The greater sage grouse was denied endangered species classification by the Obama administration on Tuesday, according to The Wall Street Journal. The department instead opted to put trust in its new land-management plan, which they claim will protect the sage grouse's habitat.
"These collective efforts add up to a bright future for the sage grouse," said Sally Jewell, Interior Secretary of the Obama administration.
The decision means that ranchers with the sage grouse on their public lands will get to keep their property, leading to praise from the ranchers.
"Once you get a listing, it creates a real burden," said John O'Keefe, a presidential candidate for the Oregon Cattlemen's Association.
The department's new land-management plan is set to reduce threats to the sage grouse significantly and prevent the immediate risk of extinction, according to Yahoo News.
"This is the largest, most complex land conservation effort in the history of the United States," said Jewell.
Despite these claims, many conservation groups are not pleased with the decision and believe that the plans are not adequate enough to prevent a population decline, according to The Huffington Post.
"The sage grouse faces huge problems from industrial development and livestock grazing across the west, and now the Interior Department seems to be squandering a major opportunity to put science before politics and solve these problems," said Erik Molvar, wildlife biologist with WildEarth Guardians. "The government's proposed plans fall far short of ensuring this iconic, imperiled bird is protected from the serious threats posed by fossil fuel extraction, grazing and other types of development."
