PAW issued the following in response to the Bureau of Land Management announcement regarding greater sage-grouse conservation plans:

Sage-grouse population data in Wyoming shows that we already have a successful management plan in place. The BLM has provided alternatives that recognize the monumental collaboration between federal, state and local officials, the oil and natural gas industry, mining, agriculture and many others across Wyoming to protect sage-grouse, improve habitat and keep the Greater Sage-Grouse off the Endangered Species List.

It would be devastating to Wyoming’s core industries, and the communities they support, if the BLM chose an alternative that substitutes the whims of Washington bureaucrats far removed from the on-the-ground work that has proven to be successful. Conservation efforts work best when the state of Wyoming, the BLM and industry work together. The BLM should align its sage-grouse management provisions with those of the State of Wyoming to remain responsive to local conditions.