The Bureau of Land Management has released a proposal that it says will strengthen protections for the greater sage grouse, a chicken-like bird renowned for its elabor mating rituals. It’s been met with criticism from environmentalists and conservatives alike, as well as cautious optimism.
In roughly the last two decades, sage grouse populations have declined by over 40%, according to the BLM’s executive summary of the plan.
“The U.S. Geological Survey analyzed state-collected lek data and reported estimated rangewide population declines of nearly 80% from 1966-2021 and of 41% from 2002-2021,” it detailed. “While some GRSG populations are stable to increasing, over 87% of areas throughout the range had declining populations since 2002.”
The agency said in a release that the plan will better protect the bird’s habitat in 10 Western states, where “populations have continued to decline, largely due to habitat loss exacerbated by climate impacts such as drought, increasingly intense wildfires, and invasive species. Conserving sagebrush habitat benefits more than 350 other wildlife species and supports the livelihoods and traditions of Western communities.”
“Guided by the best available science, we are committed to the continued balance in our multi-use mandate for America’s public lands,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in the same release. “For too long, a false choice has been presented for land management that aims to pit development against conservation. This administration’s collaborative work has demonstrated that we can do both successfully.”
But without more aggressive action, some environmentalist groups said the “weak plan” would do little to reverse declines.
“I would expect that the level of protection that the sage grouse are getting under these new plan amendments is minimal and would not … slow the declines that we're currently seeing toward extinction,” said Erik Molva, head of the Western Watersheds Project, which has been involved in sage grouse conservation for years.
He said he wants the Biden administration to “scrap this plan and start over,” and halt activities like oil and gas drilling or solar development near critical habitat.
Several other environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, also blasted the plan. Others, like the Nature Conservancy, expressed “cautious optimism.”
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, said the plan “altogether ignores Wyoming’s leadership, experience, and knowledge with regard to management.”
He said his state is a “stronghold” for the bird, and that Wyoming has shown “how to successfully manage this bird and do so in a way that allows for protection of core habitat alongside responsible development.”
“Wyoming has been and remains committed to the long-term well-being and management of greater sage-grouse,” he concluded.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
