FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Federal Biologists Decide Greater Sage-Grouse Need More Protection

Greater Sage-Grouse, www.kevinsmithnaturephotos.com

In a move applauded by the Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) and other conservation groups as “a good first step,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the Greater sage-grouse and the vast expanses of sagebrush it relies upon need further protections to avoid extinction. Although the agency determined that the immediate listing as “threatened” or "endangered" is precluded by budgetary constraints, it confirmed that the iconic desert bird is in serious trouble.

Brent Fenty the Executive Director of the Bend, Oregon based group says the announcement today calls on the State of Oregon to “make sure common-sense solutions are made to protect this and other sensitive species in the sagebrush-rich high desert in eastern Oregon.”

Salazar’s much anticipated announcement is good news for many in the West. Although the classification does not grant the species from a formal Endangered Species Act listing, it does recognize serious Greater sage-grouse declines and will allow for federal funds to help Western states, like Oregon to preserve the sagebrush habitat important to the bird and approximately 350 other species.

“The sage-grouse is just one indicator that the Western landscape is in trouble and we need to work toward practical and effective solutions so that future generations can enjoy Oregon’s wild places with the wildlife that define them,” Fenty added. “We hope that protecting the Greater sage-grouse and conserving other sensitive species in Oregon’s High Desert will become a top priority for the State of Oregon and federal land managers.”

The Service's decision now places a new responsibility on states and federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management. The states agencies must now ensure that actions they authorize, such as livestock grazing or construction of energy projects, are done in a way that will protect sage-grouse. ONDA’s Climate Change Coordinator, Liz Nysson says, “This decision will help the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Energy, and the Bureau of Land Management facilitate renewable energy development that is responsible and ensures the protection of the Greater sage-grouse and the habitat it relies on.”

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