Sage grouse
Tim Brown with his dog ruby showing me drill core from the Rattlesnake Hills

In Threatened Bird’s Uncertain Fate, Some See An Opportunity

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The Department of Interior officially re-opened the 2015 sage grouse management plans last month. They took over a decade of compromise and negotiation to put together, with Wyoming as leader. Many people involved in the process are nervous that the current administration could damage the integrity of the plans, while others see it as an opportunity to make needed improvements. One of those groups include a gold exploration company — pictured with the office dog, Ruby.

Sage grouse
A male Sage Grouse (also known as the Greater Sage Grouse) in the USA

Interior Department To Overhaul Sage Grouse Conservation Plans

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The sage grouse is back in the national discussion. The Department of Interior is loosening rules that protect the western, chicken-sized bird; recommendations include giving states more leniency in enforcing the rules and easing restrictions on land development. The two-year old conservation plan helped the sage grouse avoid an endangered listing under the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Many environmentalists are concerned the changes could spell doom for the vulnerable species.

Sage grouse

Managing Sage Grouse: Portraits Of Conservation And Industry

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Once thought to number in the millions, greater sage grouse numbers have dwindled across the west due to loss of critical sage brush habitat. This piece profiles some of the stakeholders trying to protect the sage grouse while allowing for the region’s traditional industries.

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WY Team Working To Save Both Sage Grouse And Industry

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A listing of the greater sage grouse under the endangered species act could deeply affect the industries making up the backbone of the Western economy like agriculture, oil and gas and mining. An unprecedented collection of stakeholders across 11 states are working to save the bird’s population before the federal government steps in.