NEWS
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of Communications News Room 460-A
Washington, DC 20250-1300
Internet: News@usda.gov Phone: 202-720-9035
World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.usda.gov
Release No. 0361.04
Julie Quick (202) 720-4623
Mary Cressel (202) 690-0547
USDA PROVIDES $2 MILLION FOR SAGE GROUSE CONSERVATION
AND RECOVERY IN FOUR WESTERN STATES
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 dramatic 90 percent
decline in population over the past two decades (records
have been kept since 1985). 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
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