HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte this week urged the Biden administration to leave Montana’s sage grouse program untouched, highlighting its success in conserving sage grouse, its balance between land use and conservation, and its robust, effective engagement with stakeholders.
A recent revision to Garfield County’s Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan was just one step in the county’s ongoing efforts to stay ahead of any changes in federal policy that might be on the horizon.
A recent revision to Garfield County’s Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan was just one step in the county’s ongoing efforts to stay ahead of any changes in federal policy that might be on the horizon.
The greater sage grouse is known for its unique visual and audible courtship display. The bird is also under immense pressure from industrial development and is currently listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The Biden administration is considering new protections for the greater sage grouse, and the bird is becoming an emblem of Biden’s efforts to reverse environmental protection relaxations that occurred during the Trump administration.
A March 2021 report from the USGS showed that greater sage grouse populations in 11 Western states have declined by 65% since 1986. According to Audubon, as much as 90% of the bird’s natural environment across Utah, Wyoming, and Montana has been lost to farmland, overgrazing, and climate change.
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