New Report Finds Increased Oil and Gas Leasing and Drilling in Priority Sage-Grouse Habitat
Press RoomDespite a formal directive to keep leasing, drilling outside sage-grouse habitat, federal agencies have pushed to develop in priority habitat.
How Audubon Helped Protect the Sagebrush’s Most Iconic Resident
In 2015, the Department of the Interior finalized landmark conservation plans to protect the Greater Sage-Grouse while preventing the need for an Endangered Species Act listing. The decision plotted a new, brighter future—not only for the sage-grouse, but for the American West. It was the result of significant levels of collaboration at an unprecedented scale. Audubon, with its sound science-based planning and steadfast work with a wide range of stakeholders, had been a major part of this remarkable achievement.
Where We Go From Here
More than 350 species depend on the sagebrush ecosystem, as well as people. Reaching 14 states, sagebrush country is vital bird habitat, but only half of it is left and new demands continue to be placed on it. Audubon’s Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative brings together citizens, industry, government, and NGOs to find pragmatic solutions that balance the needs of people and birds. Join us in conserving this American treasure.
What's at Stake in the Sagebrush Sea
Efforts to Help Greater Sage-Grouse to be Restored by Biden Administration
Press RoomThe Bureau of Land Management will respond to recent court decisions with new effort to reinstate plans to help struggling sage grouse populations.
Frustration Abounds Five Years After the Historic Sage-Grouse Agreement
NewsThe federal government hasn't kept up its end of the deal, advocates say, putting the bird back on course for an Endangered Species Act listing.
Unprecedented Conservation Efforts Keep Greater Sage-Grouse Off Endangered Species List
After more than a decade of work, the collaborative approach to protecting the bird pays off.
New Federal Report Shows 80-Percent Decline in Greater Sage-Grouse Populations
Press RoomNew numbers are another indicator of increasing threats to sagebrush country.
Court Strikes Down Trump Administration’s Sage-Grouse Directive, Canceling Hundreds of Oil and Gas Leases
Press RoomAdministration violated federal law by leasing sensitive sage-grouse habitat for drilling
Judge Blocks Trump Administration Plans that Lifted Sage-Grouse Protections
NewsThe injunction supports conservationists' claims that the industry-friendly plans are illegal, and puts stronger protections back in place for now.
Conservation
What’s Up With the Greater Sage-Grouse?
A definitive guide to the most talked-about bird in the West.
Rethinking the Endangered Species List
Some threatened species may never earn "endangered" status. Here's why that may be a good thing.
Related Working Lands News
Excerpt: Sage Spirit
In Dave Showalter’s dramatic new photography book, Rick Bass reflects on one of the most vital habitats in the American West.
Balance of Power
Green energy isn’t necessarily harmless. But new efforts are under way to site renewable energy projects and transmission lines outside unspoiled landscapes and wildlife habitat.
Press Room
Innovative Bill Would Promote Regenerative Ranching in California
By National Audubon Society
Audubon-sponsored bill encourages ranching practices that restore grasslands and sequester carbon.
Working Lands
President Trump Visits Colorado as his Policies Wreak Havoc on Public Lands
By Brian Rutledge
This Administration prioritizes energy leasing over sound management of the sagebrush ecosystem.
News
Video: Watch (and Hear) Two Bitterns Getting Weird in a Rice Field
By Jillian Mock
Mindful conservation on California rice farms creates homes for wetland birds, while also providing a rare chance to study them.
News
Celebrating Sagebrush: The West's Most Important Native Plant
By Daly Edmunds and Hannah Nikonow
Covering 165 million acres across 14 states, sagebrush country is home to more wildlife—and people—than you might realize.
Murmurations
In Mexico, Grassland Birds and Ranching Can Coexist — with Mauricio de la Maza
By The Editors
"That’s how everything kind of melds together: birds, habitat, water, the people, and economics."
