Lawmakers, governor hail feds’ sage grouse non-listing

Oregon’s governor and members of the congressional delegation hailed Tuesday’s decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service not to list the greater sage grouse for protection under the Endangered Species Act, while environmentalists voiced a mix of reactions.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said, “Today’s news is a victory for conservation and a huge relief for so many of our rural Oregon communities,”

“A sage grouse listing could have been devastating for many Oregon ranchers, and for the economic vitality of Eastern Oregon,” Merkley added. “I applaud everyone who worked together and engaged in this unprecedented collaborative effort so that we could protect our local economies and our natural heritage at the same time.”

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Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., issued the following statement on the Department of the Interior’s decision not to list the sage grouse as an endangered species:

“Farmers and ranchers in eastern Oregon have been working hard to avoid a listing of the sage grouse, a move that would severely impact jobs in rural communities throughout the west. I’m glad that the Administration recognized these efforts and decided not to move forward with a listing. This will give communities in Oregon time to implement locally driven conservation efforts without the federal government’s heavy hand getting in the way.

“While this is a positive step, obstacles remain. At town halls in Eastern Oregon last week, I heard strong concerns with the Bureau of Land Management’s sage grouse plans. The BLM must be flexible and continue working with the local communities to ensure these plans work for the people who live there.”

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Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement following the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the sage grouse will not be listed under the Endangered Species Act:

“I am thrilled by today’s announcement that the greater sage grouse does not require protection under the Endangered Species Act,” Wyden said. “I applaud the efforts of ranchers, conservationists, governors and others who have come to the table, signed agreements and worked hard on the ground to fight for rural Oregon jobs and communities. This victory just goes to show how collaboration between private stakeholders and local, state and federal leaders can lead to balanced, sustainable solutions for the management of wildlife and our public lands.”

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Governor Brown: “Sage-Grouse Decision a Big Win for Oregon”

(Salem, OR) — This morning the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that sage-grouse will not be listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Oregon has been highlighted as one of the key states that led the way to this federal finding.

“This is truly a historic effort – one that represents extraordinary collaboration acrossOregonand the American West,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “The leadership of OregonGovernor Brown has been an important part of the epic collaboration and helps to demonstrate that the Endangered Species Act can be a vital catalyst for conservation – ensuring that future generations can enjoy the diversity of wildlife that we do today .This historiclandscapelevel conservation effort will benefit Westerners and hundreds ofspecies that call this iconic landscape home, while giving states, businesses and communities the certainty they need to plan for sustainable economic development.”

“Oregonians have reason to be very proud of the work done by partners supporting healthy Oregon ecosystems, rural communities, and economies,” said Governor Brown. “The work of the SageCon partnership and our action plan helps our wildlife and its habitat while also addressing threats to the vitality of our farms and ranches, outdoor recreation, energy development, and other sectors.”

Land use, economic development, and wildlife management are normally governed by state and local laws. An ESA listing would have imposed new federal jurisdiction, process, and liabilities in those areas. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s finding that a listing is “not warranted” supports the ability of the state to manage its own future, based on partnerships and factors within Oregon’s own borders.

Specific actions the state took include:

Oregonians worked together through the Sage-Grouse Conservation Partnership ( SageCon ), which resulted in a prioritized conservation strategies contained in a state action plan and backed by an executive order, as well as new rules that ensure future land use and economic development is consistent with conservation of sage-grouse.
The Oregon Legislature and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board significantly expanded resources to address: wildfire risk, invasive species, and jobs connected with habitat restoration work.
Rural communities adopted new measures that advance conservation and protection of rangeland health through Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances as well as enhanced Rangeland Fire Protection Association capacity.

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The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association offered this reaction to the decision:

“This is truly a historic day in the history of the American West cattle business,” said Oregon Cattlemen’s Executive Director Jerome Rosa. “Through collaborative efforts by ranchers, energy companies and conservationist reducing the decline of the sage grouse habitat in 11 Western states, the need for a listing was not needed.”

Ranchers have been working hard for several years to prevent a listing, including partnering with other groups to booster sage grouse habitat. Rancher’s Tom Sharp and John O’Keeffe have led many of the efforts on behalf of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association.

Sharp sees the decision as a product of hard work. “The on the ground efforts that were led in the state of Oregon by Oregon Cattlemen’s Association for the Candidate Conservation Agreements (affecting public lands) and by the eight Oregon counties, that have sage grouse habitats, for the Candidate Conservation Agreement Assurances (affecting private lands), have achieved many acres of sage grouse protection,” he said.

President Elect for the OCA, John O’Keeffe, is satisfied with Fish and Wildlife’s verdict. “It’s totally appropriate,” he said. “The Fish and Wildlife Services recognizes the value that ranchers bring to sage grouse conservation and the importance of keeping ranchers on the landscape.”

While the decision not to delist is seen as a huge victory to Oregon ranchers, O’Keeffe said the process to keep bettering the sage grouse environment is not over. “It (FWS’s verdict) points to the success of the hard work that has gone into this effort and it is important to view this as a milestone and not a finish line.”

Rosa said he wants to thank not only Sharp and O’Keeffe for their valiant efforts, but other key players as well. “Oregon Cattlemen’s Association would like to thank Governor Kate Brown and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell for their support,” he said.

At the end of the day, Sharp believes all parties involved should be excited that the bird has not been delisted because it means conservation efforts are working. “This is a three way win. It’s a win for the sage grouse. It’s a win for the farmers and ranchers. It’s a win for the conservation groups.”

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Meanwhile, a senior congressional Democrat says Republican criticism of the decision not to give federal protections to the greater sage grouse lacks credibility.

U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona says House Republicans attack President Barack Obama when his administration lists a species as endangered and attack him when it decides against a listing, comparing the rhetoric to a game of “Mad Libs.”

The Interior Department said Tuesday that the bird doesn’t need to be listed as threatened or endangered across its 11-state Western range.

Grijalva is the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Natural Resources. The panel’s chairman, Republican Rob Bishop of Utah, says the announcement is intended to mask the fact that the Obama administration has imposed limits on development across the West.

Wildlife advocates have mixed reactions to the rejection of federal protections for greater sage grouse.

Groups including the Environmental Defense Fund and the National Audubon Society said Tuesday’s announcement shows cooperation between government and private interest groups can preserve imperiled species.

But critics say loopholes in dozens of government land-use plans intended to preserve the bird’s shrinking habitat would allow too much development.

Erik Molvar with WildEarth Guardians says federal officials were missing a chance to save the bird. He called it an “epic conservation failure.”

Molvar’s group challenged the government’s failure to act on sage grouse in 2010 as its population declined. That resulted in a settlement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that forced Tuesday’s decision on the bird’s legal status.

The head of the House Committee on Natural Resources calls the decision not to seek federal protections for the greater sage grouse a cynical ploy.

Republican Rob Bishop of Utah says the announcement is intended to mask the fact that the Obama administration has imposed limits on development across the West.

He’s referring to changes in government policies guiding lands controlled by the U.S. Forest Service and Interior’s Bureau of Land Management.

The Independent Petroleum Association, meanwhile, says the land use plans will hurt the country’s smaller oil and natural gas producers, which operate about 95 percent of its wells.

An aide to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell says recent policy changes provide protections for the greater sage grouse on 67 million acres of federal lands. That includes 12 million acres where strict limits on oil and gas drilling will be enforced.

Sarah Greenberger says efforts made by the federal and state governments in recent years produced the largest land conservation effort in U.S. history.

The Obama administration says it has struck a balance to save the imperiled ground-dwelling birds from extinction without crippling the West’s economy.