WildEarth Guardians

Thursday, October 9, 2008
New Report Documents Extensive Habitat Loss, Lack of Protection for Interior West's Sagebrush Sea

Study shows wildlife icon, greater sage-grouse, is losing ground
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

PHOENIX - WildEarth Guardians released a report today describing extensive habitat loss and degradation in sagebrush steppe from livestock grazing, oil and gas development, and cheatgrass incursion, leading to a steady decline in greater sage-grouse populations across the West. More than 80 percent of the bird’s remaining habitat is currently affected by these three threats according to spatial analyses by the organization, while less than three percent of the grouse’s habitat is afforded some level of federal protection.

The comprehensive report, entitled "The Shrinking Sagebrush Sea," is the first expansive geographic analysis of significant threats to sagebrush steppe-one of the most endangered landscapes in North America. The evaluation of sage-grouse habitat comes just months before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide whether to list the grouse under the Endangered Species Act.

“Destructive oil and gas drilling, pervasive livestock grazing, weed incursion and countless other impacts are draining the life out of the Sagebrush Sea,” said Mark Salvo, Director of the Sagebrush Sea Campaign for WildEarth Guardians and author of the report. “Sage-grouse are suffering from this mismanagement of sagebrush steppe.”

WildEarth Guardians found that multiple land uses and related factors, both individually and cumulatively, affect millions of acres of sagebrush habitat on public and private lands in the Interior West. Highlights of the report’s findings include:

* Livestock grazing is permitted on 91 percent of sage-grouse current range on federal public land, making it the most ubiquitous use of sage-grouse habitat on federal public land.

* Natural gas and oil development is negative for sage-grouse, especially in or proximate to breeding, nesting and brooding habitat. Approximately 21.4 million acres, or thirteen percent, of sage-grouse current range is within 3 km of permitted natural gas and oil development. The percentage increases to 23 percent in Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, where the majority of energy development is occurring.

* Cheatgrass, a non-native, flammable weed, destroys sagebrush steppe and is present in 36 percent of sage-grouse current range.

The report also identified roads and increasing wildfire as important threats to sagebrush steppe.

“We absolutely must stem the tide of proliferating threats to the Sagebrush Sea by protecting sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act and expanding our system of sagebrush reserves,” Salvo added.

View the report on The Shrinking Sagebrush Sea (PDF).