Voluntary Sage Grouse Initiative Making a Difference

Voluntary Sage Grouse Initiative Making a Difference

In 2010 the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service the Sage Grouse Initiative was launched to target efforts to protect sage grouse and its habitat and help sustain working rangelands for the long-term. The NRCS has invested almost $300 million and partners and landowners have put up an additional $120 million in an effort to protect sage grouse habitat.
Today 1,129 ranches across 11 Western states are conserving 4.4 million acres of habitat. That’s an area equivalent to two Yellowstone National Parks.
Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie continues with more about how this initiative really unique in its approach
Bonnie: “This effort is really unprecedented when it comes to protecting rare species of wildlife across private lands. There never been an effort at this scale across this many acres that has done this level of restoration. It has all been done through voluntary incentive-based approaches, working arm-in-arm with the ranching community and the agricultural community and a host of other conservation groups and states and others. The second point here is looking forward is in addition to the investments we’ve already made, our expectation is through 2018 NRCS is prepared to put about another $200 million on the ground to protect sage grouse. We think that will increase the number of acres perhaps over as many as 7 million acres across the range. We think we can have a notable impact on the bird working with ranchers.”
Previous ReportPLC Priorities: Antiquities Act and Equal Access to Justice Act
Next ReportRancher Speaks of On-Ground Results of Sage Grouse Initiative