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Editorial: Critical
Time for the Sage Grouse
On Friday, June 27th, The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s comment period for the listing of
the Greater Sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act closed.
While Audubon Wyoming supports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service’s process, this institution remains skeptical
as to the Bureau of Land Management’s intention to take
the steps necessary to protect this species. If the Department
of the Interior fails to implement the recommendations of
the State of Wyoming Sage-grouse Implementation Team for conservation
of sage-grouse core areas in the next few months, a listing
of the bird under the Endangered Species Act may be inevitable.
The State of Wyoming has produced a “Core
Area Management Plan” for the Greater Sage-grouse that,
if implemented by the Bureau of Land Management in the next
few months could avert a listing of the species. However,
the agency and the oil and gas industry have maintained a
“business as usual approach” to sage-grouse conservation,
generating skepticism among conservationists.
The unbroken sagebrush country, that provides
crucial habitat for the Greater Sage-grouse, is one of the
most awe-inspiring landscapes of the Rocky Mountain West.
Places that we know and love as citizens- places such as the
Red Desert, the Upper Green River Valley and the Powder River
Basin- support the sage-grouse and numerous other sage-dependent
species such as antelope, the Pygmy Rabbit, the Ferruginous
Hawk and the Long-billed Curlew. The energy boom now gripping
Wyoming is exerting tremendous pressure on the sage-grouse
as well as the world-class hunting and recreation opportunities
these same lands provide us.
However, the road to protecting the sage-grouse
is paved with good intentions. We are on the brink of a listing
of the Greater Sage-grouse in Wyoming. BLM and industry have
to wake up today and take decisive action to avoid a train-wreck
in the making. A reconsideration on the pace of leasing and
stipulations for development, based on peer-reviewed science
could avert the necessity for an ESA listing. Actions speak
loudly and performance, as of today, leaves grave doubt of
their positive intentions. Whatever the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service decides, its decision must be based on performance
and policy, not expressed intent.
The Greater Sage-grouse once common throughout
the American West has dwindled to a fraction of its former
population. Currently 95.5% of BLM lands in Wyoming are open
to mineral leasing and oil and gas development. Sage grouse
“core areas” that provide key habitat to the species
encompass 23% of the state. If the BLM and industry decide
to seriously consider the recommendations of the State of
Wyoming, development would still be allowed in these areas,
but with effective mitigation requirements in place. A decision
on whether to list the Greater Sage-grouse is expected from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by December.
We look forward to working with BLM and
industry during the critical months ahead of us. We can accomplish
the realization of energy development, while maintaining the
character and quality of our land. We trust that the decision-makers
will not squander this opportunity to do the right thing.
Brian A. Rutledge, Executive Director
Audubon Wyoming
358 North 5th Street, Unit A
Laramie, WY 82072
(307) 745-4877
(307) 362-1061 (cell)
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