11/16/05 Sage grouse win-wins

Sage Grouse Win-Win Ranchers and sage grouse have heard the good news, but maybe some of you have not. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll tell you about the news in one minute. The good news for landowners, ranchers, and sage grouse is that the bird won't be listed as an endangered species. Zealous environmentalists have pushed hard for a sage grouse listing citing historical huge numbers before western lands settlement in the listing petition. The Idaho Cattlemen's Association and others commissioned a study to look at the data provided by the environmentalists. The results of the petition study stated the claims were "at best, a misstatement of fact and at worst a deliberate misrepresentation of the historic record." The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed with the study and concluded there wasn't enough science behind the petition to list the sage grouse endangered. This frees ranchers and landowners from restrictive federal mandates and allows them to work with local groups finding common sense solutions to assure continued sage grouse habitat. The best part is the sage grouse won't have the stress of being listed as endangered. The birds probably never thought they were anyway but if they were listed, I'm sure they would start looking over their tail feathers waiting for some signs they were truly endangered when in reality the main problems they need to watch for are coyotes, ravens and other predators. The next time an environmental group asks you for a donation, maybe you should ask them if they help fund conservation efforts that save species or prefer lawsuits. I'm Jeff Keane. Wallaces Farmers October 2005