Environmental groups have threatened to sue the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Services (“FWS”) and the Department of the Interior over the Gunnison sage grouse’s listing as a “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act. The Center for Biological Diversity and the Western Watersheds Program sent the notice of intent to sue to the agencies last week.
The Gunnison sage grouse is a small grouse found in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah. It was formerly found in New Mexico and Arizona as well, but the current numbers for the species is about 4,000 scattered populations only in Colorado and Utah. The Gunnison sage grouse was identified as a new bird species in the 1990s. It has been listed as endangered for 14 years. The species has lost about 90% of its natural habitat.
The groups claim that the Gunnison sage grouse is particularly vulnerable to habitat destruction and fragmentation from oil and gas drilling, as well as residential development and livestock grazing. For these reasons, the groups claim that the listing for the Gunnison sage grouse should have been “endangered” rather than “threatened.” An endangered listing applies to any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant part of its range. A threatened listing applies to any species likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant part of its range. If a species is identified as threatened rather than endangered, the FWS can create broad exemptions for entities such as oil and gas entities.
For more information, contact Toni Ellington at (504) 599-8500.
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