The Sagebrush Sea – home to imperiled sage grouse
Safeguard the Sagebrush Sea
One of the most imperiled ecosystems in North America, the Sagebrush Sea is threatened by oil and gas development and livestock grazing and accompanying increasingly destructive wildfire. Though most of the Sagebrush Sea is public land, it is not remotely adequately protected. And without protection, this unique landscape and the sage grouse that call it home could disappear in our lifetime.
We’ve already devoted more than a decade to conserving the Sagebrush Sea, beginning in 2003 when we sought to protect the sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act. By pushing for federal protections for the sage grouse, and especially protective buffers around their nests, we can protect the Sagebrush Sea as well. The Obama administration’s efforts to protect grouse fell short and the Trump administration is busily undermining even those weak safeguards.
Threats to the Sagebrush Sea
Oil and Gas Drilling
Livestock Grazing
Wildfires
Roads
Invasive Weeds
Habitat Destruction for Human Development
Watch a Sage Grouse on a Lek
In early spring, male sage grouse congregate on “leks”—ancestral strutting grounds—and engage in elaborate courtship rituals to attract a mate.
The Sage Grouse
There are a variety of grouse species and subspecies that inhabit the American West. Umbrella and indicator species for Western grasslands and deserts, sage grouse offer insight into the health of entire ecosystems.
Greater sage grouse
Gunnison sage grouse
Columbian sharp-tailed grouse
Lesser prairie chicken
Mono Basin sage grouse
Guardians Voices: Sage Grouse Stories
Watch this series of three-minute films telling the stories of people who, in their roles or careers, are guardians of the critically imperiled greater sage grouse.
Recent Stories From Wildlife
Compassion, Wolves and America’s First Wilderness
Let us remind ourselves that we are members of a pack with room to grow
Compassion, Wolves and America’s First Wilderness
Let us remind ourselves that we are members of a pack with room to grow
Beckoning the Beavers
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve thought beavers were worthy of my admiration. Sadly, beavers have been eradicated from literally tens of thousands of miles of streams and small rivers—the victims of both trapping and habitat degradation.
Why the Endangered Species Act matters
The Endangered Species Act, passed nearly unanimously in 1973, is one of our nation’s most important and successful laws. Here are a few reasons why.
Wildlife Press
National Forest Roads and Wildfire
Earlier this year we released a report titled “The Environmental Consequences of Forest Roads and Achieving a Sustainable Road System,” which updated a previous literature review on this topic by adding fifty-nine new citations along with several new sections.
Read more >Lawsuit asks Wildlife Services to update its research on ‘outdated’ wildlife management program
The conservation-focused WildEarth Guardians filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services agency, challenging the science behind what the group calls an “outdated wildlife-killing program.” The group filed the lawsuit in a federal district court.
Read more >
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