"The number of Grouse which flew over the camp reminded me of the old-time flights of Passenger Pigeons that I used to see when I was a boy. Before long, the narrow valley where the water was… a moving mass of gray. I have no means whatever of estimating the number of birds which I saw, but there must have been thousands of them."

- An early explorer describing the clouds of Greater Sage-Grouse once filling Western landscapes.

The Sage-Grouse is an iconic Western bird that also happens to have one of the most fascinating mating displays in the natural world. Thousands of people every year try to witness this unusual display, including at several public viewing sites in Colorado.

» Narrated Video Greater Sage-Grouse strut in Wyoming
» Video of Greater Sage-Grouse Strut at the Lek Near Walden, Colorado
» Video of Greater Sage-Grouse Strut at the Lek, Idaho

Colorado has 1.1 million people who classify themselves as wild bird watchers, with 61% of them being trip- takers." Wildlife watchers spent a total of $624 million dollars on expenditures specific to viewing, with 67% of that relating to the viewing trip.

The Greater-Sage-Grouse is an iconic Western bird photo © CNE

More difficult to quantify is the value of the sagebrush ecosystem to our state. This ecosystem supports at least 350 other wildlife species, including pronghorn, mule deer, and elk, which bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the state every year and millions of dollars in state revenue. In Moffat County, wildlife-related tourism brings $30 million to local residents every year.

The sage-grouse habitat in northwest Colorado is shared with some of the states largest and most prized big game herds. Moffat County is home to the longest elk migration route as well as the most sought-after elk tags in the state, and how we preserve sage-grouse habitat in this corner of Colorado will affect the size and quality of the elk, mule deer, and pronghorn herds that also rely on this landscape.

This ecosystem supports at least 350 other wildlife species, 10 including pronghorn, mule deer, and elk, which bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the state every year and millions of dollars in state revenue. In Moffat County, wildlife-related tourism brings $30 million to local residents every year.

We must get sage-grouse conservation right if we wish to preserve our other outstanding natural resources in sagebrush country and the benefits our state receives from them.

Threats faced by Sage-Grouse
Over the past decade, oil and gas development has boomed across the west. Recent studies have confirmed that oil and gas drilling activities are disturbing Sage-Grouse breeding and nesting sites and leading to population declines in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and other Western states.

Additional threats include destruction of sagebrush habitat due to sprawl, agricultural conversion, and wildfire. Almost half of the area identified as potential sagebrush habitat in 1970 is not occupied by sagebrush now. Biologists see the plight of the Sage-Grouse as a warning that balance needs to be restored to sagebrush landscapes across the West.

Preserving Sage-Grouse
In late 2009, BLM released new guidelines for protecting Sage-Grouse from oil and gas impacts in Montana and Wyoming. These guidelines, while more stringent than the prior management scheme, contain numerous loopholes that undermine their effectiveness at preventing the need to protect the Sage-Grouse under the Endangered Species Act.
 
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 documents significant sage-grouse population declines across the species’ range.

Regardless of particular opinions about the efficacy of Endangered Species Act protection versus other ways to conserve sage-grouse, a wide cross-section of Westerners and decision makers, from rural landowners and local conservationists to federal land managers and elected officials, agree that the West needs an effective plan for conserving sage-grouse in place in order to preserve a vital piece of our natural heritage and an important fiber in the very fabric of our Western landscape.

Partner Organizations have been working on Greater Sage-Grouse for many years
To read more about their efforts visit:
Center for Native Ecosystems
Biodiversity Conservation Alliance