1/7/2005~Status= Review Completed: Greater Sage-Grouse Not Warranted for Listing as = Endangered or Threatened

U.S.=20 Fish & Wildlife Service

3D"U.S. News
Release =
January = 7,=20 2005

Status = Review=20 Completed: Greater Sage-Grouse Not Warranted for Listing as=20 Endangered or Threatened

News = Releases Home=20 Page=20
Search=20 the News Releases
U.S. Fish=20 & Wildlife Service Home

Contacts

Pat Deibert=20 307-772-2374 =20 x26

Diane = Katzenberger=20 303-236-4578

Cindy=20 Hoffman 202-208-5634

&nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; &nbs= p; =20

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife = Service=20 has completed its status review of the greater = sage-grouse=20 throughout its range and determined that the species = does not=20 warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act at = this=20 time, Director Steve Williams announced=20 today.=20

This decision follows a = recommendation=20 made by agency senior regional scientists and managers = that=20 the sage-grouse does not warrant listing under the = ESA. Williams = publicly=20 announced the regional recommendation on = December 3,=20 2004.

"I have reviewed the work = completed by=20 our scientists and I am confident that they have = conducted a=20 thorough and rigorous review and their recommendation = is based=20 on the best available science," Williams said. "I concur = with their=20 recommendation that the greater sage-grouse does not = warrant=20 the special protections of the Endangered Species Act = across=20 its range. = At the=20 same time, the status review clearly illustrates the = need for=20 continued efforts to conserve sage-grouse and = sagebrush=20 habitat on a long-term basis. I commend = Federal and=20 state agencies as well as the local working groups for = their=20 current efforts to maintain or improve sagebrush = habitat and=20 encourage them to continue to move forward with the = new plans=20 to develop and implement conservation strategies = throughout=20 the grouse's range."

Under the Endangered Species = Act, a=20 species is endangered if it is in danger of extinction = within=20 all or a significant portion of its range, or = threatened if=20 the species is likely to become endangered within the=20 foreseeable future. =20 The Service received three petitions to list = the=20 greater sage-grouse range-wide as endangered or = threatened,=20 and began a formal status review in April 2004. During the = status=20 review, the Service considered all the available = scientific=20 and commercial information on greater sage-grouse and = their=20 habitats, including information provided by State and = Federal=20 agencies and Tribes, as well as information provided = through=20 public comments. =20 The review included the Western Association of = Fish and=20 Wildlife Agencies' Conservation Assessment of Greater=20 Sage-Grouse and Sagebrush Habitats, a compilation of=20 sage-grouse and sagebrush literature and=20 data.

The Service used a = structured analysis=20 process to evaluate the factors potentially = threatening=20 greater sage-grouse populations and sagebrush habitat=20 including wildfire,=20 invasion of non-native plants, livestock management,=20 agricultural conversion, urbanization, mining and = energy=20 development, predation, disease and other=20 threats.

As part of this process, = independent=20 scientists from State and Federal agencies and State=20 universities participated in a facilitated discussion = on the=20 biology and ecology of sage-grouse and the sagebrush=20 ecosystem. = The=20 panel included experts in greater sage-grouse, plant = ecology,=20 rangeland health, and invasive species who were asked = to apply=20 their expert judgment to independently estimate the = extinction=20 risk for greater sage-grouse at various timeframes = into the=20 future. = However,=20 these scientists were not asked for and did not make=20 recommendations on the petition finding. Their = estimates and=20 discussions occurred in the presence of a team of = Service=20 senior-level biologists in order to help ensure these=20 biologists were aware of a diverse range of scientific = points=20 of view.

As part of the final = decisionmaking=20 process, Service scientists and managers considered = the=20 independent experts views as well as all available = scientific=20 and commercial information in making their final=20 recommendation. =20 They=20 determined that greater = sage-grouse are=20 not likely to become endangered or threatened in the=20 foreseeable future. =20 The Director then reviewed the recommendation = and=20 concurred.

Greater sage-grouse are = currently=20 estimated to number from approximately 100,000 to = 500,000=20 individuals. =20 Sage-grouse populations are estimated to have = declined=20 an average of 3.5 percent per year from 1965 to = 1985. Since 1986, = however,=20 populations in several states have increased or = generally=20 stabilized and the rate of decline from 1985 to 2003 = slowed to=20 0.37 percent annually for the species across its = entire range.=20

These data and the fact that = 92=20 percent of the known active leks (traditional sites = where=20 males and females congregate for courtship) occur in = 10 core=20 populations across eight western states, and that five = of=20 these populations are large and expansive, were = important=20 factors in the Service's decision, Williams said. In addition, = approximately 160 million acres of sagebrush, a = necessary=20 habitat for sage-grouse, currently exists across the = western=20 landscape.

Greater sage-grouse are = found in=20 Washington, Oregon, = Idaho, = Montana, = North=20 Dakota, eastern=20 California, = Nevada, = Utah, western=20 Colorado, = South=20 Dakota and=20 Wyoming. They are also found in the = Canadian=20 provinces of=20 Alberta and=20 Saskatchewan.

The greater sage-grouse is a = large,=20 rounded-winged, ground-dwelling bird, up to 30 inches = long and=20 two feet tall, weighing from two to seven pounds. It has a = long, pointed=20 tail with legs feathered to the base of the toes. = Females are=20 a mottled brown, black, and white color. Males are = larger and=20 have a large white ruff around their neck and bright = yellow=20 air sacks on their breasts, which they inflate during = their=20 mating display. =20 The birds are found at elevations ranging from = 4,000 to=20 over 9,000 feet and are highly dependent on sagebrush = for=20 cover and food.

The U.S. Fish = and=20 Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency = responsible=20 for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, = wildlife and=20 plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit = of the=20 American people. The Service manages the = 95-million-acre=20 National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 = national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands = and=20 other special management areas. It also operates 69 = national=20 fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81=20 ecological services field stations. The agency = enforces=20 federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered = Species Act,=20 manages migratory bird populations, restores = nationally=20 significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife = habitat=20 such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native = American tribal=20 governments with their conservation efforts. It also = oversees=20 the Federal Assistance program, which distributes = hundreds of=20 millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and = hunting=20 equipment to state fish and wildlife=20 agencies.

- FWS=20 -

For more = information=20 about the U.S. Fish and = Wildlife=20 Service, visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov.

Back = to=20 Top

U.S. Fish=20 and Wildlife Service.
Privacy = = Notice.