BLM looks to Audubon to map sage grouse habitat

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is looking to the Audubon Society to map sage grouse habitat across the 11 states where the bird is found. Sage grouse have been losing their sagebrush habitat for decades and now face possible listing under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to announce a listing decision next week. BLM officials expect to award a contract for mapping sage grouse habitat to the Audubon Society, saying Audubon already works with the state agencies that compile habitat data. Existing maps show the chicken-sized bird inhabiting large portions of Wyoming, Nevada, Montana, Oregon and Idaho, and smaller areas in Colorado, Utah, California, Washington and the Dakotas...read more