Interior Plans to Overhaul Sage Grouse Plans; BHA Responds
MISSOULA, Mont. -(Ammoland.com)- In response to a leaked Interior Department plan to overhaul conservation plans for the greater sage grouse, a move that would open key areas of the gamebird’s habitat to increased industrial and commercial development, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Conservation Director John Gale issued the following statement:
“Together, ranchers, business owners, local elected officials and hunters – essentially a who’s who of the West – spent years developing collaborative, individually tailored sage grouse conservation plans. The plans maintain traditional uses of the landscapes, including grazing and some development, while also upholding public lands hunting and fishing. And they played a key role in a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision two years ago not to list the sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act.
“Any move by the Department of the Interior to undermine these plans shows a callous disregard for the hard work and sweat equity of Westerners who invested more than a decade in crafting them. Altering the plans would do nothing to support the West’s outdoor-reliant economy or the many communities that depend on hunters, anglers and …Read the Rest
Source:: AmmoLand
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