4-30 IAN Simpson Sage Grouse

 Simpson Raises Western Concerns with Fish and Wildlife Service. Questions Director on sage grouse, wolves during budget hearing. Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today pressed the Fish and Wildlife Service Director on efforts to preserve sage grouse and the need for ranchers to receive compensation for livestock lost to wolves.  Simpson chairs the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the Service. 

Noting that the Service must make a decision about whether or not to list sage grouse as an endangered species by the end of FY2015, Simpson asked Director Dan Ashe what efforts are in place to prevent that listing.  He also pointed out the value of the state management plan that Idaho has been working hard to develop in order to protect the bird and, hopefully, prevent a listing.  Director Ashe said that the Fish and Wildlife Service concurs that Idaho’s state management plan and a well managed range are good for sage grouse; he added that the parties involved are seeing “good momentum.”  He said “we’ve got a lot of work to do, but everyone is talking to one another.”   

Simpson spokesperson Nikki Watts: Congressman Mike Simpson asked the director  “Do you agree that wildfire is the greatest threat to sage grouse?”.  Director Ashe said that while habitat degradation has traditionally been the largest threat to sage grouse, wildfire may be the most significant factor now.