Like so many other developments in what was “sagebrush sea,” wind power impacts sage grouse-
I think that to the energy industry and many folks, including most Western politicians, the non-forested open spaces are just empty space where they could put “stuff.” The declining presence of sage grouse, and no doubt other wildlife in the face of this development is slowing down their plans.
Wind energy industry sets sage grouse research plan. By Dustin Bleizeffer. Casper Star-Tribune energy reporter
Just added ! Wildlife groups hail Canadian court ruling on sage-grouse. CBC News.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He has been a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and also its President. For many years 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.
That is great news about the Court Decision for grouse in Canada! But it is alarming that the entire Canadian population has dropped to less than 100 birds.
The government’s arguments there, though, sound just like the federal government’s arguments in sage-grouse cases here. Claims that the couldn’t protect the leks because they didn’t know where they were. When in fact, as the Judge observed, the locations were so well known that they were “notorious”.
From what I understand, although the article mentions energy development as a threat – the final nail in the coffin, tremendous amounts of sagebrush have been cleared for cattle forage in Canada, and the habitat pounded by cattle grazing, just like here. Maybe someone from Canada can provide insights to that all?