The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has finalized a draft plan that strengthens greater sage-grouse conservation efforts on public lands in the West.
The plan covers amendments to 77 resource management plans across 69 million acres in 10 western states. The states include California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming
The agency said the plan alternatives build on the most successful parts of the plans that were adopted in 2015 and updated in 2019. BLM considered nearly 1,900 comments gathered during an initial public scoping period, in addition to information gained from more than 100 meetings with stakeholders.
“Joint efforts to conserve the greater sage-grouse and its habitat led to the largest collaborative conservation effort in our history, and we are building on that work, together with our partners, to ensure the health of these lands and local economies into the future,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning in a statement.
BLM will hold 13 public meetings to answer questions and take further comments on the draft plan. Information on public meetings can be found at www.blm.gov/announcement. The draft plan is open for public comment through June 13. To submit comments, visit tinyurl.com/us9e328u, email BLM_HQ_GRSG_Planning@blm.gov or mail to BLM Utah State Office, ATTN: HQ GRSG RMPA, 440 West 200 South #500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101.
A final environmental impact statement is expected this fall, followed by records of decisions in each western state.
Plan details
The Greater Sage-Grouse Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment/Draft Environmental Impact Statement analyzes six alternatives for greater sage-grouse habitat management on BLM lands. The agency’s preferred alternative, Alternative 5, considers potential alignments of habitat management areas and associated management to balance sage grouse conservation with public land uses.
The other five alternatives are the following:
• Alternative 1: Continue current management plans as amended in 2015.
• Alternative 2: Continue current management plans as amended in 2019.
• Alternative 3: Restrict resource uses to preserve the species.
• Alternative 4: Update habitat areas and management based on new information and science.
• Alternative 6: Alternative 5, but with the addition of areas of critical environmental concern.
While BLM’s preferred alternative is Alternative 5, this is not a final decision. Major planning actions addressed include habitat management area, energy and minerals, livestock grazing and wild horses and burros, among others.
Alternative 5 considered options with fewer restrictions on resources and more opportunities for considering compensatory mitigation to offset impacts on the greater sage-grouse and its habitat. All alternatives would apply some restrictions on resource uses within habitat management areas. The greatest protection for sage grouse habitat would be under Alternative 3, which would make priority habitats unavailable to grazing, and mineral, right-of-way and renewable energy development.
Alternative 5 would focus on the threat to greater sage-grouse from improper livestock grazing. Livestock grazing management would have to meet the Land Health Standard for special status species and apply the guidelines that address the restoration of habitats to promote a species’ conservation. The presence of the species would not affect whether an area is available for grazing and the current designated areas would be maintained.
Regarding wild horse and burro management, all states would be required to manage populations within the established appropriate management levels. Greater sage-grouse habitat objectives would be incorporated into burro and horse management plans, and some gathers would be prioritized in habitat areas.
Both sides want changes
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) said the BLM set too short of comment periods on guiding documents for the draft plan and urged the agency to extend the comment period deadlines to give stakeholders more time to comment.
“This proposal has been years in the making. It will have far-reaching implications for how states conserve sage grouse habitat and how Western ranchers are able to operate going forward,” said NCBA President and Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele in a statement.
Public Lands Council President Mark Roeber added that years of research support the idea that livestock grazing and sage grouse can be compatible. “The agency must look at the science, and leverage livestock grazing as a tool for strengthening the sagebrush steppe, preventing wildfire, and conserving this iconic species,” Roeber said.
Conservation groups expressed their dissatisfaction with the rule, although on the other side of the spectrum. The Center for Biological Diversity argued the BLM’s preferred alternative doesn’t go far enough to protect the species.
“This shocking plan enshrines the same failed management approach as the prior plans,” said Randi Spivak, public lands policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The BLM knows what it should do to save these struggling birds yet this does virtually nothing to strengthen protections, ensuring the grouse will continue their downward spiral.”
Conservation groups said the preferred alternative falls short in designating areas of critical environmental concern, pointing out that alternative proposals designated roughly 11 million acres, which is closer to their ideal but still significantly misses the mark. — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
