Hickenlooper: 'Very close' to avoiding sage-grouse listing

The debate over the greater sage-grouse is gaining intensity as a May 29 deadline looms for a federal agency to complete plans for the bird, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said Tuesday. “We’re not playing chicken, but we are pushing back against each other pretty hard,” Hickenlooper told the members of the Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado about discussions with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado. Eleven states stand to be affected by a listing of the bird as threatened or endangered. The Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado was one of the first Colorado organizations to criticize the potential listing of the bird, saying that a listing would endanger the region’s energy economy. If the bird is listed, “All of Moffat County is out of business,” Moffat County Commissioner Chuck Grobe told Hickenlooper. The Interior Department has said it wants to reach the point that the Fish and Wildlife Service can find that no listing is warranted. Much of that decision lies with the way the BLM manages its lands and both agencies report to Jewell. “We are very, very close to avoiding a listing altogether,” Hickenlooper said, noting that he spoke to Jewell 10 days ago. Finding that the bird should not be listed is Jewell’s goal, Hickenlooper said. “I believe her. I don’t think she’s posturing.” Hickenlooper supported the filing of a suit against the agency when it listed the Gunnison sage-grouse as threatened, but declined to say whether he would do the same if the greater sage-grouse is listed...more

You can just imagine the horse trading, maneuvering and attempted bribery going on behind the scenes.  To list the bird would be political suicide for the Democrats and probably lead to a Congressional delisting or even changes to the ESA itself.  The enviros want neither of those to happen.  They will, however, use the threat of a listing to get all they can get.  The more serious envirocrats inside the administration will also be working for a program that will survive a legal challenge.  

All of this will, of course, be based on "science".