<\/p>\n
A coalition of conservation groups that sued to list the Gunnison sage grouse as an endangered instead of threatened species has reached an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.<\/p>\n
The parties agreed to stay the lawsuit while Fish and Wildlife prepares a recovery plan for the rare bird, which is known for its elaborate courtship rituals.<\/p>\n
The Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project, and WildEarth Guardians filed the lawsuit in 2015 after the bird was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in November 2014.<\/p>\n
An estimated 4,000 birds exist, mostly within the Gunnison Valley, with smaller populations near Dove Creek and in southeast Utah.<\/p>\n
The stay agreement maintains the bird\u2019s threatened status and establishes a 30-month time line for Fish and Wildlife to develop a recovery plan. Current listing and critical habitat rules will remain in place. An endangered species is one that is deemed in danger of becoming extinct; a threatened species is one that is rare and might become an endangered species in the future.<\/p>\n
The agreement says the recovery plan should:<\/p>\n
Identify impediments to recovery and possible ways to reach recovery.<\/em>Establish population targets and include criteria that may result in removing the bird from protection under the Endangered Species Act.<\/em>Detail all threats to the bird and identify site-specific management actions to minimize threats.<\/em>Consider the impact of livestock grazing on the grouse and identify management actions to minimize the impacts.<\/em>Release a draft recovery plan to the public for review by October 2019 and submit a final recovery plan to the Federal Register by October 2020.<\/em>\u201cOur agreement ensures the Gunnison sage grouse will get a recovery plan before it is too late to save these magnificent birds,\u201d said Ryan Shannon, an attorney for Center for Biological Diversity.<\/p>\n Habitat loss due to residential growth, grazing, and oil and gas development are believed to harm grouse populations, along with predation and climate change.<\/p>\n \u201cPast and current conservation efforts have failed this magnificent bird,\u201d said Bethany Cotton, wildlife program director at WildEarth Guardians. \u201cWe are hopeful a robust, science-based recovery plan will finally get Gunnison sage grouse on the road to recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n