BLM urged to incorporate latest science in new sage grouse plans

“This proposal has been years in the making. It will have far-reaching implications for how states conserve sage grouse habitat and how Western ranchers are able to operate going forward,” says NCBA President and Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele. “The BLM must extend the comment period and give local stakeholders more time to engage in this process—and that process must be driven, first and foremost, by sound science.”

PLC President and Colorado federal grazing permittee Mark Roeber comments: “Years of research, including a very recent and comprehensive 10-year study, support the fact that managed livestock grazing is compatible and can actually benefit the bird. The agency must look at the science, and leverage livestock grazing as a tool for strengthening the sagebrush steppe, preventing wildfire, and conserving this iconic species.”

NCBA and PLC are requesting that the agency significantly extend the comment period deadlines while ranchers and other local stakeholders evaluate these lengthy proposals.

One-size-fits-all conservation strategies are ineffective

Sage grouse habitat has been declining across the West due to a variety of factors including catastrophic wildfires, urban development, and the spread of invasive grasses. As a result, more than half of the remaining prime sage grouse habitat exists of BLM acres. The pressures on sage grouse habitat vary from state to state, from ecosystem to ecosystem, and sometimes from county to county. One-size-fits-all conservation strategies are ineffective for this species, the groups say.

“Habitat management must be tailored to local needs in order to achieve the best results for the bird. The expertise of local stakeholders, like federal grazing permittees, will be crucial for conserving the species,” NCBA says.

One of the most comprehensive sage grouse studies to date was recently completed by the University of Idaho, and it confirmed that grazing benefits sage grouse populations by increasing the biomass and diversity of insect species for food, reducing the risk of wildfire and reducing the volume of cheatgrass and other invasive grasses that degrade the sagebrush biome.