Save the Grouse! Tell Sec. Zinke to Protect the Bird, the Herd, and the West. | Help Wildlife, Protect the Environment, Support Nature Conservation, Save the Planet

The sage grouse is an "indicator species" -- thriving sage grouse populations signal a healthy habitat for the 350 species that call the sagebrush home. But Sec. Zinke wants to dismantle plans to protect it.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Some people find it majestic; others think it’s funny-looking. But across the West, the iconic sage grouse is also known as an "indicator species": a thriving sage grouse population is a sign of a healthy sagebrush habitat. In recent years, the sage grouse was careening towards extinction -- until ranchers, conservationists, and industry workers reached a compromise to protect it.

It was a historic conservation success story. In 2015, Western stakeholders reached a bipartisan, win-win agreement that strengthened protections for the bird and the 350 other species that also rely on its habitat. The plan minimized the risk of wildfires and gave ranchers and landowners incentives to preserve sagebrush habitat.

Now Interior Secretary Zinke wants to gut that plan to please his buddies in the oil and mining industries -- and he’s only giving the public three weeks to comment on his plans.

Zinke is treating the sage grouse the same way he’s approaching national monuments like Bears Ears -- he’s ignoring public opinion and throwing out years of hard work, all to benefit the oil, gas, and mining industries.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is accepting comments from now until December 1st. Add yours to speak up for the sage grouse and its habitat.

SIGN THE PETITION: Save the Grouse! Tell Sec. Zinke to Protect the Bird, the Herd, and the West. | Help Wildlife, Protect the Environment, Support Nature Conservation, Save the Planet