Posted December 12, 2018 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, members of the Congressional Western Caucus released statements after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released an Environmental Impact Statement and related plan amendments that incorporate greater state and local input related to sage grouse conservation efforts:: Read the News Release

DOI and BLM Scrap 10-Million-Acre Mineral Withdrawal October 5, 2017

Notice of Intent To Amend Land Use Plans Regarding Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation and Prepare Associated Environmental Impact Statements or Environmental Assessments - Read the facts on the Federal Register 

• Public Comment preiod ends on November 27, 2017.... Posted October 11, 2107

Secretary Zinke Signs Order to Improve Sage-Grouse Conservation, Strengthen Communication and Collaboration Between States and Feds Posted June 22, 2017

H.R. 527: Greater Sage Grouse Protection and Recovery Act of 2017

• Status of HR 527 Introduced Jan 13, 2017
• Text of HR 527 (PDF) HR 527

Summary - Greater Sage Grouse Protection and Recovery Act of 2017

This bill addresses the Department of the Interior's October 2, 2015, finding that the greater sage grouse is not an endangered or threatened species. Until September 30, 2027, Interior may not alter or invalidate the finding.

Additionally, Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA)are prohibited from amending any federal resource management plans that affect the greater sage grouse in a state in which the governor has notified Interior or USDA that a state management plan is in place.

S. 273: Greater Sage-Grouse Protection and Recovery Act of 2017

• Status of S 273 Introduced on Feb 1, 2017
• Text of S 273 (PDF)

S. 2713 SEC. 4. PROTECTION AND RECOVERY OF GREATER SAGE-GROUSE.

(a) Endangered Species Act Of 1973 Findings.—

• (1) DELAY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of the Interior may not modify or invalidate the finding of the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced in the proposed rule entitled “Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Finding on a Petition to List Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) as an Endangered or Threatened Species” (80 Fed. Reg. 59858 (October 2, 2015)) during the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on September 30, 2027.
• (2) EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.—The delay required under paragraph (1) is and shall remain effective without regard to any other statute, regulation, court order, legal settlement, or any other provision of law or in equity.
  
• (3) EFFECT ON CONSERVATION STATUS.—The conservation status of the greater sage-grouse shall be considered not to warrant listing of the greater sage-grouse as an endangered species or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) during the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on September 30, 2027.

• Records of Decision: Nevada and California Greater Sage-Grouse Bi-State Distinct Population Segment Land Use Plan Amendment (PDF) May 26, 2016
• DOI - Press Release on Greater Sage-grouse  -  September 24, 2015
• Top 5 Things You Should Know About the Sage Grouse
• WAFWA Report Documents Greater Sage-Grouse Population Rebound
• Read the Service's "not warranted" finding here.  (PDF)

Several decades ago, the green lobby decided to put the timber industry out-of-business on federal lands. They used the Northern Spotted Owl as a political tool to kill that industry.  Today, the federal timber program has functionally gone extinct.

Those same groups now have painted a political target on the back of the OHV and Rockhounding communities and are using the Greater Sage-grouse in 11 Western States to accomplish a similar goal. Our fate does not have to be the same as federal timber operators. We have the power in this election to change the political structure in Washington D.C.  Be sure to vote in the upcoming election.

USFS and BLM Begin Sage-Grouse Planning Efforts for Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Carson City and Battle Mountain Districts...  Learn More Here

Click here to learn more on the Greater Saqe-grouse! (Update as of June 22, 2017)

  On March 31, 2017, the United States District Court for the District of Nevada held that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) violated the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, (NEPA) by failing to prepare a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the designation of Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFA) in the Nevada and Northeastern California Greater Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment in Nevada. In order to comply with the court's order and to address issues raised by various interested parties, the BLM intends to consider the possibility of amending some, all or none of the BLM land use plans that were amended or revised in 2014 and 2015 regarding Greater Sage-Grouse conservation in the States of California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Montana (“2015 Sage-Grouse Plans”). By this Notice the BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments on Greater Sage-Grouse land management issues that could warrant land use plan amendments.  Read the facts...                       

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