"Population of North American Sage-Grouse Sharply Declining: Study"

"LOS ANGELES -- The number of breeding males in the greater sage-grouse population of the United States and part of Canada has declined by 56 percent in recent years, in a sign of trouble for the ground-dwelling bird, a study released on Friday showed.

The study from the Pew Charitable Trusts comes as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepares to make a decision before the end of September on whether the bird should be protected under the Endangered Species Act.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced on that a sub-species of the sage-grouse found in California and Nevada did not require protection under the Endangered Species Act. Environmentalists criticized the decision."

Alex Dobuzinskis reports for Reuters April 24, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"As GOP Pushes Listing Delay, Sage Grouse Numbers Have Tumbled -- Report" (E&E Daily)
http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/stories/1060017369