[NatureNS] Demise of the sage grouse

From: "Elizabeth Doull" <edoull@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
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Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:43:55 -0400
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Groups act to save grouse
MARK HUME=20

February 14, 2008    Globe and Mail=20

VANCOUVER - With its stunning plumage and a courtship dance that is =
known as one of nature's most amazing spectacles, the greater =
sage-grouse has become an icon of the wild, prairie grasslands.

But the dance of the largest and some might say the most beautiful of =
all North American grouse has been rapidly fading from the landscape.

In Canada, where they are found only in southwest Alberta and southeast =
Saskatchewan, there are about 600 birds in total, down from 6,000 a few =
decades ago. At the same time, the number of active dancing sites has =
dropped to 17 from 82 and the habitat range has declined by 96 per cent.

Now, several environmental groups are launching a Federal Court action =
against John Baird, the Minister of Environment, claiming the government =
hasn't been protecting the places where the birds gather to dance and =
raise their broods.

In a court application that was filed in Vancouver late yesterday, =
Ecojustice Canada argues the federal government has violated the Species =
At Risk Act by failing to identify critical habitat in a recovery =
strategy that was released just last month.

"Essentially, what we are asking the court for is ... to expressly find =
that the Minister of Environment broke the law," said Devon Page, a =
staff lawyer with Ecojustice Canada.

The application seeks an order quashing the government's greater =
sage-grouse recovery strategy and declarations that the minister "erred =
in law ... acted without jurisdiction ... [and] based his decision on an =
erroneous finding of fact made in a perverse or capricious manner."

Mr. Page said the Alberta Wilderness Association, Federation of Alberta =
Naturalists, Grasslands Naturalists, Nature Saskatchewan and Western =
Canada Wilderness Committee want the recovery strategy revoked and =
re-released with critical habitat included.

Mr. Page, who is already pursuing a similar action in Federal Court =
concerning the endangered Nooksack dace, a freshwater fish in British =
Columbia, said a pattern has emerged in which the government's recovery =
strategies for endangered species do not identify critical habitat, even =
when scientists have mapped it.

He said the government doesn't want to include habitat because then it =
would have to protect it - and with the greater sage-grouse, that might =
create conflict with the oil and gas industry, livestock operations and =
highway expansion.

Environment Canada officials couldn't be reached for comment last night, =
but in the Nooksack dace case, federal lawyers have argued the =
complaints are too broad and call for a review of policy that would be =
better suited to a royal commission than to a court hearing.

The federal recovery strategy states its goals are to ensure no further =
loss of sage-grouse dancing grounds and to increase the breeding =
population, but Mark Boyce, with the Department of Biological Sciences =
at the University of Alberta, says to save the bird the government will =
first have to save its habitat.

"It's desperately endangered, mostly because of habitat loss," Dr. Boyce =
said of the greater sage-grouse, which was added to the endangered =
species list in 1998.

He said the population is so low that "any turn for the worse [in =
environmental conditions] could cause them to go extinct."

Dr. Boyce said researchers know exactly where the birds range and it =
would be possible for the government "to lay out our maps and say here's =
where we have critical rearing and brooding habitat and you can't build =
roads there."

Such restrictions would not harm the oil and gas industry, because "they =
could go around these areas" and use directional wells to get at =
deposits, he said.

Dr. Boyce, who has been studying the birds since 1977, said the mating =
dances typically involve 20 to 30 males at a single location, and are =
"truly one of the most amazing spectacles of the animal world."=20

In spring, the adult birds, which weight about three kilograms, gather =
at sites known as leks, where the males perform a dance competition to =
attract mates.

Puffing out their brilliant white chests, displaying tail feathers, and =
making a popping sound with air sacs, they compete for days until a =
dominant male occupies the centre of the lek.

The winner of the dance-off gets to breed with 80 per cent of the =
females.

.......................

In this morning's Globe and Mail, there is an interesting article on the =
dramatic decrease in the population of the endangered Sage Grouse in =
Canada.  The species is disappearing due to habitat loss - =
unfortunately, an all too common story among birds of the grasslands.  =
Several NGO's are taking the Environment Minister (John Baird) to court =
for failing to preserve appropriate habitat.=20

Unfortunately, the article does not appear to be on-line yet but should =
be later in the day.

Bob McDonald

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>
<DIV id=3Dheadline _counted=3D"undefined">
<H2 _counted=3D"undefined">Groups act to save grouse</H2></DIV>
<DIV id=3Dauthor _counted=3D"undefined">
<P class=3Dbyline _counted=3D"undefined">MARK HUME </P>
<P class=3Dsource _counted=3D"undefined">February 14, =
2008&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Globe=20
and Mail </P></DIV>
<DIV id=3Darticle style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 100%" _counted=3D"undefined"><!-- =
Tim Test: Generic, tgamv3/v5/story/BNStory.html, , BNStory --><!-- Tim =
Test2:  --><!-- Tim Test3: false --><!-- Tim Test5: true --><!-- Tim =
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<P _counted=3D"undefined"><!-- dateline -->VANCOUVER<!-- /dateline --> =
=97 With its=20
stunning plumage and a courtship dance that is known as one of nature's =
most=20
amazing spectacles, the greater sage-grouse has become an icon of the =
wild,=20
prairie grasslands.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">But the dance of the largest and some might =
say the most=20
beautiful of all North American grouse has been rapidly fading from the=20
landscape.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">In Canada, where they are found only in =
southwest=20
Alberta and southeast Saskatchewan, there are about 600 birds in total, =
down=20
from 6,000 a few decades ago. At the same time, the number of active =
dancing=20
sites has dropped to 17 from 82 and the habitat range has declined by 96 =
per=20
cent.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">Now, several environmental groups are =
launching a=20
Federal Court action against John Baird, the Minister of Environment, =
claiming=20
the government hasn't been protecting the places where the birds gather =
to dance=20
and raise their broods.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">In a court application that was filed in =
Vancouver late=20
yesterday, Ecojustice Canada argues the federal government has violated =
the=20
Species At Risk Act by failing to identify critical habitat in a =
recovery=20
strategy that was released just last month.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">"Essentially, what we are asking the court for =
is ... to=20
expressly find that the Minister of Environment broke the law," said =
Devon Page,=20
a staff lawyer with Ecojustice Canada.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">The application seeks an order quashing the =
government's=20
greater sage-grouse recovery strategy and declarations that the minister =
"erred=20
in law ... acted without jurisdiction ... [and] based his decision on an =

erroneous finding of fact made in a perverse or capricious manner."</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">Mr. Page said the Alberta Wilderness =
Association,=20
Federation of Alberta Naturalists, Grasslands Naturalists, Nature =
Saskatchewan=20
and Western Canada Wilderness Committee want the recovery strategy =
revoked and=20
re-released with critical habitat included.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">Mr. Page, who is already pursuing a similar =
action in=20
Federal Court concerning the endangered Nooksack dace, a freshwater fish =
in=20
British Columbia, said a pattern has emerged in which the government's =
recovery=20
strategies for endangered species do not identify critical habitat, even =
when=20
scientists have mapped it.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">He said the government doesn't want to include =
habitat=20
because then it would have to protect it - and with the greater =
sage-grouse,=20
that might create conflict with the oil and gas industry, livestock =
operations=20
and highway expansion.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">Environment Canada officials couldn't be =
reached for=20
comment last night, but in the Nooksack dace case, federal lawyers have =
argued=20
the complaints are too broad and call for a review of policy that would =
be=20
better suited to a royal commission than to a court hearing.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">The federal recovery strategy states its goals =
are to=20
ensure no further loss of sage-grouse dancing grounds and to increase =
the=20
breeding population, but Mark Boyce, with the Department of Biological =
Sciences=20
at the University of Alberta, says to save the bird the government will =
first=20
have to save its habitat.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">"It's desperately endangered, mostly because =
of habitat=20
loss," Dr. Boyce said of the greater sage-grouse, which was added to the =

endangered species list in 1998.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">He said the population is so low that "any =
turn for the=20
worse [in environmental conditions] could cause them to go extinct."</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">Dr. Boyce said researchers know exactly where =
the birds=20
range and it would be possible for the government "to lay out our maps =
and say=20
here's where we have critical rearing and brooding habitat and you can't =
build=20
roads there."</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">Such restrictions would not harm the oil and =
gas=20
industry, because "they could go around these areas" and use directional =
wells=20
to get at deposits, he said.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">Dr. Boyce, who has been studying the birds =
since 1977,=20
said the mating dances typically involve 20 to 30 males at a single =
location,=20
and are "truly one of the most amazing spectacles of the animal world." =
</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">In spring, the adult birds, which weight about =
three=20
kilograms, gather at sites known as leks, where the males perform a =
dance=20
competition to attract mates.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">Puffing out their brilliant white chests, =
displaying=20
tail feathers, and making a popping sound with air sacs, they compete =
for days=20
until a dominant male occupies the centre of the lek.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">The winner of the dance-off gets to breed with =
80 per=20
cent of the females.</P>
<P _counted=3D"undefined">.......................</FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>In this morning's Globe and Mail, there is an =
interesting=20
article on the dramatic decrease in the population of the endangered =
Sage Grouse=20
in Canada.&nbsp; The species is disappearing&nbsp;due to habitat loss -=20
unfortunately, an all too common story among birds of the =
grasslands.&nbsp;=20
Several NGO's are taking the Environment Minister (John Baird) to court =
for=20
failing to preserve appropriate habitat. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Unfortunately, the article does not appear to be =
on-line yet=20
but should be later in the day.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bob McDonald</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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