U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke signed Secretarial Order 3353 late Wednesday which local leaders hope will restore common sense to the local management of sage grouse populations. The order establishes an internal review team that will evaluate both Federal sage-grouse plans and state plans and programs to ensure they are complementary. The team will explore not only plan modifications but also will take into consideration local economic growth and job creation. “While the federal government has a responsibility under the Endangered Species Act to responsibly manage wildlife, destroying local communities and levying onerous regulations on the public lands that they rely on is no way to be a good neighbor,” shares Secretary Zinke. “State agencies are at the forefront of efforts to maintain healthy fish and wildlife populations, and we need to make sure they are being heard on this issue… There are a lot of innovative ideas out there. I don’t want to take anything off the table when we talk about a plan.” In the fall of 2015, BLM and U.S. Forest Service land use plans were implemented that local and state governments strongly opposed.
