IDAHO ASKS TO JOIN SAGE-GROUSE LAWSUIT

BOISE – Governor Jim Risch is seeking to have the State of Idaho join as an intervenor in litigation over the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s determination that sage-grouse should not be listed under the Endangered Species Act. In July the Western Watersheds Project challenged that decision and filed suit with the Federal District Court of Idaho seeking reconsideration of the decision. The state is asking to participate with the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service as a co-defendant in the case.

Governor Risch filed his Motion to Intervene to protect the state’s interest in sage-grouse recovery programs. To date Idaho has spent $1 million to protect sage-grouse and has one of the largest research programs in the country for sage-grouse.

Through the Office of Species Conservation and the Department of Fish and Game a collaborative effort between federal and state agencies, local government, conservation groups and stakeholders was undertaken to develop a comprehensive management strategy for sage-grouse conservation.

“The state has put forth tremendous effort with all points of view represented to recover sage-grouse in Idaho. If the court rules that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must reconsider that decision it would greatly damage the collaborative effort that we have established and is currently in progress,” said Risch.

In July of 2006 Governor Risch signed a historic Sage-grouse Management Plan developed by collaboration and designed to protect the species.

Documents to intervene in the lawsuit were filed with the court today.

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