The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it will begin a status review to determine whether the western sage-grouse qualifies for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The review will determine whether the western sage-grouse qualifies as a subspecies and if so, whether it requires ESA protection. For the next 60 days, the Service is seeking information from the public that will help the agency make these determinations. The Service is requesting that any relevant information be submitted by June 27, 2008.
Todays announcement is in response to a petition by the Institute for Wildlife Protection seeking ESA protection for the western sage-grouse, which occurs in northern California, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and possibly parts of Idaho. The Service concluded in 2003 that the western sage-grouse is neither a valid subspecies nor a distinct population segment of the greater sage-grouse and therefore, was not eligible for protection under the ESA. The Services 2003 decision was sent back to the agency by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for further consideration of whether the western sage-grouse may be a subspecies. The court later upheld the Services determination that it is not a distinct population segment of the greater sage-grouse.
Currently, the greater sage-grouse occurs in eleven states and three Canadian provinces, although its distribution has declined in a number of areas. The western sage-grouse was first described as a new subspecies in 1946, but the validity of separating eastern and western populations of the greater sage-grouse into subspecies has since been questioned and, in some cases, dismissed. At the time of the Services 2003 finding, little information was available regarding potential differences in the physical appearance or behavior of western sage-grouse and there was no information available to indicate whether a geographic boundary exists between western sage-grouse and the rest of the greater sage-grouse population. A 2003 genetics study intended to clarify subspecies status concluded there was no genetic evidence to support a subspecies distinction. In 2005, a more extensive study using genetic analysis was conducted. While it did not specifically address the subspecies question, it did identify numerous genetic clusters of sage-grouse, leading to enough uncertainty in the minds of some experts to suggest further review of the birds taxonomy is appropriate.
The Services initial review of the information currently available led to todays announcement, known as a 90-day finding, thus triggering a more detailed evaluation. Therefore, the Service is initiating a status review to determine whether the western sage-grouse is a valid subspecies of the greater sage-grouse, and if so, whether listing it as threatened or endangered is warranted. Since the Service is already conducting a status review of the greater sage-grouse across the entire range of the species, the agency intends to evaluate the taxonomy and status of the western sage-grouse within the rangewide status review of the entire species.
To answer questions concerning the western sage-grouse, the Service is seeking information on the status of the bird throughout its range, including: behavioral, geographic, genetic or other information that may inform a determination as to the taxonomic status of western sage-grouse; behavioral differences cited in the petition, but not provided to the Service; and the species historical and current population status, distribution and trends. In addition, the Service is seeking information on the biology and ecology of the western sage-grouse (including habitat selection); the effects of potential threats to the grouse, including the present or threatened destruction, modification or curtailment of its habitat or range; effects of overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific or educational purposes; disease or predation; the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence; and management programs that conserve western sage-grouse.
The sage-grouse is a chicken-like, ground-nesting bird, and is the largest of the North American grouse species. Adult males are up to 30 inches long and may weigh over 6 pounds. They have also commonly been called fool hen, sage fowl, spine-tailed grouse, cock-of-the-plains and sage chicken. Sage-grouse depend on sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.
Learn more about sagebrush throughout most of the year for roosting, cover and food, and rely on it almost entirely for food in the winter. During the spring breeding season, males defend territory and perform elaborate displays with specialized plumage and vocalizations to attract females.
The Service requests that information be sent by June 27, 2008, via one of the following methods:
- Federal eRulemaking portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
- U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R1-ES-2008-0050; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
