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Biden administration proposes protections for US West sage-grouse, to divided response from conservationists

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Thursday, March 14, 2024

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a proposal on Thursday to prioritize the conservation of greater sage-grouse on public lands — aiming to reverse habitat loss for an iconic bird of the U.S. West and restore the health of surrounding ecosystems. The proposal, a draft environmental impact statement, analyzes several alternatives for managing the greater sage-grouse habitat on BLM-administered public lands in 10 Western states: California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Greater sage-grouse, known for their unique spiked plumage and chunky, round bodies, have long been suffering from habitat loss due in part to the effects of climate change, including drought conditions, more frequent wildfires and invasive species, according to the BLM. These birds — which once numbered in the millions but have now plunged to fewer than 800,000 — rely on a Mountain West shrub called sagebrush and may require up to 40 square miles of intact landscape to stay healthy, the agency explained. “The majesty of the West and its way of life are at stake," BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning, said in a statement. "Sagebrush lands are places where people work and play, and they are the headwaters for the West’s major rivers.” Protecting sagebrush, a critical source of food and habitat, is therefore essential not only for the birds, but also for other species, including mule deer, pronghorns and pygmy rabbits, the BLM noted. The BLM in total managed the biggest single share of sage-grouse habitat in the U.S., encompassing almost 67 million acres of a 145-million-acre total. The six alternatives within the draft environmental impact statement build upon plans that the BLM adopted in 2015 and revised in 2019, while incorporating updated science and adjusting for changing climate conditions. In drafting these options, the BLM considered about 1,900 comments during an initial public scoping period, as well as information shared by federal, state, local and tribal entities. The BLM's preferred plan of action, also known as the fifth alternative, focuses on balancing greater sage-grouse conservation with public land use. This alternative lies between the most restrictive protection plan and the option that has the loosest limits on energy and mineral development. The preferred alternative would keep new fluid mineral leasing open, with very few no-surface-occupancy stipulations in so-called “Priority Habitat Management Areas.” New mining of saleable materials, which include construction resources like sand, gravel, dirt and rock, would be closed in most priority habitat areas, aside from the expansion of existing pits. For wind and solar development and major rights-of-way projects, this alternative would have "less direct avoidance and provides more opportunities for considering compensatory mitigation” — the creation of habitat elsewhere to offset adverse impacts. The other five alternatives included in the draft provide a range of options when it comes to allowance of mineral leases, oil and gas leasing, wind and solar facility development, livestock grazing and wild horse and burro herd management. The most restrictive option, the third alternative, would grant the most stringent protections to greater sage-grouse. The BLM would shutter their habitats to new mineral leasing and livestock grazing, while eliminating overlapping wild horse and burro management zones. While acknowledging that this option would provide the strongest defense for sage-grouse, the BLM analysis stressed that it would also result in "making public lands unavailable to grazing" and require increased fencing to separate federal and nonfederal properties. Such measures, the analysis argued, could result "in possible habitat fragmentation, increased collision risks, increased opportunities for [greater sage-grouse] predators." A reduction in grazing, meanwhile, could result in a buildup of fine fuels and increase wildfire risk, the document added. In response to the BLM's publication of the draft environmental impact statement, certain conservation and sportsmen's groups praised what they deemed "a renewed commitment to safeguarding the intricate web of life supported by the sagebrush ecosystem." “For those of us that live in the West, we realize how important it is to take this bird’s steep decline seriously," Alison Holloran, executive director of Audubon Rockies, said in a statement. "We need to make some meaningful changes and double-down on working together to conserve the bird and ensure a future for the West.” Bobby McEnaney, director of nature for Natural Resources Defense Council, characterized the greater sage-grouse as "a bellwether for the entire Mountain West ecosystem." "These urgently needed protections will go a long way toward heading off the extinction of this iconic species," McEnaney said. "There’s more to do, but this is an important step toward protecting the sage grouse and the resources it relies upon.” Kaden McArthur, government relations manager for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, emphasized the need for healthy sagebrush ecosystems for the survival of "other species that rely on that core habitat such as pronghorn and mule deer." But representatives of other conservation groups slammed the BLM for its preferred alternative selection, noting that other options favored millions more acres of protective designation. “The proposed areas of critical environmental concern offer hope that some habitat will be protected, but what is proposed is far too small to recover the sage grouse," Steve Holmer, of the American Bird Conservancy, said in a statement. Randi Spivak, public lands policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity, stressed that the BLM’s preferred option "will fail these iconic birds once again and keep them on an extinction trajectory." "This does virtually nothing to strengthen protections, ensuring the grouse will continue their downward spiral," Spivak added.

The proposal, a draft environmental impact statement, analyzes several alternatives for managing the greater sage-grouse habitat on BLM-administered public lands in 10 Western states: California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

Greater sage-grouse, known for their unique spiked plumage and chunky, round bodies, have long been suffering from habitat loss due in part to the effects of climate change, including drought conditions, more frequent wildfires and invasive species, according to the BLM.

These birds — which once numbered in the millions but have now plunged to fewer than 800,000 — rely on a Mountain West shrub called sagebrush and may require up to 40 square miles of intact landscape to stay healthy, the agency explained.

“The majesty of the West and its way of life are at stake," BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning, said in a statement. "Sagebrush lands are places where people work and play, and they are the headwaters for the West’s major rivers.”

Protecting sagebrush, a critical source of food and habitat, is therefore essential not only for the birds, but also for other species, including mule deer, pronghorns and pygmy rabbits, the BLM noted.

The BLM in total managed the biggest single share of sage-grouse habitat in the U.S., encompassing almost 67 million acres of a 145-million-acre total.

The six alternatives within the draft environmental impact statement build upon plans that the BLM adopted in 2015 and revised in 2019, while incorporating updated science and adjusting for changing climate conditions.

In drafting these options, the BLM considered about 1,900 comments during an initial public scoping period, as well as information shared by federal, state, local and tribal entities.

The BLM's preferred plan of action, also known as the fifth alternative, focuses on balancing greater sage-grouse conservation with public land use. This alternative lies between the most restrictive protection plan and the option that has the loosest limits on energy and mineral development.

The preferred alternative would keep new fluid mineral leasing open, with very few no-surface-occupancy stipulations in so-called “Priority Habitat Management Areas.” New mining of saleable materials, which include construction resources like sand, gravel, dirt and rock, would be closed in most priority habitat areas, aside from the expansion of existing pits.

For wind and solar development and major rights-of-way projects, this alternative would have "less direct avoidance and provides more opportunities for considering compensatory mitigation” — the creation of habitat elsewhere to offset adverse impacts.

The other five alternatives included in the draft provide a range of options when it comes to allowance of mineral leases, oil and gas leasing, wind and solar facility development, livestock grazing and wild horse and burro herd management.

The most restrictive option, the third alternative, would grant the most stringent protections to greater sage-grouse. The BLM would shutter their habitats to new mineral leasing and livestock grazing, while eliminating overlapping wild horse and burro management zones.

While acknowledging that this option would provide the strongest defense for sage-grouse, the BLM analysis stressed that it would also result in "making public lands unavailable to grazing" and require increased fencing to separate federal and nonfederal properties.

Such measures, the analysis argued, could result "in possible habitat fragmentation, increased collision risks, increased opportunities for [greater sage-grouse] predators." A reduction in grazing, meanwhile, could result in a buildup of fine fuels and increase wildfire risk, the document added.

In response to the BLM's publication of the draft environmental impact statement, certain conservation and sportsmen's groups praised what they deemed "a renewed commitment to safeguarding the intricate web of life supported by the sagebrush ecosystem."

“For those of us that live in the West, we realize how important it is to take this bird’s steep decline seriously," Alison Holloran, executive director of Audubon Rockies, said in a statement. "We need to make some meaningful changes and double-down on working together to conserve the bird and ensure a future for the West.”

Bobby McEnaney, director of nature for Natural Resources Defense Council, characterized the greater sage-grouse as "a bellwether for the entire Mountain West ecosystem."

"These urgently needed protections will go a long way toward heading off the extinction of this iconic species," McEnaney said. "There’s more to do, but this is an important step toward protecting the sage grouse and the resources it relies upon.”

Kaden McArthur, government relations manager for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, emphasized the need for healthy sagebrush ecosystems for the survival of "other species that rely on that core habitat such as pronghorn and mule deer."

But representatives of other conservation groups slammed the BLM for its preferred alternative selection, noting that other options favored millions more acres of protective designation.

“The proposed areas of critical environmental concern offer hope that some habitat will be protected, but what is proposed is far too small to recover the sage grouse," Steve Holmer, of the American Bird Conservancy, said in a statement.

Randi Spivak, public lands policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity, stressed that the BLM’s preferred option "will fail these iconic birds once again and keep them on an extinction trajectory."

"This does virtually nothing to strengthen protections, ensuring the grouse will continue their downward spiral," Spivak added.

Read the full story here.

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He has a podcast about whooping cranes, too, and just finished shooting a documentary. He calls himself a proud member of the growing “craniac community.” “The heart of keeping anything on the Earth ... has to do with making it personal to you, and cranes are just a great doorway in,” said Forsberg, a faculty member at the University of Nebraska. His 2024 book, “Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with Whooping Cranes” posed the question of whether these birds can survive a 21st century world. “Of course they can,” he said. “They’re resilient. But it’s up to us. And these habitats that are being protected now by the (International) Crane Foundation and by folks who just manage their land with a certain ethos ... that’s critical.”Pineda reported from Los Angeles.The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environmentCopyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See – December 2025

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Ser Manguezal, created by Eliseu Cavalcante, was inspired by Josué de Castro's book "Of Men and Crabs" from 1967. De Castro was a Brazilian geographer, physician, writer and activist against world hunger. In his book, Castro envisions men as crabs, learning to walk in the mangroves. This relationship between them seems to unify and blend all together making the human being part of that specific biome. This film is part of an ongoing project that examines those who depend on the mangrove ecosystem to survive, and the delicate relationship between humans and this particular ecosystem. It seeks to recognize the hard-working crab hunters of the mangroves and make their work more visible, and to bring awareness about the importance of mangroves to the environment. Worldwide, 3,400 square kilometers (1,300 square miles) of mangrove forests were lost between 2000 and 2016, or about 2% of the global mangrove area (NASA). About 62% of the losses were due to direct human causes such as agriculture and aquaculture. Mangrove degradation is greater than the average for tropical and subtropical forest loss.

Water

Conservation

Plants

Nature Nut: Wet N' Wild

Follow Dr. Bohlen and Amanda Lindsey from the UCF Arboretum in episode 2 of Nature Nut! They follow the water from campus storm drains, into the Natural Lands, where it filters and flows through Arboretum wetlands before joining the surrounding Central Florida rivers.

Conservation

Student

Documentary

Between Clouds and Glass

A look at the monumental problem of bird collisions in Chicago, the deadliest city for birds, just ahead of Houston and Dallas. According to scientists, what happens in Chicago can affect bird populations across North America. As many as one billion birds die each year in the United States due to building collisions, but there are people who care and work hard to change this.

Family

Conservation

Activism

Earthfile - Elephant Protection

How many elephants are there across Nigeria? Some Nigerian conservationists estimate that there are only 300, others believe the number is less than that. In recent years there have been many reports of hunters killing elephants across the country. A combination of climate change (which has reduced amounts of fresh water the elephants need), poaching, human-elephant conflict and deforestation is a major challenge. ‘Elephant Protection’ is a 30minute documentary featured on ‘Earthfile’- Channels Television’s environment and Development Programme. It focuses on the current problem climate change has caused for the elephants, in terms of habitat loss and the cause of the human-elephant conflicts in Nigeria. It also looks at the efforts of conservationists (trained professionals and those without formal education) in the protection of the elephant population. It talks about their successes and failure, and how humans can live in harmony with the elephants. For this story, Omo Forest, Ogun state, Southwest Nigeria and Yankari games reserve in Bauchi state in Nigeria's NorthEast were visited.

Animals

Conservation

Documentary

Silent Forests

Loss of more than half the central African forest elephant population to poaching in the last decade has led to a concerted effort to save those that remain. These efforts are explored through one of Cameroon’s first female eco-guards, a grassroots wildlife law enforcement group, a Congolese biologist studying elephant behavior, a reformed elephant poacher, and anti-poaching sniffer dogs led by a Czech conservationist, all fighting corruption despite a lack of funding that threatens to derail their work to save the elephants.

Animals

Conservation

Documentary

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Cookies help us run our site more efficiently.

Biden administration proposes protections for US West sage-grouse, to divided response from conservationists

Related News

‘Unashamedly capitalist’ rewilders claim ‘Moneyball’ approach could make millions - but experts sceptical

2025 is ‘year of the octopus’ as record numbers spotted off England’s south coast

Costa Rica Biologists Identify New Insect Species in Museum Collections

Along the Texas Coast, a New Sanctuary Aims to Protect the Endangered and Rare Whooping Crane

America's data center growth hot spots, mapped

Suggested Viewing

Ser Manguezal

Nature Nut: Wet N' Wild

Between Clouds and Glass

Earthfile - Elephant Protection

Silent Forests

Join us to forgea sustainable future

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Join us to forge
a sustainable future