High Stakes Out On The Range: Gunnison Sage-Grouse Listed As An Endangered Species

In the first salvo of a larger environmental-industry showdown impacting Western shale development, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday (Nov. 12, 2014) that the Gunnison sage-grouse would be granted endangered-species protection as a "threatened" class. The decision had been delayed for six months while state and local officials in Colorado and Utah undertook extensive conservation measures to avoid the listing.

Both states' economies benefit from oil and natural gas exploration and production and renewable energy development, and the listing will impact current and future energy-related development efforts. Prior to the decision, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper promised a lawsuit against the federal government if the agency listed the Gunnison sage-grouse as either "threatened" or "endangered." After the announcement, Governor Hickenlooper renewed his threat.