November 27, 2013 08:03 PM UTC

Gov. Hickenlooper Serves Up the Sage Grouse for Thanksgiving

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• by: ClubTwitty

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

It appears that Gov. John Hickenlooper will be serving-up the greater sage-grouse for Thanksgiving this year.

In comments during a visit to the Western Slope with local officials, he claimed that the science was unclear as to whether oil and gas drilling affected wildlife habitat for the bird that is in dangerous peril of being listed as an endangered species.

It’s hard to say that those activities are the cause of diminishing numbers of sage-grouse.

Gov. John Hickenlooper, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, 11/25/13.

Apparently, Gov. Hickenlooper doesn’t listen to wildlife biologists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and his own administration at Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which found that oil and gas drilling poses the single greatest threat to greater sage-grouse populations in Colorado—a threat that is “increasing exponentially”.

“In the eastern portion of GrSG [greater sage-grouse] range (Colorado’s population), oil and gas development was seen as being the highest threat to GrSG, followed by infrastructure as associated with energy development and urbanization.” [emphasis added]

– Colorado Parks and Wildlife, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, U.S.D.A. Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Statewide Conservation Plan, January 2008

It’s unfortunate to see Gov. Hickenlooper use the bully pulpit for providing credibility to the junk science efforts of the Garfield County Commissioners, who are using thousands of taxpayer dollars to bring-in a Texas-based private consultant firm and industry-favorite wildlife biologist contrarian because they didn’t like the results of what the wildlife biologist staff at Colorado Parks and Wildlife were recommending.

The simple truth is that we need Gov. Hickenlooper’s leadership to drive a plan based on science that protects wildlife habitat and prevents an animal from becoming so rare that it is too expensive or impossible to save.

Unfortunately, Gov. Hickenlooper’s track record for conservation and protecting wildlife habitat is a little thin. This past summer, he joined four Republican governors on a letter opposing endangered species listing for another bird found in the West.

Protecting wildlife habitat for the greater sage-grouse isn’t just good for the bird, but it helps protect the greater landscape, hunting and fishing opportunities, and local economies throughout the Rockies. The animal shares the same wildlife habitat as big game such as mule deer or elk. Often times, these animals are face the same threats. In fact, mule deer populations saw huge drops due in part to oil and gas drilling.

Let’s do better by science and come up with a common sense plan that protects wildlife habitat and ensures oil and gas operators act responsibly on public lands.