SAGE GROUSE MEETINGS

[ELKCHSR]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—NOVEMBER 27, 2002
Contact—Tom Palmer: 406-444-3031


SAGE GROUSE MEETINGS SET



Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host six public meetings in December to take comment on its commitments to a recently released plan to conserve and manage Montana's sage grouse.

The meetings will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. An open house will be followed by an informational update set to begin at 7 p.m. Public comments--and additional one-on-one discussions--will follow the update. The sessions are set for:

Dec. 3 Glasgow Cottonwood Inn
Dec. 4 Miles City Miles City Community College; Room 316
Dec. 4 Lewistown FWP Area Office; 2358 Airport Rd.
Dec. 5 Billings FWP Headquarters; 2300 Lake Elmo Dr.
Dec. 9 Great Falls FWP Headquarters; 4600 Giant Springs Rd.
Dec. 10 Dillon Search & Rescue; Twin Bridges Highway
The 180-page draft plan was developed by the Montana Sage Grouse Work Group, a mix of state and federal agencies, hunting groups, Montana Indian tribes, conservation groups, stockgrowers, and individuals, who worked for two years to complete a science-based conservation plan to address factors that may impact sage grouse populations.

FWP has arranged to take comment through Jan. 20, 2003 via FWP's website at www.fwp.state.mt.us--look for the Sage Grouse Plan link in the Hot Topics box; and by mail at Sage Grouse Plan, Montana FWP, P.O. Box 200701; Helena, MT 59620-0701.

The sage grouse, now with six different petitions submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asking for an Endangered Species Act listing, is North America’s largest grouse and is best known for its distinctive spring mating rituals on breeding grounds called "leks."

-fwp-

 

[Ithaca 37]

The writing is on the wall and the pressure is on! Even a few ranchers understand the problems that will be caused by listing. But the place I hunted last Sunday used to have lots of sage grouse and now there are none. Still, the rancher with the grazing lease has grazed everything right down to the dirt. I guess he's not concerned about listing.

 

[ELKCHSR]

I like to post these because when any of the Montana people complain about rules and what not, I can say that I posted when the meetings were and that they could have had their say then. I have been to some of these meetings and if one person has a valid point or responce, they by themselves at these meetings can make a great big difference. I at two meetings this last winter brought up the point of us [hunters] should not have to pay for weather damaged licences and that they should reissue them for free, they talked a little bit about it and then the automated tags came out with plastic coatings. It was a little silly to spend the money on plastic coatings when all they would have had to do was put in water proof ink..I will be raising that issue when the hunting reg. meetings come up again... It is amazing to me, how little can be said to possibly sway the meetings into a more positive light...

 

[1_pointer]

Yes, the handwriting is certainly on the wall. Escpecially considering the determination of a separate subspecies in southeast UT and southwest CO. That allows for easier listing. The Ranch I work on is doing just about anything they can to help out the birds. People who are worried about people telling them what to do with their land/leases better hope they don't get listed! ESA has more teeth in it than anyother law that I know of.

BTW- Just a note, one of the prime causes of death at Deseret L&L is fence collisions by the birds!