WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 5, 2017)–The Interior Department announced it would re-examine all aspects of the greater sage-grouse conservation plans despite calls by Western governors and other elected officials, ranchers, sportsmen and women and others to let the plans work.

Tracy Stone-Manning, the National Wildlife Federation’s associate vice president for public lands, released the following statement:

 “We are deeply concerned that the Department of Interior’s decision to reconsider all aspects of the sage-grouse conservation plans means that all parts of the plans could be up for grabs, potentially making sage-grouse recovery efforts more difficult and creating significant uncertainty for landowners, conservationists, and industry. 

“This new approach conflicts with the requests of Western governors of both parties, landowners, local elected officials, sportsmen and other community members, who asked that the collaborative plans be given a chance to work and that only surgical changes be considered.  It could also undermine the conservation framework that led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to decide in 2015 not to list sage-grouse.

“The National Wildlife Federation encourages the Department of Interior to celebrate the unprecedented collaboration among people from all kinds of backgrounds and political stances, who came together to find a way to save one of the West’s signature wildlife species and sagebrush lands, which support 350 other species. We urge the Department to follow through on its commitment to working with the Western governors and others who have been part of this process and give the conservation plans a chance to save the bird."