-
This past week, Public Broadcasting’s Nature film series featured the Sagebrush Sea. The film’s main focus was on the Greater Sage Grouse which is the emblematic creature found in this vast landscape that covers the bulk of many western states including substantial parts of New Mexico Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, California, Montana and Idaho.…
-
1000 turbine wind farm proposed in Wyoming “Core” Sage Grouse Habitat It seems the Wyoming Governor’s “core” sage grouse habitat mapping doesn’t mean much. Removal of fencing or marking it with reflectors doesn’t get around the fact that there will be gigantic wind turbines in the middle of sage grouse habitat. Sage grouse don’t like…
-
Yes, the sage grouse is likely to get protection under the Endangered Species Act- Wyoming waits anxiously for federal decision on bird. Year of the grouse? By Dustin Bleizeffer. Casper Star-Tribune energy reporter. . . . an amazing quote! “Industry and conservation leaders alike seem to agree that the restrictions of such a listing would…
-
Wells versus wildlife: Drill plan draws flak. Additional Pinedale Mesa rigs will hurt grouse and deer, pollute air, conservationists say. By Cory Hatch. Jackson Hole News and Guide. “The new plan would allow year-round drilling to continue. Further, it would allow 15 to 30 percent declines in population numbers and habitat for mule deer, pronghorn,…
-
As folks know, including the government of Wyoming, which fears a sage grouse listing under the ESA, large continuous areas of sagebrush steppe are in big trouble. It is fascinating how they blame wolves wolves for too few elk and then say there are too many antelope and deer and they need to have a…
-
The scientists say: “Speaker after speaker emphasized that the status quo approach was not tenable — conserving sage grouse and sage grouse habitat while also developing the rich gas, oil and coal-bed methane fields of Wyoming.” Industry turns it into: “Ranchers, oil and gas men, biologists, conservationists and state and federal officials are meeting to…
-
The BOSH project in southern Idaho ultimately plans to destroy tens of thousands of acres of juniper woodlands on BLM lands. BOSH stands for Bruneau-Owyhee Sagebrush Habitat Project. The advocates of the BOSH project use pejorative language to characterize the Juniper clearing from the landscape. Terms like “restoring” the “natural” condition of the land assume…
-
Back in 2017, the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, the supposed ‘crown jewel’ of the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System proposed a massive pinyon-juniper (P-J) removal project in the Skutumpah area. The BLM announced that the project’s purpose was to remove post-European settlement ‘invading’ P-J and create sage grouse habitat. Given my experience that virtually…
Author
George Wuerthner is an ecologist and writer who has published 38 books on various topics related to environmental and natural history. He has visited over 400 designated wilderness areas and over 200 national park units.