Sage Grouse

In the Western U.S., the greater sage grouse population continues to shrink because of wildfires, invasive plants, and energy development. A new survey shows most voters want to see stronger protections for the iconic, chicken-sized bird.

A gigantic project is cutting down thousands of juniper trees in Idaho to reclaim the land for sage grouse.

The Bureau of Land Management recently held a series of public meetings about its new proposed sage grouse management plan. As the bird’s population continues to dwindle across the West, the agency is trying to add protections, all in an attempt to prevent the bird from being listed as an Endangered Species.

New research shows cattle grazing can coexist with one of the most iconic and threatened birds in the West.

Moderate cattle grazing doesn’t hurt sage-grouse nesting success, according to a newly released study. The research shows that one of the most iconic – and threatened – western birds can coexist with ranching under the right circumstances.

The Bureau of Land Management estimates that western ecosystems can support about 30,000 wild horses. The problem? There’s almost triple that. And that number rises by 10-20% every year. Too many wild horses – just like too many cows – is bad for the fragile, arid rangelands of the West. The horses can overgraze the native grasses and destroy creeks and riparian areas that provide critical habitat for the Greater Sage-Grouse and other creatures. To find out what this looks like on the ground, Ashley heads to Nevada, the state with the most wild horses in the U.S., and gets out in the sagebrush with biologists there. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Ashley spends some time getting to know her skinny, scared mustang and wonders what the hell she’s gotten herself into.

Federal officials want to expand the protected range for sage grouse, but some in our region are skeptical about that plan. In Wyoming, for example, state officials want more say in the new protections – which could mean less land will be affected.

The Bureau of Land Management is once again reviewing land use as it’s related to the sage grouse. This is the latest move to protect the bird as its numbers continue to dwindle, pushing to closer to an endangered species listing.

The Bureau of Land Management fell short in analyzing how oil and gas drilling in parts of Montana and Wyoming would impact the greater sage grouse, a species that's suffered an 80% population decline across its range since 1965.

The lesser prairie chicken could receive federal protections under the Endangered Species Act in parts of the Mountain West.