~ Jon Marvel
Friends,
Sage grouse take flight, Bruneau uplands, Idaho photo © Ken Cole, WWP
Today, in response to successful litigation brought by Western Watersheds Project and our attorneys at Advocates For The West, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced Greater Sage Grouse would not be protected by listing the species under the protections of the Endangered Species Act.
The Secretary did acknowledge that listing was warranted but was precluded by other species with a higher priority for protection.
The decision not to list Greater Sage Grouse is in response to a great deal of political pressure from western states and extractive industries including oil. gas and renewable energy development interests as well as traditional uses like livestock grazing and energy transmission facilities.
Video of Sage Grouse
Western Watersheds Project will review the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service support documents for this decision and determine if the agency has complied with the law.
If it is clear that the law has been violated, WWP will then decide if additional litigation would be helpful to protect this disappearing species in the American west. Read the rest of this entry »
The Wildlife News 