WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2004 –- Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced that $2 million in Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) funds is available for special projects to help protect Greater sage grouse habitat in Colorado, Idaho, Utah and Washington. Each state will receive $500,000 to protect and enhance sage grouse habitat on GRP easement lands, with technical assistance and additional financial assistance provided through state and local partnerships.

    "The Bush Administration is responding to threats on the sage grouse in unprecedented ways through historically high conservation funding levels and unique partnerships to implement market-based approaches to assist with population recovery," Veneman said. "These funds will boost existing efforts and partnerships with private landowners to improve the viability of the sage grouse."

   The sage grouse, a bird native to the Great Plains and western United States, has seen a decline in population over the past two decades. Populations currently exist in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Private lands comprise 28 percent (40 million acres) of the total acreage where existing Greater sage grouse populations are threatened; the remaining acreage is on state, tribal and public lands.

   GRP, a voluntary conservation program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency, helps viable ranching and farming operations protect and enhance grassland, rangeland, shrubland and certain other lands and provides assistance for rehabilitating grasslands. Eligible lands are enrolled in GRP through easements and rental agreements. Through GRP, producers protect and enhance habitat for sage grouse and other grassland-dependent species with declining populations.

   As USDA announced earlier this year, nearly $70 million in fiscal year 2004 funding was available to enroll land in GRP ($54.2 million financial assistance and $15.3 million technical assistance). This additional $2 million specifically targets Greater sage grouse habitat.

   Additional information on GRP is available at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/grp.