Ag director encourages efforts to keep birds off 'threatened' list
BRODIE FARQUHAR Star-Tribune correspondent | Posted: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 12:00 am
RIVERTON - About 100 members of local working groups overseeing the state's sage-grouse restoration efforts assembled in Riverton Tuesday for a progress report and review of the latest sage grouse research.
Wyoming Department of Agriculture Director John Etchepare emphasized the advantages of local control.
"Neither Washington, D.C., Cheyenne or the courts should be the absentee mangers of local resources," Etchepare said. He emphasized the need for local working groups to come up with good records, solid data and the conservation plans needed to "keep the courts at bay."
Continuing into today, the forum is allowing working groups to share their experiences, as well as hear officials encourage them to stay the course and maintain local control over sage-grouse recovery efforts.
Gov. Dave Freudenthal will give a keynote address today.
Tom Christiansen, sage grouse coordinator for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said that after years of decline, the Wyoming grouse population has bounced back with more moisture in recent years and months.
Christiansen noted that after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to list sage grouse as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, Western states launched "the largest conservation effort ever" in terms of public involvement.
Since then, a statewide sage grouse group has developed a conservation plan, leaving it up to local working groups to develop local recovery plans. He said local groups were premised on the idea that no one plan fits all locations.
Christiansen showed various slides showing where sage grouse used to exist and presently exist in the West; sage grouse strongholds (Wyoming looks best overall); and a human footprint map showing the impact of roads, energy and urban development on sage grouse.
Describing population trends in Wyoming, Christiansen said the population bottomed out in 1995, but has shown strong growth in the past two years. He credited more moisture as well as management changes in harvest and grazing practices in Wyoming.
Looking around the state, Christiansen said:
* Northeast Wyoming sage grouse numbers were flat from 2002 to 2004, with an upsurge this year.
* Big Horn Basin numbers were below average, impacted by a continuing drought.
* Upper Green River Basin sage grouse population growth has led the state in recent years, but is now average in production.
* South-central Wyoming is a little above average in grouse population growth.
* The Bates Hole/Shirley Basin area is above average in population growth.
* The Wind River/Sweetwater region has "good things happening" with above-average growth.
"I'd like my stock portfolio to look that good," Christiansen said.
The Legislature has appropriated $400,000 for sage grouse projects. Christiansen is evaluating suggested projects and programs from the local working groups, noting they add up to about $425,000.
Progress reports from the local working groups cited varying degrees of concern with different issues. For example, while predator control was cited by several groups, others didn't rank predator control very highly.
Livestock management, weather and invasive weeds species - especially cheatgrass - appeared to be common and top concerns of the groups, although the Upper Green group is concerned about the impact of oil and gas development on sage grouse habitat and populations.