The decision could have widespread ramifications for sage grouse habitat, which includes portions of at least eight Western states, including large swaths of Montana and Wyoming and the Powder River Basin, where there’s intense interest in energy development. Brodie Farquhar has an article about the politics of it in Wyoming. ‘Wyoming officials say listing the sage grouse would be a ‘grave concern.’ Casper Star Tribune.
More on 12-7. Birds come home to roost. Federal judge: former U.S. official’s handling of sage grouse decision improper. By Jason Kauffman. Idaho Mountain Express.
Note that Idaho sage grouse numbers declined further during 2007.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Just think, tonight Dick Cheney and the his gang of Oil Piilaging Energy Company Thugs and Larry Craig’s Public Lands Welfare Rancher Whiners are having nightmares featuring a big docile (unless you happen to be a male in early spring) sagebrush-eating bird … A bird that just happens to move across vast areas of the landscape over the course of the year .. and with a deep-seated tendency to AVOID or DIE in areas of human disturbance …
I did a quick lit. search and what I’m finding as far as ranching as it relates to sage grouse is that the conversion of sage habitat to grassland for garazing is the threat. Are there others? If somebody could point me toward some scientific articles, that would be great. I’m just rrying to understand why Ranchers are so opposed to sage grouse protection. I understand why energy companies are.