a bit random based on daily availability. 

Another option is to call Central Reservations in Steamboat 1-877-783-2628 and ask for hotels close to the Sheraton. 

Transportation

The Sheraton Steamboat Resort is located in Steamboat Village. For directions please visit the Sheraton Map Link.  This link also provides driving directions from Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.

If you are not driving, there are 3 flight opportunities.

• Yampa Valley Airport (HDN) (40 miles)
• Denver International Airport (DEN) (241 miles)
• Eagle County Airport (EGE) (145 miles)

For local and shuttle transportation options see the Sheraton Transportation Link for more information.

Student Financial Assistance Grant

This student financial assistance grant is a one-time allocation of workshop funds to provide financial assistance to 3 successful student applicants that attend and present a paper or poster at the 28th Western Agencies Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop in Steamboat Springs, Colorado from June 19 – 22, 2012.  The objective of this grant is to provide financial assistance to currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students engaged in research involving greater sage-grouse, Gunnison sage-grouse, or Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. Applications will be rated by the completeness and quality of the application (grammar counts), and financial need (assistance with travel or academics). Successful applicants will receive a $500.00 grant to be awarded at the Thursday evening banquet on June 21, 2012.

Application Criteria

1. Application must be filled out electronically and signed .
2. A cover letter describing your interest and career objectives must be provided.
3. A CV or Resume must be included.
4. Be sure to describe your financial need.
5. Send Applications by May 18, 2012 to:

• Kathy Griffin
  711 Independent Avenue
  Grand Junction, CO  81505
  970.255.6146
  kathy.griffin@state.co.us

Workshop Host and Sponsors

Robert L. Patterson Award Nominations

Objective: To recognize individual(s) and organization(s) who have made significant contributions to sage and sharp-tailed grouse research, management or other support programs, which have enhanced the welfare of any of these three species. The contribution should be evidenced by a sustained effort over at least 10 years. The contribution may be related to research, management activity, promotion of an integrated program, or some combination thereof. Please review the award criteria  and email nominations to the Award Committee Co-Chairs by May 1, 2012: Pat Deibert pat_deibert@fws.gov Scott Gardner SGardner@dfg.ca.gov

Contact Info and/or Questions

Kathy Griffin
Grouse Coordinator
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
711 Independent Avenue
Grand Junction, CO  81505
Phone 970.255.6146
Fax: 970.255.6111
Email: kathy.griffin@state.co.us
Attn: Western Agencies Wksp