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The Biden administration has kicked off a process to reevaluate habitat protections for the greater sage grouse in response to a steady, decades-long decline in the bird's population, which is commonly seen as an indicator of the sagebrush ecosystem's overall health.
Today marks the beginning of a 75-day public comment period for the evaluation, which could amend land management plans for 67 million acres across 10 Western states. The Bureau of Land Management announced its plan to reconsider protections for the bird earlier this fall.
Millions of sage grouse once lived across the West, but the bird's numbers have dropped 65% since 1986 and 37% since 2002, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Obama administration increased protections for sage grouse in 2015, but the Trump administration scaled them back, opening almost 10 million acres of protected habitat to oil and gas drilling and cattle grazing. The bird is also threatened by climate change, persistent drought, wildfires, and the spread of invasive plant species.
Bureau of Land Management Deputy Director Nada Culver said “everything’s on the table” as the agency launches its evaluation of sage grouse habitat. Biologists say wide buffers from drilling and other activities are needed to protect sage grouse breeding areas. The review will also look at environmental stressors affecting the bird's populations, like climate change.
“From changes to the buffers, to how we manage energy development, to how we manage every other activity ... we are evaluating it and we are looking for input on what are the most important things to look at,” Culver said.
Behind the scenes of our new series
The Center for Western Priorities launched a new multimedia series last week telling the stories of people around the U.S. working to protect important natural landscapes that contribute to the goal of protecting 30% of the country's land and waters by 2030. It's called the Road to 30: Postcards and it features podcasts, interactive maps, blogs and films.
Go behind the scenes with CWP's Lauren Bogard and Kate Groetzinger in a new episode of The Landscape. They share what it was like visiting five of the West's most iconic landscapes and meeting people who are doing the groundwork to ensure these places are maintained for future generations.
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