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Contact: Brian Rutledge,
(307) 745-4848
Alison Holloran, (307) 760-9105
SAGE GROUSE LISTING COMMENT PERIOD ENDS
AUDUBON WYOMING ENCOURAGES AGENCY TO MAKE DECISION ON BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE
June 30, 2008—The U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service’s comment period for the listing
of the Greater Sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act
closes today. 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.
Brian Rutledge, Audubon Wyoming’s
Executive Director states, “We applaud the Fish and
Wildlife Service for its recognition of the Wyoming plan and
ask that they take a critical look at the most current research
on this species. However, we are skeptical that the Bureau
of Land Management and industry will take the steps necessary
to protect the grouse. If the Department of the Interior fails
to mitigate current threats to the sage grouse, we may be
headed for a listing of the species.”
The State of Wyoming has produced a “Core
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 asserted a “business
as usual approach” to sage-grouse conservation, causing
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 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 citizens.
Says Rutledge, “The road to protecting
the sage-grouse is paved with good intentions. However, 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. This 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 agency by December.
For a copy of Audubon
Wyoming’s fact sheet on the proposal please contact
Mac Blewer at (307) 745-4848 or at by email.
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Audubon Wyoming Vision
Open spaces rich in birds and other wildlife, and citizens
who value that richness. |
