Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Vice Chair Bruce Westerman (AR-04) led 23 Members in sending a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland urging an extension of the public comment period for the ongoing greater sage-grouse scoping process in order to increase participation from states, local governments, tribes, and stakeholders.
 
“During the process for the 2019 Sage-Grouse Plan amendments, the last Administration made it a priority to collaborate closely with state Governors, state wildlife managers, and other concerned organizations and individuals,” wrote the lawmakers. “This close relationship with stakeholders allowed BLM to improve its alignment with state plans and management strategies to increase the conservation benefits for the greater sage-grouse. This process also helped build a greater trust between the BLM and western communities. We urge you to strive to replicate these extensive coordination efforts as part of your review.”
 
In December 2021, Chairman Newhouse, Rep. Mike Simpson (ID-02), and Vice Chair Westerman led Western Caucus Members in calling on the Administration to empower locally-led sage-grouse conservation efforts and hold public meetings in all of the states impacted by sage-grouse land management plans. Click here to learn more.
 
In this letter, the Members requested an update on the Administration’s outreach to impacted communities and urged them to extend the public comment period for 60 days to ensure important voices are heard.
 
Text of the letter can be found here and below: 
 
Dear Secretary Haaland,
 
We write in regard to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) notice of intent to amend land use plans regarding greater sage-grouse conservation in the states of California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming published in the Federal Register on November 22, 2021. Given the significant public interest in this process and in the preparation of the associated environmental impact statements, we urge you to extend the comment period for the scoping process by 60 days to allow for more participation from states, local governments, tribes and stakeholders.
 
Before updating the greater sage-grouse land use plan amendments, the Department of the Interior under the last administration issued Secretarial Order 33521 with the aim of enhancing cooperation with the states, clearly identifying objectives and roles for states and the federal government, and establishing a team to review previous land use plan amendments and revisions. Additionally, during the process for the 2019 Sage-Grouse Plan amendments, the last administration made it a priority to collaborate closely with state Governors, state wildlife managers, and other concerned organizations and individuals. This close relationship with stakeholders allowed BLM to improve its alignment with state plans and management strategies to increase the conservation benefits for the greater sage-grouse. This process also helped build a greater trust between the BLM and western communities. We urge you to strive to replicate these extensive coordination efforts as a part of your review.
 
In December, we sent you a letter calling on you to empower states, local government, and private conservation partners as a part of this process. We also called on the Department to meet directly with impacted state and local governments as well as private conservation partners. Specifically, we requested that you host public meetings in all of the impacted states and would like an update on where the Department stands in carrying out that request.
 
In addition, given the broad and intense interest in this process of amending land use plans regarding greater sage-grouse conservation, we call on you to extend the comment period for 60- days to ensure that important stakeholder voices across the west are heard.