The greater sage grouse is back on the US western natural resources issues screen. That's probably because it never completely left.
There was considerable celebration in September 2015 when an unprecedented collaboration kept the bird from being listed on the US Fish & Wildlife Service's endangered species list.
Federal regulatory officials, state fish and game departments, county and local governments, the oil and gas and other industries, ranchers, outdoor recreation associations, environmental groups, and other stakeholders all joined in what seemed like a remarkable achievement.
It didn't last long. A few weeks later, the US Bureau of Land Management issued resource management plans that several groups considered unnecessarily strict for portions of the 173 million acres in 11 states that constitute the greater sage grouse's habitat. Legal challenges quickly followed.
That basically was where matters stayed until Oct. 5, when BLM announced it was considering reviewing the regulations and would take comments on the proposal for 45 days following its publication in the Federal Register, which it expected soon.
BLM also canceled its proposed withdrawal of 10 million acres of federal lands from location and entry under the mining law in greater sage grouse habitat because data found it affected less than 0.1% of sage grouse-occupied range in six western states. "The proposal to withdraw 10 million acres to prevent 10,000 from potential mineral development was a complete overreach," said Michael D. Nedd, acting BLM director.
Nedd said the acreage in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming will continue to be managed under existing plans, programs, policies, and regulations. It had been temporarily closed to new mining claims for 2 years while BLM studied whether locatable mineral exploration and mining projects would adversely affect habitat important to the bird. That temporary segregation period expired Sept. 24.
State leaders' responses were mixed. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) said the US Department of the Interior's approach to managing the bird's habitat "continues to fuel uncertainty."
May undermine collaboration
"I'm worried [it is] heading down a path that not only undermines years of bipartisan collaboration between private landowners, conservation groups, industry, and state and federal partners, but also invites new risks of an endangered species act listing," Bullock said. "I join other governors in requesting that Sec. [Ryan] Zinke meet with us to meaningfully consult and chart a more thoughtful path forward."
Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead (R) was more upbeat. "BLM's original proposal put at risk potential future development that could have brought the state millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs," he said. "That proposal was unnecessary because Wyoming already has a system in place that protects sage grouse while allowing for development of these minerals."
