A primer on sage grouse conservation in Wyoming and the West

Sage grouse. A fat bird with riveting plumage that continues to disrupt the West. The birds are both a treasure and a challenge in states like Wyoming, where their declining numbers have brought to light the potential conflicts between vital industries and cherished wildlife in the sagebrush sea. State and federal plans to protect the grouse staved off an endangered species listing in 2015 that would have greatly inhibited development of energy projects from oil and gas to wind. But that strategy may be changed under the Trump Administration. With each news story, the lengthening history of the bird’s conservation in Wyoming is recapped, perhaps losing rich details in the retelling. Here is a primer of sorts, a collection of key points on the sage grouse timeline, interesting facts or discoveries concerning the grouse and some of the most pressing issues in sage grouse management today in Wyoming...more