Passing on a notice I got.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (?Service?)
announced on Tuesday, September 22, 2015, that it
would not list the greater sage-grouse under the
Endangered Species Act (?ESA?).

This decision represents a change of direction for
the Service, which announced in 2010 that the
grouse was ?warranted for listing?, but the
Service now says ?new information about the status
of the species, potential threats, regulatory
mechanisms, and conservation efforts indicates
that listing is not warranted.?

Specifically, the Service determined that ?the
primary threats to greater sage-grouse have been
ameliorated by conservation efforts implemented by
Federal, State, and private landowners.?
The Service identified state regulations, new
federal regulations, conservation efforts, and
advancements in oil and gas technologies as having
reduced threats to the grouse ?in approximately 90
percent of the breeding habitat through avoidance
and minimization measures.?

The decision resolved a years-long fight that has
been closely watched by energy companies across
the inter-mountain west. The greater sage-grouse
has been the focus of controversy in recent years
pitting conservation against energy development
and ranching interests. With habitat ranging
across 165 million acres in eleven western states,
an ESA listing-decision may have imposed
additional regulatory burdens on land-use and
development that may affect the grouse.

--
Blair Bernson
Edmonds