House defense panel votes to keep sage-grouse off endangered list

The House Armed Services Committee voted down a defense bill amendment early Thursday that would have allowed the Secretary of the Interior to protect the greater sage-grouse as an endangered species.  

Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) introduced the amendment, which would have struck a provision in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act that would delay any such finding through Sept. 20, 2025. 

{mosads}It would have also prevented implementation of federal land-use plans to conserve the greater sage-grouse and its habitat. 

Opponents have argued that protecting the bird would restrict the military from using land inhabited by the bird for training purposes. The issue was also hotly debated during the defense bill markup last year. 

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) rejected that argument. 

“This is not about the sage-grouse. This is not about military installations. This is about oil,” she said. 

Democrats on Tuesday released a letter from Department of Defense officials saying that protecting the bird would not affect military training, operations or readiness to any degree, but critics on the committee dismissed those letters. 

“Vote no like the Army told you to last year,” Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said. 

The amendment was voted down 35-27.

Updated at 11:02 a.m.