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Community Presentations on Gunnison Sage Grouse Conservation Announced
Gunnison sage grouse populations have plummeted to fewer than 6,000 birds, and their range has shrunk to small portions of southeastern Colorado and southwestern Utah. These beautiful grouse are known for their elaborate courtship displays, which give them a reputation as amazing dancers.
The events will cover key issues including current status and population trends of Gunnison sage grouse, factors threatening the birds’ survival, conservation solutions that can move the species toward recovery, and the strengths and weaknesses of state, local, and federal conservation efforts to protect the bird and its habitat. Molvar will also explain how the Endangered Species Act works, the types of new protections that may apply, and under what circumstances protections are applicable. The final determination on the proposed Endangered Species Act listing of the Gunnison sage grouse is due in November 2014. The events will be held:
- Tuesday, September16, at 7 p.m. at the Aspinall Wilson Center on the campus of Western State Colorado University, at 909 Escalante Drive in Gunnison.
- Wednesday, September17, at 7 p.m. at the Wilkinson Public Library, 100 West Pacific Avenue, in Telluride.
- Tuesday, September23, at 6 p.m. at Ft. Lewis College’s Center for Southwest Studies in Durango.
- Wednesday, September24, at 7 p.m. at the Third Street Center at 520 South 3rd Street in Carbondale.
The programs are timed to bear witness to the 100-year anniversary of the extinction of the passenger pigeon. The last passenger pigeon died in the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1, 1914, a rare pinpoint date for the extinction of a species. These talks are free and open to the public, and WildEarth Guardians invites everyone to attend and bring their questions.