DENVER – Northeast Wyoming is known for its Powder River Basin, the Nation’s #1 coal producing region, but the scattered sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.
Learn more about sagebrush landscape also supports oil and gas generation, and livestock grazing on the wide, windswept native grasslands. Here also is home for greater sage-grouse, sagebrush sparrows, Brewer’s sparrows, sage thrashers, mountain plover and ferruginous hawks. The prairie is pocketed with black-tailed prairie dog and burrowing owl holes.
Now, members of the Thunder Basin Grassland Prairie Ecosystem Association (Association) in Campbell, Converse, Crook, Niobrara, and Weston counties, along with two outlying properties in Montana, are working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Wyoming Game and Fish Department to enter into a programmatic Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances, Candidate Conservation Agreement, and a Conservation Agreement (CCAA/CCA/CA).
The agreements allow the Association Members to continue their livelihoods yet proactively conserve habitat now before the birds and burrowers would possibly be federally protected. In turn, the Association would be given 30 years of coverage for “take” should the animals ever need to be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
“We applaud the forward thinking approach the Association is adopting by addressing potential threats early,” praises Mountain-Prairie Regional Director Noreen Walsh. “By working together we can achieve landscape-scale conservation that will hopefully result in fewer listings under the ESA.”
The Service has also drafted an environmental assessment on the CCAA/CCA/CA’s detailing how the Association would conserve, restore, or enhance habitat for eight species.
The public is invited to submit comments requested by December 28, 2016, via the following methods:
- U.S. Mail to: Field Supervisor, Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Suite 308A, Cheyenne, WY 82009.
- Email: ThunderBasin_CS@fws.gov. Include “Thunder Basin CCAA” in the subject line of the message.
- Fax: 307–772–2358, Attn: TBGPEA CCAA.
- In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Documents will be available for public inspection by appointment during normal business hours at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wyoming Field Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Suite 308A, Cheyenne, WY 82009.
Association members will be able to voluntarily enroll non-federal lands in the Programmatic CCAA through a Certificate of Inclusion, which would incorporate conservation measures from the Programmatic CCAA that are specific to the threats on their specific property. The Service would provide assurances to participating private landowners and agree to not impose further restrictions on ongoing activities during the term of the permit even if any of the species are listed.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service.
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