The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is preparing to make a decision, due September
30, 2015, as to whether the greater
sage-grouse should be protected under the Endangered Species
Act ("ESA").
Last week, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, announced the determination that the Bi-State
population of greater sage-grouse in Nevada and California does not
require ESA protection. However, greater-sage grouse habitat
also includes areas in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and other
Rocky Mountain states.
The upcoming deadline for the status review for
greater-sage grouse protection follows the 2010 determination that
the species warranted protection under the ESA, but that action was
precluded by higher-priority species efforts at the time.
Since the species was identified for potential ESA protection,
broad conservation efforts have been put in place to address
threats facing the greater-sage grouse. In states like
Wyoming, these conservation efforts have
