Save the Sage Grouse

Recently much has been made of the greater sage-grouse, an imperiled bird found on the rangelands of the Western United States known for its charismatic mating dance. But when talking about the greater sage-grouse, what we really are discussing is the health of the sagebrush sea--an expanse of wide open wildlands that stretches from New Mexico to Montana. What defines that vast landscape are two elements, sagebrush, and the greater sage-grouse. Before Western settlement, there were upwards of 14 million sage-grouse; the current population now hovers between 200,000 to 400,000 individuals. But this sagebrush sea is also home to 300 other species of wildlife, including mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and golden eagles. As the sage-grouse go, so does everything else associated with this landscape.

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