USFWS wants tighter grouse controls in Colorado

The Bureau of Land Management may tighten its proposed human disturbance cap in priority greater sage-grouse habitat from 5 percent to 3 percent in northwest Colorado. The move would align the agency’s plans with a national technical team’s recommendation, but it comes after Gov. John Hickenlooper questioned the use of any cap, calling the approach untested. “I don’t even disagree with that, but I think I need that to proceed,” Jim Cagney, the BLM’s manager for northwest Colorado, told the agency’s Resource Advisory Council for that region Thursday. Cagney also said it appears the agency’s management plan for the sage-grouse in northwest Colorado won’t be done until February rather than September. It is trying to get the plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as that agency works to decide by a court deadline of September 2015 whether to list the bird for protection under the Endangered Species Act — which the BLM hopes to prevent the need for through its land management efforts. The final northwest Colorado plan is expected this summer but is subject to a protest period. The BLM’s preferred draft alternative proposed a 5 percent cap on man-caused disturbances on sites supporting sagebrush in priority sage-grouse habitat in each management zone. Hickenlooper raised his concern after worries arose among oil and gas interests, area counties and others about the possible impacts of proposed measures to protect the bird. But the Fish and Wildlife Service contends the 5 percent cap would be insufficient and could lead to population declines. Cagney said his renewed consideration of the 3 percent cap is based on what grouse biologists are saying...more

We know what the USFWS biologists are saying, but what do BLM's biologists say?  Did they agree with the 5 percent cap in the preferred alternative?  Probably, but in the long run its what the USFWS biologists say, as they are the ones who do the listing.