Meet the New Poster Bird: The Greater Sage Grouse
Last week, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it is initiating its formal status review of the greater sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act. The Center for Biological Diversity estimates that only a few hundred thousand birds survive, compared with its peak population of 16 million. The grouse depends on sagebrush to survive, which grows in areas that are perfect for oil and natural gas drilling, across 165 million acres across 11 states in the West. Energy companies are concerned that listing the grouse as "endangered" would hurt drilling opportunities and cost jobs.
From our Hill Sources: According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, it "supports efforts to keep the greater sage-grouse off the endangered species list by protecting its habitat to increase sage-grouse numbers." Already, among Hill staffers, the grouse is quickly being considered "the new spotted owl" — a reference to the controversy surrounding whether to list the Northern spotted owl, whose habitat overlapped with the Pacific Northwest's logging industry in the 1990s.
Members of Congress have introduced several bills related to the greater sage grouse. Weigh in:
- HR 4716
Sage Grouse Protection and Conservation Act
(And S 2394 in the Senate.) "Would prevent the Sage grouse from being listed under the Endangered Species Act for 10 years, and instead requires states to develop conservation management plans to meet the unique needs of the Sage grouse in each state," according to bill sponsors. "The Sage Grouse Protection and Conservation Act encourages states to work with the Departments of Interior and Agriculture throughout the species management process to ensure that all concerns about the recovery of the Sage grouse are met."
- HR 4419
Sage-Grouse and Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Act
Would prevent sage grouse endangered species listing. "Would require the federal government to fund its fair share of conservation work before listing a species. As a funding mechanism, the bill would utilize the federal government’s own vast inventory of lands, providing for the competitive, market-rate sale of small parcels — 160 acres or less — to pay for conservation measures.The funds would be distributed to federal/state councils in states with 33 percent federal land or more. (According to bill sponsors.)
- S 2575
Sage-Grouse Accountability and Private Conservation Act
"Requires the Interior Department to lay its cards on the table by making clear the metrics it will use to make a listing decision about the sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act. It requires a report to be released making all of the information public before a decision is made," according to the bill sponsor.
- S 2768
"Expedites the review process for wildfire prevention projects when risks on public lands pose a threat to critical infrastructure, private land holders, and endangered species habitats," according to bill sponsors. "Expediting the review process will protect local water resources, address a major habitat threat to the greater sage-grouse, and spur grazing and timber related economic development."
- S 1731
Endangered Species Management Self- Determination Act
"Provides state governors with the power to regulate intrastate endangered species and intrastate threatened species," according to bill sponsors. As Sen. Heller explained, "in Nevada, we have been working hard to protect both the sage grouse and our economy, which is why I am working hard with the Governor, the delegation, and Nevadans to prevent a listing for the bird."
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.
