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.

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.
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.
Despite a formal directive to keep leasing, drilling outside sage-grouse habitat, federal agencies have pushed to develop in priority habitat.
The Bureau of Land Management will respond to recent court decisions with new effort to reinstate plans to help struggling sage grouse populations.
The 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.
After more than a decade of work, the collaborative approach to protecting the bird pays off.
New numbers are another indicator of increasing threats to sagebrush country.
Administration violated federal law by leasing sensitive sage-grouse habitat for drilling
The injunction supports conservationists' claims that the industry-friendly plans are illegal, and puts stronger protections back in place for now.
A definitive guide to the most talked-about bird in the West.
Some threatened species may never earn "endangered" status. Here's why that may be a good thing.
Audubon-sponsored bill encourages ranching practices that restore grasslands and sequester carbon.
This Administration prioritizes energy leasing over sound management of the sagebrush ecosystem.
Mindful conservation on California rice farms creates homes for wetland birds, while also providing a rare chance to study them.
Covering 165 million acres across 14 states, sagebrush country is home to more wildlife—and people—than you might realize.
"That’s how everything kind of melds together: birds, habitat, water, the people, and economics."
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