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San Miguel County Leads Coalition Challenging Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered Species Failure
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
San Miguel County Leads Coalition Challenging Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered Species Failure
Wildlife agency fails to list the Gunnison Sage-grouse as ‘threatened’ or ‘endangered’
Contact: San Miguel County
Additional Contacts: Art Goodtimes, San Miguel County, 970.728.3844 or artg@sanmiguelcounty.orgAmy Atwood, Western Environmental Law Center, 541-914-8372Joan May, Sheep Mountain Alliance, 970.728.3729, sma@rmi.netDr. Clait Braun, Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 520-529-0365 or 520-529-4614
Telluride, Colorado – Citing blatant violations of the Endangered Species Act, San Miguel County and acoalition of citizen groups filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., challenging thefailure of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to list the Gunnison Sage-grouse as “threatened” or “endangered.”
“All the best available science suggests the existence of the Gunnison Grouse is seriously threatenedthroughout most of its range,” said San Miguel County Commissioner Art Goodtimes. “The County is pleasedto lead this litigation to bring the Federal Government back to the table to help local working groups save thisbird from extinction.”
Co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the Sagebrush Sea Campaign, Center for Native Ecosystems, ForestGuardians, The Larch Company, Sinapu, Center for Biological Diversity, Public Employees for EnvironmentalResponsibility, Black Canyon Audubon Society and Sheep Mountain Alliance – several of whom have beenactive members of Gunnison Sage-grouse working groups. The Coalition is represented by Amy Atwood andGeoff Hickcox of the Western Environmental Law Center.
Residential growth on private lands and energy development on public lands (both current and proposed oiland gas drilling and uranium mining), together with West Nile virus and increased predation, are among themost significant threats to the Gunnison Sage-grouse throughout its current range.
Gunnison County is the only region in the world left with a viable flock of birds, while San Miguel County’ssecond largest population is imperiled and no longer viable over the long term, according to avian scientists.The Gunnison Sage-grouse’s historic range once extended into Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, as well asmuch of southwestern Colorado.
The filing comes on the heels of several articles in national newspapers criticizing the current administration’senvironmental policies, including allegations of political interference in Endangered Species Act listingdecisions at the highest levels of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The International Ornithological Congress recommended this year that the common name for Gunnison Sage-grousebe changed to Gunnison Grouse, and that the wider ranged Greater Sage-grouse be renamed SageGrouse.