Dept. of Interior announces sage grouse decision

“Because of an unprecedented effort by dozens of partners across 11 western states, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the greater sage-grouse does not require protection under the Endangered Species Act,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced Tuesday morning.

The announcement was made in a video posted on the Department of Interior’s website and social media outlets.

This decision has both economic and recreational impacts in the Platte Valley and surrounding area as ranchers, hunters and industry would have been hampered by additional greater sage grouse p...