The State of Montana has been a leader in the conservation of sage-grouse and their habitats. Since 2012, Montanans have been rolling up their sleeves and working together to find common ground when it comes to ensuring that we not only take care of the sage grouse, but we also take care of the people whose livelihood will be most impacted if the bird gets listed under the Endangered Species Act: farmers & ranchers.
That’s why we need your help today. Earlier this summer, Secretary Zinke eliminated the need for developers on public land to offset their impacts through mitigation. That means the government is telling companies that they don’t need to leave Montana better than how they found it. That’s a shame, especially after Montanans of all stripes worked together to ensure the federal plans and the state plans would work together.
Due to the Department of Interior walking away from their obligations related to mitigation, the state of Montana has the task of implementing a strong mitigation policy that will not only keep sage grouse from being listed under the Endangered Species Act, but would help improve habitat for mule deer, elk, pronghorn, and over 350 other species of wildlife and native plants.
Please take a moment to send a note to the Department of Natural Resources & Conservation with the following message:
Since the federal government is not honoring their deal, made in 2015, to use mitigation as a tool in restoring damaged public lands, it’s up to the state of Montana to pick up the slack and advance a mitigation proposal that ensures continued state management of the greater sage grouse. True multiple use means leaving a place better than how you found it, and only through the Montana Mitigation policy can we live up to that longstanding management ideal.
