Against the West

Nov. 8 was a sad day for ranchers and farmers across Wyoming as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released their long-awaited updates on management of Greater sage grouse and its 65 million-acre habitat across the Western range. 

We all knew it was coming, but we didn’t know the hammer would fall.

Those of us who ranch or farm in a sage grouse core area realize the Biden administration, U.S. Department of Interior and the BLM have it in for the West, especially Wyoming. Hopefully, this is their final push to do away with public lands grazing. This action will also affect private and state lands.

Wyoming was the first Western state to initiate core areas and a sage grouse management plan, which was used as a template by other Western states to create their own plans. Recently, Wyoming expanded the total acres of core area to hopefully temper the updates. It didn’t work. 

Our state government, the Wyoming Sage Grouse Implementation Team (SGIT), ag landowners and the state’s energy industry were all somewhat upbeat about the coming update, as they thought working with those in Washington, D.C. would have better results for Wyoming.

SGIT Chairman Bob Budd said, “We brought science to the table and told them, ‘Here is the way this ought to be handled.’ But it was ignored.”

Those of us in core areas have learned to manage our farming and livestock operations under core area restrictions, but it has not come without its sacrifices. However, I think we have done a good job.

But don’t forget, the state has spent a large amount of money on improving sage grouse habitat, for which us landowners appreciate. 

Out of the Western states, Wyoming’s sage grouse population is rising, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. I’ve never thought it was an easy bird to manage, and I personally suspect it spends a lot of its time looking for a place to die.

The BLM announcement said, “Sage grouse populations have continued to decline, largely due to habitat loss exacerbated by climate impacts such as drought, increasingly intense wildfires and invasive species.” 

Well, if the BLM is so concerned about loss of habitat, why have they designated millions of acres of federal lands in the West for wind and solar energy and most likely will not place any restrictions on lands grazed by bison?

Radical environmental groups are all in favor of this government action, as it fits their goal of no livestock grazing on public lands, and some don’t think the updates go far enough.

People don’t realize properly managed grazing of cattle and sheep helps to curb wildfires on all lands.

Although the BLM claims they used the best available science in developing these sage grouse updates, I don’t think this is true. Nowhere in the announcement did I read anything about controlling predators in Western states, which are the major contributor for loss of sage grouse numbers.

President-Elect Donald Trump has campaigned to bring the DOI and BLM back under commonsense management that will listen to experts in Western states. I can’t wait.

Have a great Thanksgiving.