Rinella on Sage-Grouse - Call to Action

[TheDudeAbides]

Yeah,

I posted it here, because I believe that someone else will get the same cookie cutter email.

I responded in length, but I doubt that I will get a response back.

 

[Ben Lamb]

The thorn stops the lion from killing the calf.

Or in this case, the grouse. Keep after them.

Just heard that the petition is closing in one 1,000 signatures in just 24 hours. Keep pushing this out to your friends & through your social media contacts. Let's show congress we don't cotton to their craziness.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

Another one.

Dear Jeremiah:



I was pleased to hear the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announcement that it would not list the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This decision is a success for Wyoming and for the sage grouse. The State of Wyoming has worked for a number of years to implement an effective, comprehensive sage grouse management plan. The Wyoming plan has a record of success and this decision will give Wyoming the reins to continue to lead in the management of the sage grouse. This plan strikes a balance between protecting sage grouse habitat and keeping good paying Wyoming jobs.



I support the State of Wyoming’s plan and trust their management of the species moving forward. I will keep your comments in mind should the Senate debate any legislation concerning sage-grouse. I will continue to fight for state control of sage-grouse management. Thanks for contacting me. I appreciate hearing from folks in Wyoming.



Sincerely,


Michael B. Enzi

United States Senator

 

[COEngineer]

Done.

 

[smarandr]

Senator Crapo's response:

Dear Andrew:

Thank you for contacting me regarding sage grouse conservation. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

I share your interest in conserving and protecting our environment and its unique wildlife. Moreover, as a lifelong Idahoan and westerner, I also recognize the importance of our natural resources and their impact on our economy and way of life. Given the need to protect the balance between environmental stewardship and our economy, I have concerns with the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) state-based sage grouse management plans that have shut out the state and general public from the important decision-making process. I will continue to fight for adherence to the solutions for sage grouse habitat generated by the state and associated stakeholders.

In March 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) determined that listing the sage grouse as endangered under the authority of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was warranted, but priorities and resource constraints precluded the agency from moving forward with this action. The agency was instructed to revisit the determination in 2015, and determine what, if any, action to take. In the meantime, USFWS recommended the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages significant tracts of public lands containing sage grouse habitat in southern Idaho, revise its land use plans to conserve and protect the species’ habitat.

In response to the USFWS 2010 determination, western states, home to the current range of sage grouse, worked with the federal government in the development of state-based science and consensus driven conservation plans addressing issues such as habitat loss, fragmentation, degradation and predation, and to identify opportunities for habitat restoration and enhancement. The Idaho Sage Grouse Task Force was formed with the goal of finding and implementing local solutions for sage grouse conservation. State wildlife managers and private conservationists from energy companies, ranching families, and environmental and sportsmen’s groups led this effort with the help and guidance from federal land and wildlife management agencies.

On September 22, 2015, USFWS released the agency’s final determination that a listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is no longer warranted. While the “not warranted” determination is preferable to a listing of the species, the land-use management plans employed by the Department of Interior (DOI) in reaching that decision failed to take into account the tremendous and ongoing work of affected stakeholders at the state level. In abandoning the state’s planning process, the agency has unilaterally restricted access to 3.8 million acres of land and failed to address true problems facing the sage grouse, including the impacts of invasive species and wildfires on sage grouse habitat. Ultimately, the federal management plans will lead to greater uncertainty for the species.

H.R. 2029, which appropriates federal funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, was passed by the Senate and subsequently signed into law, on December 18, 2015. Recognizing the implications of the federal land-use plans on rural economies in western states, several likeminded colleagues and I aggressively sought the inclusion of language mandating the BLM’s adherence to state-based sage grouse management plans within the legislation. Unfortunately, opponents were able to prevent a politically viable path forward. However, report language accompanying the bill advises the BLM to be mindful of concerns within the land-use plans as well as, “engage state, local, non-governmental and private partners," among other directives. The authority for programs authorized under H.R. 2029, were recently extended through December 9, 2016, as part of H.R. 5325, a short-term funding measure for FY 2017.

H.R. 4909, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2017, was reported out of the House Armed Services Committee on April 28, 2016. The legislation, which authorizes military spending and programs, includes a provision requiring adherence to the state-based sage grouse management plans. H.R. 4909 was passed by the House of Representatives on May 18, 2016. S. 2943, the Senate-passed version of the legislation, does not contain any provisions requiring adherence to state management plans. Differences between the two pieces of legislation are currently being resolved in a conference committee.

I agree that we have a responsibility to foster species and habitat recovery. With that said, Idaho’s vast natural resources are tightly coupled with the strength of local economies. As such, it is crucial that management of these resources result from locally-driven collaboration and cooperation between stakeholders that take into account the viewpoints of all affected parties, rather than top-down directives from the federal government.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me in the future on this or other matters of interest to you. For more information about the issues before the U.S. Senate as well as news releases, photos, and other items of interest, please visit my Senate website, http://crapo.senate.gov.

Sincerely,
Mike Crapo
United States Senator

 

[Curvebow]

Done & done....