The energy industry lobbying organization Western Energy Alliance has begun an ad campaign to highlight the dangers of listing the greater sage grouse as an endangered species.
The campaign includes radio and online advertisements that focus on the potential impacts that federal management of the sage grouse presents to Wyoming industry, agriculture, and tourism.
One ad hints that regional management of sage grouse is preferable to federal, stating,“Unfortunately, an upcoming federal ruling threatens to bring state and local conservation efforts to a screeching halt and with it, our rural Western way of life. Let’s work together to give the sage grouse and our Western economy a fighting chance."
Other ads liken the grouse to the spotted owl, and suggest that listing it would result in lost jobs across Wyoming and other states.
Despite on-going regional plans and industry efforts, the greater sage grouse population has continued to decline across its eleven-state range. Some conservation groups feel that listing the bird as an endangered species is the only way to ensure its survival.
