No listing for sage grouse
The U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced Tuesday in Reno that the Mono Basin, or Bi-State sage grouse, will not be listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The decision is based on improved habitat due to the efforts of ranchers and business groups. According to conservation groups, if these efforts are not maintained, the bird could be threatened again.
In December 2014, the bird was given the maximum priority for listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Five months later ,it is declared to be doing fine. Michael Connor, California director of Western Watersheds Project, stated in a press release, “The Service’s backpedalling in claiming that unfinished management plans and voluntary, cooperative agreements will protect the species is untrue, and smacks of political expediency.”
Officials at the Dept. of Interior announcement praised the Bi-State Action Plan for helping to partially restore the native bird’s habitat. The Plan created a collaboration between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management, and others to address threats and improve and enhance the habitat with conservation efforts, such as removing invasive trees and preserving sagebrush. The action plan is being lauded as a scientific approach to conservation while still allowing economic development and growth. The 15-year effort and plan also includes approximately $75 million in funding.
“There’s no reason you can’t have a healthy state with a healthy economy and a healthy ecosystem. By working together, you can have it all,” Jewell said Tuesday.
Sounds like everybody wins.
Consevation groups such as the Western Watersheds Project accuse Jewell of caving into pressure from business and corporations afraid that if the bird got listed it could mean further restrictions on grazing, renewable energy development, and mining on public lands. In Colorado and Utah, the Gunnison grouse ESA listing led to the closure of more than 400,000 acres to oil and energy development in June 2014. Utah legislators set aside $2 milion to lobby Washington to overturn the decision, so far unsuccessfully.
The Gunnison grouse are numbered at close to 5,000 and are on the endangered species list. The Bi-State sage grouse number around 2,500.
WildEarth Guardians told High Country News that the conservation efforts are fine, but the real threats to the species—livestock grazing, mining, off-road vehicles, and encroachment by people—have not adequately been addressed.
Steve Williams, president of the Wildlife Management Institute and former director of USFWS, said in a press release, “Ultimately, the decision to list the range-wide population will end up in a federal court.” He added that the action plan group will have to keep up their efforts, or “a judge may rule that the sage grouse must be listed.”
At the Mono County Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Supervisor Tim Alpers said that this proves the system works if you put faith in the right strategic effort.
By the right strategic effort, Alpers meant a collabortaive versus antagonistic approach.
Mono County Public Works Director Scott Burns heaped praise on staffer Wendy Sugimura for her research and participation in the sage grouse project.
