Jewell: ‘Disappointing’ at-risk bird stripped of protections in spending bill

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said she is disappointed that Congress chose to block protections for the vulnerable sage grouse.

But the Obama administration “is still moving full steam ahead” in various ways to protect the 11-state habitat of the greater sage grouse and gunnison sage grouse species, working with federal, state and local agencies, Jewell said.

{mosads}Jewell made the statement the day after President Obama signed into law the fiscal 2015 spending bill that prohibits the Fish and Wildlife Service from listing either sage grouse species under the Endangered Species Act.

It was pushed by Republicans, energy companies and others who feared that protections could limit various commercial uses for the sagebrush land in the western part of the country that the birds call home.

Jewell also said her staff is still going through the process of determining whether the birds merit protections.

“The Omnibus continues funding for Interior and USDA to conserve sagebrush habitat and to advance the unprecedented collaboration happening across 11 Western states,” she said.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service will continue to collect data and conduct analysis, and the agency will reach a decision as to whether listing is warranted or not.”

She called lawmakers’ decision to pass the policy rider “disappointing,” saying their actions “will only create uncertainty, encourage conflict and undermine the unprecedented progress that is happening throughout the West.”

Jewell said her department shares the goal of states, ranchers, energy companies and others to reach the conclusion that other efforts apart from an endangered species listing can protect the sage grouse and a listing is not warranted.