sage grouse

In roughly the last two decades, sage grouse populations have declined by over 40%.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is requiring sage grouse hunters to carry a new, free permit. The hope is it’ll help the agency collect more specific data on the bird, which is dwindling across the West.

In the Western U.S., the greater sage-grouse population continues to shrink because of wildfires, invasive plants, and energy development. A new survey shows most voters want to see stronger protections for the iconic, chicken-sized bird.

New research shows cattle grazing can coexist with one of the most iconic and threatened birds in the West.

A conversation about the Endangered Species Act would be remiss without the Greater Sage-Grouse. The bird lives in 11 states in the West, with about 40 percent residing in Wyoming. Since the 1960s, data show that the total population has been declining. So, for many years, some groups have petitioned to list it as endangered. Wyoming has tried desperately to avoid that, as it could severely restrict development and energy production across much of the sagebrush landscape in the state. Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan spoke with Bob Budd, chairman of the Sage-Grouse Implementation Team, which is overseeing the redrawing of Wyoming’s new sage-grouse map. Budd has been involved with the state’s efforts since 2000.

Some say providing Teton County residents with natural gas could come at the cost of the local sage grouse – a bird whose populations have rapidly declined over the years. But, federal and state agencies say the harm can be mostly mitigated.

Wyoming is talking about the greater sage-grouse again: a polarizing topic that has been in conversation amongst western states over the last couple of decades. The federal government wants to expand the bird’s protected range, and the state is skeptical about that plan. So, state officials and locals recently put their heads together about it to craft their own plan.

The protection of greater sage grouse is in conversation again. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to update its protections this year, as the bird is considered a ‘sensitive species.’ But several conservation groups wrote the agency a letter saying it is still not enough.

The Wyoming Game & Fish Commission is allocating nearly $550,000 to eight local sage grouse working groups to fund projects and address issues and threats to the bird. Environmental and human impacts have caused a significant loss of habitat for sage grouse in several Western and Mountain West states in previous decades.

The Bureau of Land Management is once again reviewing land use as it’s related to the sage grouse. This is the latest move to protect the bird as its numbers continue to dwindle, pushing to closer to an endangered species listing.