Officials plan major sage grouse announcement for Tuesday

State and U.S. officials are planning a major announcement regarding sage grouse Tuesday, days before federal regulators must decide whether to list the iconic Western bird as endangered. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will be joined by a host of Western governors, including Wyoming’s Matt Mead, at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge near Denver to make the announcement, according to a Department of the Interior news release. The department did not offer details about the announcement or mention the pending decision on whether to list the bird under the Endangered Species Act. A court order requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to decide by Sept. 30 whether to list the greater sage grouse. The listing could have major implications for Wyoming, potentially adding restrictions to energy development, ranching and housing construction. Some in Wyoming expect the announcement will be an approval of Rangeland Management Plans, released for public comment in May, which include detailed protections for sage grouse habitats on public lands across the West. For some, the federal management plans offer a best-bet solution to immediately address the bird's declining numbers and habitat. Bob Budd, chairman of Wyoming’s Sage-Grouse Implementation Team, said that at least in Wyoming, state management is proving effective and a listing is not necessary. “We have literally stopped the bleeding regarding habitat loss,” Budd said. The management plans, though not perfect, are manageable, Budd said. A listing is not, he added...more