|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Release Date: February 3, 2010
The greater sage-grouse—a once-abundant bird emblematic of the wide open spaces of the West—is now gone from nearly half of its original range, with steady declines occurring in Colorado and neighboring states. An upcoming decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about whether or not to list the bird for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has prompted much debate over the fate of this iconic species. Whether the species is listed or not, however, a wide cross-section of Westerners and decision makers, from rural landowners and local conservationists to federal land managers and elected officials, agree the West needs an effective plan—whether under the ESA or another mechanism—for conserving sage-grouse and its range in order to preserve a vital piece of our natural heritage and an important fiber in the very fabric of our Western landscape. We urge you to write about the sage-grouse, its benefit to our state, and the many ways to protect this important bird. Recent studies have confirmed that oil and gas drilling activities, which have increased dramatically across the Intermountain West in the past decade, are disturbing sage-grouse breeding and nesting sites and leading to population declines in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and other Western states. In addition to drilling in the area, threats also include destruction of sagebrush habitat due to sprawl, agricultural conversion, and wildfire. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that sage-grouse populations have declined between 69 and 99 percent from historic levels. By February 26, 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is required to announce its determination of whether or not the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) warrants protection under the ESA. Biologists see the plight of the sage-grouse as a warning that balance needs to be restored to sagebrush landscapes across the West. Regardless of how it is accomplished, recovery of the species will be a long and difficult process in a sagebrush ecosystem now fragmented by many uses. This sagebrush ecosystem contains some of the most important big game habitat in the West, as well as the home range for dozens of other wildlife species. In areas like northwest Colorado, where the largest and most important population of sage-grouse in the state are found, the imperiled bird shares its home with some of the largest elk and mule deer herds in North America. Hunting tags for elk and mule in Moffat County are some of the most sought after in the nation, and hunting and fishing alone contribute $30 million annually to the local economy, and $105 million regionally. In late 2009, BLM released new guidelines for protecting sage-grouse from oil and gas impacts in Montana and Wyoming. These guidelines, while more protective than the prior management scheme, contain numerous loopholes that undermine their effectiveness at preventing the need to protect the sage-grouse under the ESA. The Fish and Wildlife Service decision due in February is the result of a court order to fix a prior decision that had been manipulated by a political appointee in the Bush-era Interior Department. In order to demonstrate their decision will be based on science, not politics, the Fish and Wildlife Service has delayed their decision to incorporate the results of scientific research that was made available late in 2009. This research confirms many of the concerns previously expressed about the impacts of oil and gas development and other threats on the species and related declines. We urge you to write about this timely subject. We have available a number of local spokespeople— including ranchers and sportsmen— and sage-grouse experts. There are a number of fact sheets about the greater sage-grouse and print-quality photographs available. Visit Center for Native Ecosystems for factsheets, photographs, and more. For more information, please contact: Erin Robertson, Senior Biologist, Center for Native Ecosystems, 303-546-0214, erin@nativeecosystems.org |
||||||||||
