3-23 FB Sage Grouse Fire

  There has been a whole lot of talk over in Washington  D.C. about the sage grouse and preventing it from becoming an endangered species. One of the most proactive people in this ongoing dialogue is Congressman Mike Simpson. In a recent meeting with the BLM, Simpson commended BLM for taking  a proactive approach on the conservation of the sage grouse but warned about spending money the wrong way. Nikki Watts, the congressman’s spokesperson in Idaho had this to say regarding this issue: "Now more than ever we need to see a return on this investment, not just waste this funding on planning exercises that don't help us reach our goal. Some of the greatest threats to the sage grouse are invasive weeds and wildfire. How will this investment be used to control cheat grass, for example, and prevent fires that destroy sage grouse habitat? Preventing this listing is a top priority for me, and it will require close partnership between federal agencies, states, and local land users.  We have to get this one right." Director Abbey noted that the greatest threat to sage grouse is fire and indicated that the bureau is working to prevent and suppress wildfires in core habitat areas.