Feds Celebrate Sage Grouse Deal with Oregon Ranchers

The Obama administration, alongside Oregon Governor Kate Brown, has joined forces with local ranchers to celebrate new agreements aimed at protecting the sage grouse. These efforts are designed to prevent the bird from being listed as endangered, while also supporting the local ranching community.

The agreements, announced in Bend, Oregon, provide incentives for ranchers to protect sage grouse and their habitats across 5,500 square miles of private land in central and southeastern Oregon. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Governor Brown, and Agriculture Deputy Undersecretary Ann Mills praised the cooperative spirit of these agreements, expressing hope that both sage grouse and family ranches will thrive.

"To quote an Oregon rancher, 'What's good for the bird is good for the herd,'" Jewell said.

Governor Brown highlighted her budget's $4 million commitment to sage grouse programs, stating, "This plan not only assures the wellbeing of a small bird that makes its home in the high desert of central Oregon, but also the wellbeing of the people and communities that share that home."

Lake County Rancher John O'Keefe, president-elect of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association, noted that these agreements would help his family ranch continue into future generations.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has signed agreements with soil and water conservation districts covering several counties, marking the first such wide-ranging effort. As the deadline for deciding on the sage grouse's endangered status approaches, the Obama administration has been announcing various conservation agreements, including those with ranchers in Wyoming and a conservation bank agreement with Barrick Gold Corp. in Nevada.

Greater sage grouse inhabit 11 Western states and two Canadian provinces. Over the past century, activities such as oil and gas drilling, wildfires, and livestock grazing have reduced their habitat by more than half, leading to a 90 percent decline in their population.

Despite Congress barring federal spending on protective rules, the Fish and Wildlife Service remains bound by a court order to decide by September whether a listing is warranted. Under the Oregon agreement, ranchers who take specific protective steps will be shielded from stricter regulations if the bird is listed under the Endangered Species Act.

Federal biologists will assess threats to the bird on ranchers' lands, recommending measures such as altering grazing patterns, removing juniper trees, controlling non-native grasses, and adding safety features to water troughs and fences.

The U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service has pledged $9 million to sage grouse programs in Oregon, with the Oregon Cattlemen's Association working on additional funding proposals. A similar agreement for state lands is expected soon.

Jerome Rosa, executive director of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association, mentioned that many ranchers are participating in hopes of keeping the sage grouse off the endangered list, though Oregon accounts for only 5 percent of the bird's habitat nationwide.

Dan Morse, conservation director of the Oregon Natural Desert Association, emphasized the importance of specific measures prescribed by federal biologists and the upcoming conservation plan from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for the vast sage grouse habitat it oversees in Oregon.

Originally Posted By Associated Press