Background:
Every year, Congress must pass bills that appropriate money for all discretionary government spending and to avoid a government shut-down; an omnibus spending bill combines one or more of those bills into a single bill. This year’s omnibus spending bill, as with last year’s, included harmful sage-grouse riders (Note: A “rider” is an additional provision added to a bill or other measure under consideration by a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter of the bill. Riders are usually created as a tactic to pass a controversial provision that would not pass as its own bill).
How Audubon Chapters Got Involved:
In the weeks leading up to the finalization of the omnibus funding bill in mid-December, 38 Audubon Chapters from 8 western states joined other conservationists, ranchers, veterans and farmers in a letter to President Obama and congressional leaders. The letter urged political leaders to reject riders that would block federal funding necessary to implement federal plans (Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service) that strive to improve management of sage grouse habitat. Read letter here. [PLEASE LINK TO THE ATTACHED]
Thankfully, our voices were heard. Media picked-up this story and political champions remained strong (The Hill). In the end, the approved omnibus bill was favorable for grouse - providing full funding for the Department of Interior’s efforts to implement the federal management plans. The $1.15 trillion federal funding package for fiscal year 2016 contains $12 billion for the Interior Department, including substantial boosts to its three main land management agencies. We saw sage-grouse rider attempts in December 2014 and then again in December 2015. The final appropriations bill for 2016 earmarked $60 million for the Bureau of Land Management to conserve sage-grouse habitat in the West, including through activities like the removal of juniper trees, eradication of invasive weeds and prescribed burns. That's roughly a fourfold increase over current funding levels for grouse.
What Does this Mean for Western States?
It means that Western states, economies and public land won in terms of ensuring better management of public land. It means that the tools necessary for landowners, biologists and conservationists who are working desperately to ensure a brighter future for sage-grouse are going to be available and it means that Congress has not undermined the conservation plans that provided the basis of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services September 2015 decision that it wasn't necessary to list the bird under the Endangered Species Act. Westerners spoke loudly about the attempts to undermine common sense, collaborative conservation. Due to their advocacy, Department of Interior’s work on the plans are fully funded under the bill language released today. Americans in the West made their voices heard - and it mattered.
Technical Information:
- LAST YEAR’s rider language (Dec 2014):
Sec. 117. None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used by the Secretary of the Interior to write or issue pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533)--
(1) a proposed rule for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus);
(2) a proposed rule for the Columbia basin distinct population segment of greater sage-grouse;
(3) a final rule for the bi-state distinct population segment of greater sage-grouse; or
(4) a final rule for Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus).
- THIS YEAR’s rider language (Dec 2015):
SAGE-GROUSE 19 SEC. 117. None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used by the Secretary of the Interior to write or issue pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533)—
(1) a proposed rule for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus);
(2) a proposed rule for the Columbia basin distinct population segment of greater sage-grouse.
