August 3, 2017
TheHonorableRyan Zinke
Secretary
U.S. Departmentof theInterior
1849CStreetNW
Washington, D.C. 20240
DearSecretaryZinke:
Sportsmen and women have long valued the sagebrush ecosystem that harbors multiple species of wildlife like pronghorn, wild sheep,mule deer, and the greater sage grouse. This ecosystem also provides extraordinary recreation, and multiple uses for our country’s economic needs. That’s why theundersigned sportsmen-conservation organizations are writing in regard to your Secretarial Order No. 3353 that will evaluate federal conservation plans for sage grouse. Our groups agree that a review of these conservation plans by the new administration is reasonable to expect, but we have some concerns and recommendations for you and your review team.
The successful not-warranted decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in September 2015 that we all support came after years of coordination with the states and many stakeholders. Importantly, the not-warranted decision was heavily dependent on the full implementation of federal and state plans – without delay – and combined with voluntary efforts on private lands.
We support some of the stated goals in the Order, like strengthening cooperation with the states and implementing training for BLM staff. However, we cannot support major changes or disruptions to federal conservation plan implementation in sage country across the West.We realize that some states have remaining issues with the federal plans, but believe those issues can be resolved with administrative approaches rather than lengthy plan amendments. Our groups strongly encourage the Department to use these options along with stronger communication and training at local levels to ensure balanced multiple useswhile delivering conservation outcomes for sagebrush and sage grouse set forth in those plans.
We also strongly discourage changing the habitat focus employed by state and federal plans, and do not support the use of captive breeding programs, predator control, or disease management over conserving and restoring priority habitat needed by sage grouse and other sagebrush-dependent species. The aforementioned tools already are available to state wildlife agencies if they choose to use them, but are not designed to be strategies for conservation as stand-alone efforts. Habitat conservation is the foundation for successful ecosystem conservation, including sagebrush steppe in the West.
Thank you for considering our concerns as your team finalizes its report and you consider any decisions on the conservation of sage grouse. We ask that you keep this historic collaboration and conservation effort moving forward and requestany future decisions in regard to federal sage grouse plansbe developed in an open and transparent process that we may engage in further. Sportsmen and women value the sagebrush ecosystem that is home to more than 350 different species of plants and animals, including such iconic species like mule deer, pronghorn and elk that are important to our groups, our economy and our western way of life.
Sincerely,
Idaho
Idaho Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Idaho Chukar Foundation
Idaho Falconers Association
Idaho Hunter Education Association
Idaho Trout Unlimited
Oregon
Friends of the Owyhee
Oregon Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Oregon Wildlife Foundation
Izaak Walton League OR Division
Nevada
Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn
Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, Reno Chapter
Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, Fallon Chapter
Nevada Conservation League Education Fund
Nevada Muleys
Wyoming
Muley Fanatic Foundation
Shoot & Cast
Western Bear Foundation
Wyoming Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Wyoming Sportsmen for Federal Lands