Sage Grouse Habitat Initiative

Sage Grouse Habitat Initiative. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Sage Grouse. Not an animal you hear about everyday but these small birds make up an important part of the western landscape. They live on insects, sagebrush and other plants and without some help, just may become endangered. USDA Under Secretary, Harris Sherman says that the U.S. government has already spent considerable dollars to protect the sage grouse. SHERMAN: We've spent during 2010 approximately $21 million dollars on this sage grouse initiative and we have a request in under the 2011 budget for about $25 million dollars. This money will be allocated in 11 western states. Our intention here is to work with farmers and ranchers in protecting this very important species and allow these ranchers to continue on doing what they're doing but to employ a variety of conservation measures which will help protect this bird. The NRCS has rolled out a Sage-Grouse Habitat Initiative focused strategically on core areas with significant populations of sage-grouse and their habitat. SHERMAN: This bird has been a very important staple across the western landscape but over the years because of a variety of pressures the population is dramatically declining, its habitat is being reduced and the Department of Interior through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided it must move forward to try to protect the bird. The grouse does qualify for a listing under the endangered species act but the Department has held off on doing so at the moment. SHERMAN: The Natural Resources Conservation Service at USDA is hoping that we can initiate a cooperative program, a volunteer program with ranchers and landowners in the west so that we can take a variety of steps to improve the situation and hopefully as a result of that Interior will not have a need to list the species. Again, this is a voluntary program and Sherman says it is it is being well received. SHERMAN: The interest shown by farmers and ranchers has been overwhelming for this program. We have had over 500 parties who have signed up to participate so far. It's critical to get ahead of the curve and if we can prevent a listing that's to everyone's advantage. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.