Raise Your Montana Voice to the BLM about Sage Grouse

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has some decisive plans in the works to rescue the endangered Greater Sage-Grouse.  And the Bureau has kindly invited all us in the West to attend any of 11 open-house meetings where they will present their strategies.

According to a press release, the Sage-Grouse is in trouble.  Numbering under 800,000 birds, this species is losing habitat to climate change, manifested in drought, wildfires and invasive species.  The BLM main objective is to reinforce habitats on public lands by "implementing sage-grouse habitat conservation and management through local collaboratives."

Billings is the first stop on this tour, happening on Thursday, April 11th at 6:00 p.m. at their state office at 5001 Southdgate Drive.  The get-together will include time to answer any questions about their proposals.

If you would like a preview from the comfort of home, the BLM has an earlier virtual meeting on Tuesday the 9th at 1:00 p.m. MST.  This will be a Zoom meeting and registration is required.  Just go to this link Webinar Registration - Zoom

If neither the 9th nor the 11th will work with your busy schedule, a second Zoom meeting will be on April 25th at 6:00 p.m. MST.  The full list of meetings across the western U.S. is at 2024 DEIS Public meetings | Bureau of Land Management (blm.gov).

Drafts of the environmental impact statement and plan amendments are open for public review and comment through June 13th at this link EplanningUi (blm.gov).  Once this window is closed, a final environmental impact statement will be created along with a Record of Decisions for each state.

Get our free mobile app

Okay, I have some questions:

How did they get the number 800,000?  Conduct a census?  Scattered hundreds of BLM agents to various locations to count the birds?

These conservation habitats on public lands, will anyone from the public be allowed to go on the lands and see these great birds?

Since these grouse are endangered by the effects of climate change, how will these habitats be maintained?  What will this look like?  Water piped or trucked in against drought?  Will dead brush and other flammables be cleared to prevent wildfires?  Exterminating invasive species and predators?  How exactly will all this be accomplished?

And most importantly to the preservation, how will you keep the sage grouse in these safe spaces?  Did a quick online search and while they prefer walking, they can fly.

Curious mind wants to know.