Feds propose land controls to preserve Nev. sage grouse
By Steve Tetreult, Las Vegas Review-Journal
WASHINGTON — The Department of Interior on Thursday proposed added controls across 17 million acres in rural Nevada and northeastern California to preserve habitat and avoid an endangered species listing for the imperiled sage grouse.
Solar and wind energy development would be excluded or subject to added scrutiny across Northern Nevada, according to a new environmental impact report. Controls would be put in place for geothermal and oil and gas exploration over 15 million acres and restricted outright in 1.5 million acres of the most sensitive areas where the range birds flock.
There would be potential effects on mining and grazing in the best remaining areas for the grouse, whose population has dropped from the millions to about 200,000 to 500,000 across the West.
Good, there is already plenty of access and we need to protect habitat for wildlife. The sage grouse deserve to have a place to survive and not be run out by oil rigs or wind turbines. There is room for all.
Plenty of access? Where? The Feds are taking it all. It may not matter to YOU, but there are others in the world besides you who actually like to make use of “Public” lands.
So am I to understand the sage grouse will dictate policy for over 165 million acres in the west while energy policy for the people of the United States and the geopolitical implications will be secondary. Maybe theire are cases where the endangered species act needs to be reconsidered. Just a thought.
“Plenty of access? Where?”
All over. Millions of acres.
cognitive dissonance.
This is the wrong way to go about this, I have been a sportsman, hiker, dirt biker for many years. I have seen huge pipelines, wind turbine and solar windows. These do not encroach on wildlife once construction is complete. Actually most of the time water systems, guzzlers are created and reseeding allotments are put in the area. Northern nevada is vast. There is another reason for the decline in numbers. A designated off-road use area can be overused to push wildlife out. Plain and simple having a dirt bike whiz through several times a day is disturbing, but in most of these ares the use is infrequent 4th July weekend or Labor Day. Sage grouse are not a truly sought after hunt so don’t blame it on over hunting. Housing or urban encroachment? Have you been out there? Ha. Predators? Coyotes hmmm. Look elsewhere for the cause and be smart about it.
Thanks for the specifics, there, Prunes. If I said something like that in response to a question from YOU, you’d be apoplectic, and start in with the insults. Oh wait. You insulted me (cognitive dissonance, your favorite phrase) for asking a question.
Have any of you people even gone to the meetings about the grouse? FS were there, BLM people, state people. . . they couldn’t REALLY agree and what the problem was or where the grouse were. But the biggest threat to that bird was made quite clear to be another bird! The raven! And they won’t do anything about the raven’s predations because it is also a protected bird, under another entirely different program! Migratory bird act. There are so many ways the Feds can keep people off the people’s lands that it’d make your head spin. And they’re not afraid to use ’em.
To what end, we can’t understand, but it has NOTHING to do with protecting the sage grouse, any more than what went on down south was about protecting a desert tortoise. It’s about property, money, and politics, and nothing else.
Hmmm, According to the opening paragraphs, solar and wind is pretty much excluded. Oil and geothermal would be controlled on 15 million acres and in 1.5 million there would be complete restrictions. It does say that this would be implemented over Nevada and northern California. Nowhere in the article does it say how the acreage will be divided between the two states. Yet total restrictions of 1.5 million does not sound like a lot in the state of Nevada with almost 71 million acres. The real concern I would see in regards to government control of our “public” lands would be what is the land being used for currently and what is the future potential use (mining, gas, grazing) of the land where these restrictions will be implemented.
Good report douglas makes sense. As a human we should not be let out of the biosphere the government wants to encapsulate us in next we kill off Ravens so something else can get out of whack. How many people have ever seen a sage grouse !
One more time the government is meddling where it doesn’t belong nor is wanted. I agree, most of the bureau-rats have ZERO clue of what it’s like to live there. I bet the Bummer doesn’t even know what a Sage Grouse is….nor do most of his clowns in DC. I don’t really want to see oil rigs but, it’s better to use our own energy than buy if from Terrorists.
Slapshot: I recall reading about some 2 inch yellow frog in Cal that is the subject of liberals trying to keep humans out of OUR own public lands. I heard one was accidentally squashed the other day. I guess the million or so left will figure out a way to survive.
why are they putting up restrictions on geothermal is this not one of the best renewable energy source out there? Would it not be best for the environment as a whole to do more of this than put up controls to slow it down?
Kit they have been using that frog excuse for a while. the funny thing is the science shows that they’re having a hard time surviving because of disease, not people. but time and time again the Environuts will use the endangered species act to get us out of public lands
Liberal Logic:
Protect the Sage Grouse! They’re going to be on the endangered species list! No more wind power! No more geothermal exploration!
Save the earth! Stop global warming! Use renewable energy! Install wind and geothermal power!
As Kit pointed out, most of these people have probably never seen a Sage Grouse, much less actually been to the places they want to restrict. Why do the people with the least knowledge about what they’re doing always get the most control?
There are million of acres out there. There’s no need to restrict them all. After all, aren’t we part of the food chain on this planet too?
I think humans with brains should be put on the endangered species list.
greengrass
Nature bats last, Nice meeting and talking with you the other day!
Protect the habitat for Sage Grouse! Yes I’ve seen a few. One scared the bejusses outta me as it was hunkered down in the forest off the road to Blue Lakes. Didn’t fly off till I was right up on it, surprizing us both! Neat birds and they sure make a racket when they take off.
The baby Stellars Jays are coming along just find in their nest above the ledge over the kitchen window. They have been coming back and nesting there for years.
The bears have been pretty much been absent here on Knox ave this year. Kinda nice for a change. I don’t have to pick up the neighbors trash! Take care, OLS
Geeze wrongula, dont have a hernia…..
The trolls are in rutt today!!!
Keepin’ it classy, Bats. . .
OLS: Spotted one eating someone’s dog food a few streets away from Knox. Just because you don’t see ’em doesn’t mean they aren’t around! Watch out! Real bears aren’t exactly “teddy bears”, and they’re especially dangerous in the spring.
Greengrass I’m curious as to why you feel black bears are especially dangerous in the spring. And the way I understand it, they really aren’t ever truly dangerous unless you corner them and are blocking their escape route. Black bears by nature are extremely timid and would rather not have any interaction with anything, even other bears. In the history of California no one had ever been killed by a black bear.
Hey OLS, yes, I too enjoyed our visit. Im sure our paths will cross some more.
good luck with your garden. Plant on…
The Bears here in Lake Tahoe ,I have never heard them to be dangerous ,Who Has been killed here ? No one i Know of.Leave them alone .
Biggerpicture: You have to remember, by the time the come out of hibernation, they haven’t eaten for months. Not only does this make them more apt to consider alternative food sources, i.e., the person’s dog food, trash, etc, but it also makes them extremely territorial about their food supplies. Basically, you’ve got a bunch of hungry, cranky bears, that just got done with a 5 month fast.
As if all that isn’t enough, the bears may have cubs too. Step in-between a momma bear and her cubs, and you may never see the light of day again.
The bears are usually solitary animals that just want to be left alone, but make no mistake, they are incredibly fast, powerful, and unpredictable, and if you push the wrong button with one, you never know what might happen. Plus, many of the ones around here have been eating dog food and trash so long they are accustomed to the presence of humans, which is just another added danger.
I though just a couple weeks ago there was a man found dead in a remote area of northern California, with a black bear chewing on him. Regardless, they know they can easily overpower you, and, like all wild animals, they’re unpredictable. I say better to be safe than sorry. Everyone should read up a bit on bear behavior, and know what to do in case of an attack.
Linda: Several bear attacks have occurred in the Tahoe area. If you want to feed them and pet them and convince yourself that they’re cute and cuddly, fine, but I’m going to keep living