Feds Say Endangered Listing for Sage Grouse Is ‘Not Warranted’

America’s ranching communities support the announcement by officials at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that listing the greater sage grouse as an endangered species is “not warranted.”  NCBA and the Public Lands Council say conservation efforts offer a more scientifically-viable means for species protection than federal listing. “In recent years, the livestock ranching community has joined forces with wildlife officials at the federal, state and local levels to put in place conservation efforts to better protect the bird,” says Jeff Eisenberg, executive director of the Public Lands Council and NCBA director of federal lands. “This decision by FWS biologists is a clear indication that these efforts are working.”

 The decision to recommend the bird not be listed under the federal Endangered Species Act was announced Dec. 3 at the Western Governors Association meeting in San Diego.  Sage grouse habitat often exists on Western rangelands where ranchers graze livestock.  If the bird is listed, ranchers face increased costs, regulatory delays and land-use restrictions that could impact their operations.

 Oregon cattleman John O’Keeffe says landowners and stakeholders can offer creative solutions to species protection, if given the chance.  Public Lands Council and NCBA member-producers, for example, have identified grazing practices that are compatible with sage grouse habitat, and are working to educate others on these findings. O’Keeffe serves as chair of NCBA’s Federal Lands Committee and chairs the Public Lands Council’s Sage Grouse Working Group. 

 In addition to conservation efforts on the ground, NCBA and the Public Lands Council were successful in getting Congress to authorize $5 million in funding within the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program for conservation of sage grouse habitat. 

 “Ranchers and farmers work on the land every day and we have a stake in environmental and species protection,” says O’Keeffe.  “We are working in partnership with government and conservation groups to protect the sage grouse and we’ve proven there are viable alternatives to listing.