Wyoming Infrastructure Authority

Office of Gov. Dave Freudenthal
Press Secretary Jonathan Green

State Capitol, Room 124

Cheyenne, WY . 82002

307-777-7434

March 5, 2010

****** For Immediate Release ******

Contact: Press Secretary Jonathan Green

Phone: 307-777-7437
Mobile: 307-421-0197

E-mail: jgreen3@state.wy.us

Governor unsurprised by sage grouse decision, vows to press on with state’s efforts

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Gov. Dave Freudenthal said he is unsurprised the Fish and Wildlife Service declined to list the greater sage grouse as endangered but found the species to be threatened.

Freudenthal thinks sage grouse populations are stabilizing but accepted the ruling from Fish and Wildlife Service.

Audio 100305a-Gov-Sage_Grouse.mp3 (344kb; :21)
Freudenthal: “Naturally, I would have preferred a ‘not-warranted’ finding. I accept the determination that has been made by the Fish and Wildlife Service. I am encouraged by the fact that the Department of the Interior is willing to work with us so that part of the burden of maintaining the species is borne on federal land and does not simply burden private and state land.”

The Governor said Wyoming will continue working to safeguard habitat for the sage grouse through Freudenthal’s core areas imitative.

“Over the course of the next year, we will keep working with the core area policy to make sure that we clearly demonstrate that our sage grouse are secure, but also to ensure that the policy works for the state,” Freudenthal said.

“People still need to go to work - and work in Wyoming means working on the land in the oil patch, in the mine and on the ranch, sometimes right next to or within core areas. In this regard, I look forward to robust investments by our federal partners to facilitate sage grouse preservation in Wyoming, particularly to help private landowners,” the Governor said.

Freudenthal thanked the sage grouse implementation team for helping to develop sound conservation policy.

“Absent the policy shift developed by the team, I have no doubt that the bird would have been listed. The candidate listing gives us a fighting chance while an endangered or threatened listing would have taken the wind out of our sails. Now is the time for us to roll up our sleeves and hone our strategies to make sure Wyoming’s birds are never listed - no matter what happens elsewhere in the West,” the Governor concluded.
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Jonathan Green
Press Secretary,
Office of Gov. Dave Freudenthal
307-777-7437 Desk
307-421-0197 Mobile
** This email may be subject to public records disclosure law and hence may be released to third parties.