BLM Sage-grouse Plans

With partners at the state and local levels, we are working to safeguard the landscapes on which greater sage-grouse and more than 350 other species rely for survival, and for the benefit of people who rely on them to support livelihoods and traditions now and in the future.

More than 70 resource management plans (RMPs) were adopted in 2015 to guide these efforts.

We are currently considering amending the 2015 plans to account for new scientific information and changing conditions accelerated by the effects of climate change. This planning aims to support persistent, healthy sage-grouse populations, consistent with BLM policy and in cooperation with state governments and other conservation partners.

We are committed to helping address continued declines in sage-grouse populations and loss of habitat. Our management policy requires us to take proactive measures to manage sensitive species so that they do not require federal protections (BLM Manual 6840.02.B). We will address ispecific ssues identified through scoping (see link to Report at-right), apply lessons learned from implementing the 2015 plans, and address concerns raised in court rulings. 

Beyond meeting the letter and spirit of Bureau policy, the balanced, sustainable management of sagebrush ecosystem to conserve sage-grouse also benefits hundreds of other wildlife species, as well as public land users and local communities across the West. 

A conceptual summary of preliminary draft alternatives for the current round of planning shows the agency's work to this point in the process. Specific language for each alternative is still being developed in coordination with our cooperating agencies. 

Questions may be directed to BLM_HQ_GRSG_Planning@blm.gov. 

Withdrawal of Sagebrush Focal Areas  

The 2015 management plans include a recommendation that the Secretary of the Interior withdraw habitats designated as sagebrush focal areas (SFAs) from eligibility under the Mining Law of 1872 (subject to valid existing rights). SFAs encompass about 10 million acres of Federal lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. 

The BLM has resumed its evaluation of the proposed withdrawal of SFAs from mineral location and entry and will issue a new draft EIS for public review, separate from the EIS analyzing proposed amendments to the 2015 plans.