Jewell Surveys Idaho Sage Grouse Conservation Efforts

With less than a year to go before the feds decide whether to list sage grouse as an endangered species, U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell visited the bird’s habitat Tuesday to learn about conservation and fire prevention efforts. Jewell was given a tour by state and federal land managers, area landowners, U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo and representatives of other state and federal politicians. Bureau of Land Management staff gave presentations using many maps, showing how wildfires are becoming more frequent and bigger, destroying the grouse’s sagebrush habitat. Southern Idaho and northern Nevada are “kind of the poster child for what’s going on,” said Brandon Brown, BLM supervisory fire management specialist. Brown spoke as the group stood on China Mountain, overlooking the site of the 2007 Murphy Complex Fire, which scorched 650,000 acres along the Idaho-Nevada border. Many in the West worry about the ensuing restrictions on land use if the sage grouse is listed. “All depends on the strictures that come with the listing,” said Jared Brackett, head of the Idaho Cattle Association, when asked how it could affect cattle ranchers. Brackett comes from a prominent area ranching family and has had a grazing permit at nearby Antelope Springs for about 25 years. If the grouse is listed as endangered, he said, grazing on public land would be more restricted, and his operation would have to graze more cattle on private land — meaning replacing sagebrush with grass. Although the grouse’s problems have been identified and solutions are being implemented, “I worry that the sage grouse listing will be a political issue and not a species issue,” Brackett said...more

Sorry Mr. Brackett, the decision will be political because the whole process is political.  The ESA was passed by a body of politicians, signed into law by a politician, individuals collecting or analyzing the data report to politicians and the authority to sign off on a decision is held by a politician.