In a related case, a federal judge in Montana in May dealt a blow to the administration’s efforts, saying officials failed to protect sage grouse habitat when they issued energy leases on hundreds of square miles. I wrote about hunting these birds — and of the need to work to save their habitat — in this space recently, but this post is all about eating sage grouse.. First, know that sage grouse eat sage.. The Donald Trump administration announced plans that ease protections for sage grouse in the West, prompting an outcry by critics who say the move paves the way for widespread mining and drilling and ignores a … Others say the new rules put the bosomy bird in more danger and torpedo a collaborative protection plan that hasn’t gotten a fair chance. The Trump administration plans to lessen protections on the bosomy bird to allow for more drilling, mining and grazing on public lands. A male greater sage grouse is pictured in an April 21, 2012, file photo. A federal judge rejected those rules and temporarily blocked them from taking effect last year. Oregon’s sage grouse acreage was largely spared, but it’s never been much of a target for oil and gas anyway. In 2015, it adopted a set of wide-ranging plans meant to protect the best grouse habitat and keep the bird off the threatened and endangered species list. “I don’t think that’s going to fly in court,” said Erik Molvar of Western Watersheds Project. Sage grouse have been in decline for decades due to habitat loss and other factors. The new rules extend far beyond grazing, though. The U.S. New rules announced Friday were supposed to address the court’s concerns, but an Associated Press analysis found no significant differences between the two plans. The birds are known for an elaborate mating ritual in which males fan their tails and puff out yellow air sacs in their chests as they strut around breeding grounds. It was a historic compromise that stakeholders felt would save the bird from extinction without gutting and fileting rural Western economies. A team of scientists successfully moved sage-grouse, a threatened bird species in Washington state, from one area of their range to another to increase their numbers and diversify their gene pool. Publication in the Federal Register is part of a process that could allow the plans to take effect shortly before Trump leaves office. Related: U.S. rejects protections for greater sage grouse, “They weren’t perfect,” said Jeremy Austin, policy manager for the Oregon Natural Desert Association, “but they were something that a lot of different stakeholders came together to work on and found a solution, collaboratively, to move conservation forward for sage grouse.”. Each state has its own director of land management signing off on the document. Gunnison sage-grouse look similar to their cousins, the greater sage-grouse, however they are approximately one-third of the size. “I think this is an example of the Trump administration ignoring the judicial branch and trying to bulldoze and get its way despite the judge already saying that path is illegal.”. In that order, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Boise temporarily blocked the administration of Presdent Trump from easing rules on mining, drilling and grazing, saying such activities left unchecked were likely to harm sage grouse. The rules did, however, also ease restrictions on grazing. Sage grouse are known for their unique, chesty mating ritual, which “Oregon Field Guide” documented in 2014. Kate Brown’s sage grouse council and former president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. Sage Grouse Also Goes By: Sage Cock, Sage Hen, Sage Turkey. After Trump took office in 2017, the agency modified those plans to ease restrictions on development, which meant officials no longer had to prioritize development outside grouse habitat. A coalition that included ranchers, scientists, environmentalists and policymakers struck a deal in 2015 to avoid Endangered Species Act protections for sage grouse. A previous Trump administration plan relaxing sage grouse protections was rejected by a federal judge in 2019. OPB’s critical reporting is made possible by the power of member support. “Without ranching, without grazing, we don’t have that economic driver to sustain us.”. U.S. District Judge Brian Morris said the Interior Department did not do enough to encourage development outside of areas with greater sage grouse. In that order, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Boise temporarily blocked the administration of Presdent Trump from easing rules on mining, drilling and grazing, saying such activities left unchecked were likely to harm sage grouse. The Trump administration announced plans that ease protections for sage grouse in the West, prompting an outcry by critics who say the move paves the way for widespread mining and drilling and ignores a federal court ruling.