BLM, USFS Release Draft Sage Grouse Plan for Wyoming
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service favor a middle path among the options they're considering for protecting sage grouse habitat in Wyoming.
The two agencies released a draft plan yesterday for maintaining and increasing sage grouse habitat on BLM and Forest Service land around Wyoming.
Two alternatives within the plan would allow no more than 3 percent of surface disturbance for every square mile of sage grouse habitat. Another option would allow 9 percent. The Forest Service and BLM favor one that would cap disturbance at 5 percent.
The agencies expect to release a final plan in late 2014. The plan will help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as it faces a late-2015 deadline to decide whether to list sage grouse as threatened or endangered.