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Protect Sage-Grouse Habitat

From its shared history with Native Americans and prominent mention in Lewis and Clark’s reports, to its signature mating dance that is enjoyed by wildlife watchers from around the world, the greater sage-grouse is truly an icon of the American West.

But sadly, this unique bird is fighting for its very survival – and now, the Trump administration has begun the process of dismantling an existing sage-grouse conservation plan – a strategy produced after years of hard work and collaboration by hundreds of stakeholders – dismissing it as a "burden" to fossil fuel development on public lands.

SPEAK OUT FOR WILDLIFE NOW: Demand that the Trump administration preserve protections for sage-grouse.

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Dear U.S. Forest Service,

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I am writing to strongly urge you to preserve all current protections for wildlife and public lands provided in the National Greater Sage-Grouse Planning Strategy. This strategy, which has the support of key Western governors, was the product of years of hard work and collaboration by hundreds of stakeholders. Weakening sage-grouse conservation plans now would be not only wasteful, but incredibly irresponsible. 
 
And it's not just sage-grouse that will be affected by changes to the federal strategy. Hundreds of other species also depend on healthy sagebrush grasslands, including pronghorn, mule deer, golden eagles, native trout and nearly 200 species of resident and migratory birds. Local communities and regional economies also benefit from proper management of these public lands. 
 
Greater sage-grouse populations have declined by more than 90 percent from historic levels. The bird and its habitat deserve more protection, not less. Any amendments to the current plans should strengthen conservation measures for these vital natural resources by:

1. Conserving all of the most important sage-grouse habitat: This includes nesting and brood-rearing habitat provided on Forest Service lands.

2. Connecting sage-grouse habitats: The federal government developed fifteen regional plans covering the sage-grouse's eleven-state range, but failed to stitch them together into a matrix that can provide for the species across federal and state jurisdictions.

3. Protecting sagebrush reserves: It is important, particularly in light of climate change, that land managers set aside areas both where sage-grouse are now and where they will need to go in the future; the current conservation plans fail to provide that guidance.

4. Reducing manageable impacts on sage-grouse habitat: Some threats to sage-grouse are difficult to manage, such as wildfire and invasive species. The federal conservation strategy should compensate for those effects by emphasizing management of land uses that we can control, such as livestock grazing, which contributes to unnatural fire and the spread of invasive species.

5. Restoring degraded sage-grouse habitat: Sage-grouse have already lost nearly half their range to agriculture and development. The federal sage-grouse conservation strategy should be updated to support active restoration of areas that can still be used by sage-grouse and other wildlife.

Reversing protections for sage-grouse would waste more than four years and $45 million of taxpayer money invested in the species' conservation. Strengthen the plans, and then leave them alone to conserve and recover grouse and other wildlife for the benefit of all Americans.

Sincerely,
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[Your Address]
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