“Because of an unprecedented effort by dozens of partners across 11 western states, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the greater sage-grouse does not require protection under the Endangered Species Act,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced Tuesday morning.
The announcement was made in a video posted on the Department of Interior’s website and social media outlets.
This decision has both economic and recreational impacts in the Platte Valley and surrounding area as ranchers, hunters and industry would have been hampered by additional greater sage grouse protection requirements.
The Power Company of Wyoming, who is in the process of finalizing the Chokecherry Sierra Madre wind farm released the following statement regarding the Secretary of Interior’s announcement.
“We are pleased that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recognized not only the science but also the very strong conservation commitments made by states, ranchers and industries across the West to conserve and preserve greater sage-grouse populations and their most important sagebrush habitats. The practical and financial investments by these entities to create actual, on-the-ground solutions and opportunities are unprecedented. We are very encouraged by the work done throughout the Department of the Interior on this issue.
Our extensive work to conserve sage-grouse and the sagebrush ecosystem will continue as we develop clean energy in an environmentally responsible manner. We have spent millions of dollars to implement on-the-ground conservation measures for sage-grouse. Further, we will spend millions more to implement our sage-grouse conservation commitments and multiple mitigation requirements that are documented in the federal NEPA environmental analyses specific to our Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project.”
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