Some coal-bed methane industry officials are upset because it appears federal land managers have chosen to accept peer-reviewed studies of sage grouse over the work of their own environmental consultants.

Earlier this month, the Wyoming Bureau of Land Management accepted the results of more than five years of studies performed by University of Montana researchers, headed by professor David Naugle. The work was vetted through the peer review process and will be published in the industry's top journals: the Journal of Wildlife Management, and the Journal of Avian Diseases.

Among Naugle's findings: Sage grouse leks within development areas are predicted to disappear, on average, within four years of coal-bed methane development. From 2000 to 2005, sage grouse populations within coal-bed methane fields declined 86 percent, whereas populations outside active areas declined by 35 percent, according to the studies.

Gene George, of Gene George & Associates, said several oil and gas companies have paid for studies for more than a year to analyze the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's grouse count database and the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's database of drilling information.

"We hired someone to confirm his answers, and we can't confirm them," George said. "We didn't generate that data. It is based on the Game and Fish's own database, not industry's database."

Renee Taylor, of Taylor Environmental Consulting in Casper, said she hadn't yet read Naugle's final work. However, her own work during the past year disputes his findings. Presented with her findings, federal land managers have given her only a "stone-faced" reply, she said.

"Yes, at this point, the Naugle et al (research) has been accepted for publication. That's not to say ours will not be," Taylor said. "I find it amazing that as of a week ago everything they consider has to be peer-reviewed … when a lot of work out there is not peer-reviewed but is considered in policy making."

Taylor said, based on her analysis of the state's databases, she cannot figure out how Naugle came up with an 86 percent population decline in active coal-bed methane areas.

Taylor contends, "We are maintaining populations of sage grouse within developed fields."

Pat Deiberts, biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Wyoming, said the agency does look at published literature first.

"And not all published literature is equal," Deiberts said. "We'll weigh all the data we receive."

Deiberts said Fish and Wildlife Service officials are scheduled to hear Taylor's presentation this week.

Tom Christiansen, sage grouse coordinator for Wyoming Game and Fish, said Taylor has only provided the agency a PowerPoint presentation. He said land managers seem to be in agreement that whatever science they base policy on should withstand the most stringent review, and peer-reviewed work is at the top of the list.

"They are not equal pieces of information," Christiansen said of the Taylor and Naugle studies. "You look at key qualifications of the researcher, whether it's peer-reviewed or not. You have to look at the quality of the information."

Taylor said she wants to publish her findings in the Journal of Wildlife Management, too. Several Rocky Mountain oil and gas producers have agreed to help pay for that endeavor, including the American Petroleum Institute, according to George. Also hired to analyze Naugle's research is Hayden-Wing & Associates of Laramie.

While it isn't available to the general public, the Taylor and Hayden-Wing research has been made available to state and federal land managers.

Naugle's studies will appear in future editions of the Journal of Wildlife Management and the Journal of Avian Diseases.

Energy reporter Dustin Bleizeffer can be reached at (307) 577-6069 or dustin.bleizeffer@casperstartribune.net.

* Last we knew: New research suggests coal-bed methane activity has dire consequences for sage grouse.

* The latest: Industry officials have not fully analyzed the research but dispute his findings.

* What's next: State and federal land managers are in agreement to coordinate sage grouse conservation efforts.]]>

Gov. Dave Freudenthal has appointed a group to produce recommendations on how best to enhance and preserve habitat for sage grouse in Wyoming. The members are:

* Bob Budd, executive director of the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust

* John Andrikopolous of Daniel, private landowner

* Penny Bellah of Williams Energy

* Lynne Boomgaarden of the Office of State Lands and Investments

* Jane Darnell of the Bureau of Land Management

* Pat Deibert of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

* John Emmerich of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department

* Jason Fearneyhough of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture

* Helen Jones of Buffalo, private landowner

* Clint McCarthy of the U.S. Forest Service

* Xavier Montoya of the Natural Resources Conservation Service

* Brian Rutledge of the Wyoming Audubon Society

* Paul Ullrich of EnCana

* Mark Winland of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation

According to a press release from the governor, the group aims to have a list of recommendations by late September. The group will hold its first meeting on July 31 in Cheyenne.]]>

Researcher David Naugle's study results can be found at the University of Montana Web site: www.forestry.umt.edu/personnel/faculty/dnaugle/publications.htm.]]>