Added together, the swaths of sagebrush habitat that the West has lost since 2001 would cover half of Utah. This embattled ecosystem’s decline is an old story, but new evidence of the scale and pace of its destruction has conservationists questioning how much longer it can function as habitat for more than 350 plant and […]
Tag: Sage-grouse
The Weird and Wild Migration of the Wood Stork Raises Many Questions
The largest wading bird in North America and our only native stork species, the Wood Stork is an icon of the American Southeast. Wading through shallow freshwater cypress swamps, marshes, and lagoons, it is unmistakable, except when flying overhead, where it superficially resembles the American White Pelican. Like the pelican, Wood Storks are excellent fliers, […]
New Federal Report Confirms Ongoing Crisis for North American Birds
WASHINGTON – “With three billion birds lost in North America since 1970, we are in a bird emergency – and we know that if they are in trouble, so are we,” said Sarah Greenberger, senior vice president for conservation policy, National Audubon Society. “The priority species identified by the Fish and Wildlife Service provide a […]
After hunters kill 874 sage grouse hens, Wyoming’s hunt questioned
Hunters killed at least 874 greater sage grouse hens in Wyoming last year, prompting a state grouse team member to question the wisdom of allowing a hunt of the imperiled species. The state’s Sage Grouse Implementation Team is meeting Wednesday to address Brian Rutledge’s concerns. Rutledge is director of the National Audubon Society’s Sagebrush Ecosystem […]
New Federal Report Shows 80-Percent Decline in Greater Sage-Grouse Populations
DENVER (March 30, 2021) – “This new science should ring alarm bells whether or not you have heard of sagebrush or the sage-grouse,” said Brian Rutledge, director of the National Audubon Society’s Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative. “These birds are found across 11 Western states and are a reliable indicator of how other wildlife and the greater […]
Lawsuit Launched to Compel Trump Administration to Protect Sage Grouse
SAN FRANCISCO― Conservation groups filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the Trump administration for failing to protect an imperiled bird, the bi-state sage grouse, under the Endangered Species Act despite ongoing population declines. The bi-state sage grouse is a geographically isolated, genetically distinct population of greater sage grouse, which are famous […]
Court Strikes Down Trump Administration’s Sage-grouse Directive, Canceling Hundreds of Oil and Gas Leases
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – On Friday, the U.S. District Court in Montana struck down the basis for the Trump administration’s massive oil and gas leasing plans on more than a million acres of public lands in key habitat for sage-grouse, an iconic bird species of the Western United States. The Trump administration attempted to gut […]
Amid Global Pandemic, Federal Government Pushes Ahead on Fossil Fuel Leasing and Bird-Protection Rollbacks
There are new signs each day that the COVID-19 pandemic is fundamentally altering public life in America. Many schools will be closed for the rest of the academic year. Several states have postponed presidential primaries. State and federal courts have put trials on hold. But the coronavirus crisis is not stopping the U.S. Department of […]