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New research shows cattle grazing can coexist with one of the most iconic and threatened birds in the West.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The lesser prairie chicken could receive federal protections under the Endangered Species Act in parts of the Mountain West.
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We are less than a week into the new Biden Administration, but already there are significant changes in the country’s direction. This may be most true…
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A couple of weeks ago, we shared an episode of a new podcast produced in partnership with Boise State Public Radio. “Grouse” looks at the prehistoric and…
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In 2015 the Obama Administration hammered out a deal with leaders and land managers across the west that avoided listing the sage-grouse under the…