Are the lands where grouse historically inhabited in the southeast mostly federal land? Up here we have 2.2 million acres of State Forest(which they cut), 300,000 acres of State Parks and over 1.5 million acres of Game Lands. Our National Forest land is minimal(Allegheny National Forest) , 500,000 acres, although I've heard it's the most valuable National Forest due to all the Cherry on it. Our State Forests get cut, to a lesser extent so do our Game Lands, I believe.
Yes, a lot of the current grouse range is US Forest Service land. >50 years ago that was not the case.