Simpson Led Efforts to Rebuke Biden Administration’s Misguided Efforts on Sage-Grouse Recovery

Washington, D.C. – Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson continues to push back against the Biden Administration’s misguided attempts to unilaterally lock up Idaho’s public lands under the guise of protecting greater sage grouse habitat.

In November 2021, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that they would begin a process to impose a federal government issued, one-size-fits all sage grouse management plan on Western communities. Shortly after, Simpson led his Western colleagues in urging Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to address the primary cause of reduced sage-grouse populations and to detail the successes of state and local sage-grouse managed plans.

“Wildfires, drought, and invasive grasses all pose the biggest threats to our sage grouse populations today. Addressing these immediate threats should be the focus – not harming our rural communities by locking up land,” said Simpson.

Today, Simpson joined his colleagues in a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to encourage accountability and maximum participation in the sage grouse scoping review process by extending the public comment period by 60 days so the Department can hear from the communities most impacted by these decisions.

“Sage grouse have long been used as a political pawn at the expense of our rural and Western communities,” said Simpson.  “I will continue to advocate against the federal government imposing sweeping changes to sage grouse land management plans that undercut successful state-managed plans.”

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