The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is the only subspecies of grouse native to Oregon and until recently occurred throughout much of the eastern Oregon. It's extirpation from the state was caused by a combination of factors which included overhunting, habitat destruction and degradation, and possibly other factors. The Oregon Department of Fish and Game reintroduced sharp-tailed grouse into Wallowa County in 1991 and since that time populations are still small and vulnerable.

Because of its complex life cycle and adaptation to the extreme conditions of eastern Oregon, sharp-tailed grouse rely on both bunchgrass prairie and aquatic and riparian ecosystems. Therefore the ecological condition of the grouse is highly dependent upon the condition of those types of ecosystems found on the Zumwalt Prairie.