Sage Grouse

Last week, the University of Idaho in partnership with the Public Lands Council, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and others, released a 10-year study exploring the impact grazing livestock has on sage grouse populations. That study concluded grazing provided a host of benefits, including:    Increasing the biomass and diversity of insect species for food Reducing the risk of wildfire th

On Friday, the University of Idaho released the finalized results of its 10-year study looking into the impacts of grazing on greater sage grouse populations.  The study concluded that cattle grazing does not negatively impact greater sage grouse and can only benefit the species through building robust habitat, increasing forage, and reducing invasive grasses that lead to catastrophic wildfires.  

Last week, the Bureau of Land Management announced plans to “enhance” greater sage-grouse conservation on public lands in Oregon and Colorado.  The agency said the approved habitat conservation measures will support western communities and benefit more than 350 other wildlife species.  Opponents of the pr...

Some members of the Congressional Western Caucus are not happy with the Administration's proposal to withdraw ten million acres of federal lands via the Endangered Species Act. In a recent letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the lawmakers claim the Administration is using its decision to update the greater sage-grouse land management plans as an excuse to ban development in areas across Ida

On Thursday, the Department of Agriculture proposed changes to how it manages greater sage grouse in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, and Utah.  The changes, according to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, “strive to improve the clarity, efficiency, and implementation of the current sage grouse plans."  The pro...

On Thursday, the Department of Agriculture proposed changes to how it manages greater sage grouse in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, and Utah.  The changes, according to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, “strive to improve the clarity, efficiency, and implementation of the current sage grouse plans."  The pro...

Environmental advocates in Oregon have criticized a state plan to kill more than 1,000 ravens to help save the greater sage grouse.  In 2018, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife applied for permits to kill up to 500 ravens per year over a three-year period to reduce the number preying upon greater sage grouse eggs.  A ...

Conservation groups have asked a federal judge to block the Trump administration from easing restrictions on energy companies that were intended to protect the sage grouse.   Attorneys for Western Watersheds Project, Prairie Hills Audubon Society and two other groups made the request Wednesday in U.S. D...

Federal officials have dropped plans to conduct a five-year status review of the Greater Sage Grouse.  In 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the greater sage grouse was not a threatened or endangered species but pledged to revisit the issue in five years.  US...

A new, 19-page report by the U.S. Forest Service indicates sage grouse have a vast network of mating grounds across the western U.S.  One researcher compared it to interconnected regional airport hubs.  This, the report said, helps the sage grouse maintain genetic diversity across its entire range.  A DNA s...