By Dave Hurteau

From an American Bird Conservancy press release:

Citing that numbers of the Greater Sage-Grouse have dramatically diminished in recent decades, and the continued expansion of energy developments that threaten the species’ sagebrush habitat, the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) today called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the Greater Sage-Grouse under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing the status of the Greater Sage-Grouse, and is expected to announce its findings at the end of February. The numbers of Greater Sage-Grouse have dropped precipitously – with a loss of more than 30% in the last 25 years, according to recent reports…

ABC is concerned that the core area development standards in the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wyoming Sage Grouse Management Plan are insufficient to ensure stable populations over the long term…

[Says ABC president George Fenwick:] “We can’t possibly be satisfied with a plan that merely slows down the loss of sage-grouse.  This simply postpones the inevitable.”

The causes for the decline of sage-grouse are varied, and include the loss or degradation of habitat arising from grazing and agriculture, energy development, and fires that are escalated by invasive vegetation such as cheat grass. Additional threats include mosquito-borne West Nile virus, and collisions with wire fences that the birds cannot see…

Comments (6)

from babsfish4life wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

Why is the Endangered Species act the only defense for tree huggers? The Fish and Game in Idaho has loads of things to do to help these birds but only the sportsmen are involved. Putting them on the Endangered list will make someone else do the work, not environmentalists. The threatened list would be the first step after proving that they are in trouble. Their populations seem to be fine in my neck of the woods. The endangered list is the lazy mans way to "help". The endangered species list started out great but is now a joke.

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from Z-Mohar wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

I agree, we need to protect these native animals.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jersey pig wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

if the science proves they are declinging in population then they should be protected until they are again viable.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from babsfish4life wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

I also have not heard of anybody having a hard time finding them during the yearly hunting season, even though I personally have not hunted them. Normal hunting season one year, endangered species the next?

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Clay Cooper wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

I never seen a Sage Grouse, but the Grouse in Alaska, you can walk within 10 feet or less and knock them in the head with a rock. One stupid bird!

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from Sayfu wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

I live in Idaho, and in my Eastern zone area there is a growing number of Sage Grouse, and they up-ed the limit. You always have to investigate whether the kooky left is involved in the move to put the species on the Endangered Species Act. They have an anti-hunting agenda.

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from babsfish4life wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

I have been following this in the news and the truth is starting to surface. It is a ploy to stop natural gas drilling in Wyoming, not to save the grouse but to stop drilling.

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from babsfish4life wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

Why is the Endangered Species act the only defense for tree huggers? The Fish and Game in Idaho has loads of things to do to help these birds but only the sportsmen are involved. Putting them on the Endangered list will make someone else do the work, not environmentalists. The threatened list would be the first step after proving that they are in trouble. Their populations seem to be fine in my neck of the woods. The endangered list is the lazy mans way to "help". The endangered species list started out great but is now a joke.

+6 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Z-Mohar wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

I agree, we need to protect these native animals.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jersey pig wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

if the science proves they are declinging in population then they should be protected until they are again viable.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from babsfish4life wrote 2 years 13 weeks ago

I also have not heard of anybody having a hard time finding them during the yearly hunting season, even though I personally have not hunted them. Normal hunting season one year, endangered species the next?

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Clay Cooper wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

I never seen a Sage Grouse, but the Grouse in Alaska, you can walk within 10 feet or less and knock them in the head with a rock. One stupid bird!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Sayfu wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

I live in Idaho, and in my Eastern zone area there is a growing number of Sage Grouse, and they up-ed the limit. You always have to investigate whether the kooky left is involved in the move to put the species on the Endangered Species Act. They have an anti-hunting agenda.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from babsfish4life wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

I have been following this in the news and the truth is starting to surface. It is a ploy to stop natural gas drilling in Wyoming, not to save the grouse but to stop drilling.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.