Some 50 people attended the first meeting of the Dillon area Sage Grouse Local Working Group, Wednesday, December 17, at the Search and Rescue building. "We were thrilled with the turnout,"said Anne Cossitt, team leader hired to help organize the working group. "We had hoped to get folks with a wide range of interests related to sage grouse and thats who showed up, including landowners, stockgrowers, hunters, state and federal agency employees, county commissioners, and others."
Cossitt and team member Barb Beck provided background information on the statewide Management Plan and Conservation Strategies for Sage Grouse. The process for becoming a threatened or endangered species was also explained, because petitions have been filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act.
Declines in sage grouse populations have been documented across the West, and sagebrush habitat has been lost to cropland and development. The state plan was prepared to provide guidance for local working groups to address these concerns about sage grouse, but as Cossitt explained, "These working groups are autonomous and can decide for themselves what actions and projects make sense for this area." The ultimate goal of the local working group effort will be to maintain or increase population numbers and at the same time avoid a listing under the Endangered Species Act.
Following the presentation, meeting participants were invited to share their concerns and observations about sage grouse and sagebrush. Concerns ranged from the potential for impacts to grazing operations on public lands to wildlife viewers disturbing the birds during breeding season. One participant suggested, "Maybe the birds would like a little privacy when they are doing that!" There was also discussion, but not agreement, about reasons for the sage grouse population decline in the Dillon area.
The second Dillon sage grouse working group meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25, 2004, Search and Rescue building, 3 pm to 5 pm. Anyone who would like additional information can contact Anne Cossitt, Park City MT, 633-2213 or by e-mail at cossitt@usadig.com. Notes from the meeting will be posted on the website for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks in the next two weeks.
CONTACT:
Anne Cossitt Cossitt Consulting Park City, Montana (406) 633-2213 cossitt@usadig.com
