BRC Media Release - Recreation Group Urges Common Sense Approach To Grouse Management (03/26/12)
The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), a national trail-based recreation group, submitted formal scoping comments on the proposed BLM's 2010 Sage Grouse Planning Strategy. BRC believes this planning effort has the potential to significantly impact motorized recreation in the 11 states where the Grouse currently occurs. The formal public comment period ended on March 23, 2012.In addition the BLM has published two Instruction Memorandums that will provide interim conservation policies and procedures for agency field level operations. These will also have the potential to greatly impact all aspects of motorized recreation, from traditional camping, hunting and fishing access to access for photography, bird watching, mountain bicycling, and... READ MORE
BRC Action Alert - Sage Grouse Comments Due By March 23 (03/08/12)
Important issue affecting tens of millions of acres of public lands. Last January, BRC updated you on a huge issue that will affect the management of tens of millions of acres of public lands managed by the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management - The Endangered Sage Grouse. BRC has a dedicated webpage on the issue. The BLM and USFS are conducting a planning process to evaluate greater sage-grouse conservation measures in land use plans in 10 Western states. The agencies will propose amendments that will affect everything from travel management to energy production to livestock grazing. This BLM/USFS... READ MORE
Comment Period Extended for Sage-Grouse Conservation Measures Planning (02/14/12)
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a corrected Notice of Intent to address sage grouse in 10 additional National Forest System Lands and Resource Management Plans, and formally extended the comment period through March 23, 2012. The BLM and the Forest Service are seeking public comment on issues that should be addressed in Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statements (SEIS) that will evaluate and provide greater sage-grouse conservation measures in land use plans in 10 Western states. The EIS/SEIS will be coordina... READ MORE
What To Do At The Sage Grouse Meetings (01/25/12)
On January 9, 2012, BRC blasted a national land use update on the sage grouse issue and promised you an action alert. We are working hard assessing impacts to recreation and comment suggestions. We will have an update out soon. You ask; Hey BRC... What about the meetings!!! Oh yeah! A lot of advocates are asking about the public meetings. Click Here for a breakdown of the meetings schedule by State and Region. Many seasoned access advocates think these meetings meetings are WORST place to give a comment. We agree. Oral comments given... READ MORE
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) conducting massive land use plan amendment encompassing most BLM land in 10 Western states. (01/09/12)
In April 2010. the United State Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) found that the greater sage-grouse warrants protection under the ESA. But they didn't because it said it needed address other high priority species first. Soon after, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) began working with state and local governments on massive conservation efforts. Millions more have been spent on local sage-grouse conservation efforts that have been moderately successful. In most areas, sage grouse... READ MORE
Map showing where BLM planning units and Sage-grouse intersect (01/09/12)
What sets the sage grouse issue apart from other Endangered Species is the size of the habitat. To this day, nobody knows how many acres of public, state and private lands will be designated as "critical habitat" but the figure is staggering. Millions upon millions of sagebrush grassland habitat could be affected. CLICK HERE for the BLM's map.
