Sage grouse.

WORKING DRAFT
2015

STATE OF
WYOMING
15LSO-0437
Numbered
2.1

Senate

JOINT RESOLUTION
NO.
SJ0006

Sage grouse.

Sponsored by:
Senator(s) Hicks and Representative(s) Brown

A
BILL

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION requesting Congress to recognize and encourage state primacy in sage grouse management by granting an extension of time to allow development and implementation of state sage grouse conservation plans.

WHEREAS,

Wyoming is committed to the conser
vation of greater sage
grouse (c
entrocercus urophasianus) and its pre
sent habitat located within Wyoming
; and

WHEREAS,

Wyoming
has produced a
nd implemented a statewide sage
grouse conservation plan that p
rovides both a regulatory frame
work and financial support of this commitment
to sage grouse
; and

WHEREAS,

the
game and fish commission of Wyoming

and other state agencies possess significant expertise in
the
management of greater sage
grouse and its habitat and whose experts work

in full cooperation with the federal agencies managing federal lands within the
s
tate; and

WHEREAS,
implementation of the s
tate’s
sage grouse
conservation plan has produced scientific
,
peer reviewed research related to the ecology of the habitat and biology of the species, the adequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms,
and
natural and anthropogenic factor
s a
ffecting
species
existence, all of which
must be considered by the United States

f
ish and
w
ildlife
s
ervice in making a determinati
on whether to list greater sage
grouse as threatened or endangered under t
he
E
ndangered
S
pecies
A
ct
of 1973
; and

WHEREAS,

categorical exclusions from the National
Environmental Policy Act
and the National Historic Preservation Act are
necessary to allow

the
federal
agencies
managing federal lands
within the
s
tate

to remove coniferous trees that
are detrimental to greater sage
grouse habitat; and

WHEREAS,

Wyoming wishes to continue its collaboration with other states

that contain
c
urrent habitat for greater sage
grouse; and

WHEREAS,

the Congress and the President are to be commended for recognizing the unprecedented collaboration among the variou
s states regarding greater sage
grouse conservation and the need to continue on

the

ground conservation and monitoring activities as recognized through the enactment of
Division F, Title I,
Section 122 of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015; and

WHEREAS,

time is needed to allo
w the regulatory frame
work and th
e conservation measures in the s
tate plan to be implemented over a period of multiple, consecutive sage

grouse life cycles to determine the efficacy of the plan and the need for adaptive management, if any.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.

I
n order to ensure implementation of state
sage grouse conservation
plans and full consideration of
the efficacy of those plans Congress should provide an extension of time for a period of ten
(10)
years through and including fiscal year 2025 before the
United States secretary of the i
nterior can consider, write or issue pursuant to Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 a finding or proposed federal endangered species regulation
.

Section 2.

T
hat
d
uring this period,
Wyoming will implement its sage

grouse conservation plan, thereby establishing and enhancing its efficacy over time
.

Section
3
.

T
hat during this period,
Wyoming will provide information to the
United States s
ecretary
of the interior
about the conservation status of
greater sage
grouse in
Wyoming
and implementation of its sage
grouse conservation plan, to facilitate an annual repor
t to Congress on the stat
us of greater sage
g
rouse
.

Section
4
.

T
hat Congress should by legis
lation recognize and encourage s
tate primacy
in the long

term management of s
age
grouse and its habitat to ensure an effective and balanced approach that seeks to recover
and
protect sage
grouse populations while protecting state economic interests, educa
tional funding from state lands
and valid existing rights including private property rights.

Section
5
.

That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress
,
to the Wyoming Congressional Delegation
and to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota
, Utah
and Washington
.

(END)

1
SJ0006