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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2015)
Wednesday, September 2, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 21 More sage grouse spending across West Folk festival gearing up for big weekend By Matthew Brown/gosia Wozniacka Associated Press PORTLAND (AP) — The federal government plans to spend more than $200 mil- lion over the next three years on programs to protect greater sage grouse in Western states — regardless of whether the bird receives federal pro- tections, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. Vi l s a c k t o l d T h e Associated Press that he wants to almost double pro- tected habitat for the elegant chicken-sized bird, to 8 mil- lion acres by 2018. He also promised more will be done to limit residential development in sage grouse habitat and to restore wetlands used by the birds. Nearly half of the roughly $211 million the government plans to invest over the next three years will go toward buying conservation ease- ments, Vilsack said at a formal announcement of the program in Portland, Oregon. Land under easement can only be used for grazing, but can’t be developed for other purposes. Another $93 million is slated for habitat restoration, he said, and $18 million will pay for technical assistance to landowners. “Landowners are stepping up, they’re doing their part, and we’re already seeing the benefits,” Vilsack said. More than 1,100 private landown- ers have signed up thus far for the program across 11 states, he said. The effort is part of an ongoing campaign by the Obama administration to demonstrate its commitment to staving off further declines in grouse populations and to avoid a proposal to list the bird as endangered. The bird’s fate has become a potential political liability heading into the 2016 elec- tion. Federal protections could prompt limits on energy drilling, grazing and other activities across the grouse’s 11-state range. Republicans have seized on the issue as supposed evi- dence of wildlife protection laws run amok. They say it underscores the urgent need to scale back the federal Endangered Species Act. Sage grouse were pro- posed for protections under the act in 2010, but they were not put in place because of other priorities. Estimates of the num- ber of sage grouse have var- ied widely, from 200,000 to 500,000 birds throughout the U.S. The birds once numbered in the millions. Vilsack said the adminis- tration was seeking to balance concerns over the bird’s future with economic reality. “Diversity of wildlife is important. Diversity of econ- omy is important as well,” he said in an interview. “We want our working lands to be pro- ductive, and we also want to make sure we maintain what’s unique to the value of that terrain.” Under a court settlement with environmentalists, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service faces a September 30 deadline to decide if protections are needed. The future spending Vilsack described is in addi- tion to more than $400 mil- lion spent on sage grouse con- servation since 2010. Future spending pledges — and additional money from states, conservation groups and oth- ers — would bump the overall tally to more than $750 mil- lion for sage grouse through 2018, according to federal officials. In Oregon, more than $18 million has been spent on 178 sage grouse-related projects, officials said. Participating landowners have received assurances from the govern- ment that if they participate and invest in sage grouse conservation now, they won’t have to face new restric- tions if the bird is listed as endangered. Roaring Springs Ranch in southeastern Oregon has gone a step further. The ranch hired a wildlife biologist and is con- ducting its own research to figure out which parts of the ranch provide good habitat for the sage grouse. The ranch also cuts down juniper trees to improve habi- tat, and uses prescribed burns and fire breaks to stop wild- fires that can be devastating to the birds, said biologist Andrew Shields. This year, the ranch saw a 25 percent increase in sage grouse on 250,000 acres of its private land. “Doing these initiatives from the ground up is a lot more effective,” Shields said. “This could be a new way of doing conservation.” Sisters Folk Festival is making preparations for the 20th anniversary festival, and organizers are gearing up for an outstanding event. The festival will feature 45 acts performing more than 140 sets over three days, Septem- ber 11-13. All artists are scheduled to play at least twice — many three times — to maximize the opportunity to see as much music as possible. Festival artists include: The Subdudes, a New Orleans blues-rock and soul band; Canadian super group The Bills; the 2014 encore artist Eric Bibb; songwriter Tift Merritt; and last year’s crowd favorite Darlingside. Additionally, Festival orga- nizers are proud to bring Ses- sion Americana; Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards; Ryan Montbleau, Mandolin Orange; Shinyribs; Gretchen Peters; Zydeco master Andre Thierry; hit songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman; Cana- dian roots band New Coun- try Rehab; Liz Longley; Australian-songwriter Jordie Lane; Jonathan Byrd and the Pickup Cowboys; Possessed by Paul James, Patchy Sand- ers; Lance Canales and the Flood, and many more. Brand-new Sisters Folk Festival merchandise is now available. A selection of merchandise is currently available at Paulina Springs Books in Sisters. The full array of festival gear will be on sale at Village Green and Sisters Art Works during the festival. The 2105 Sisters Folk Fes- tival schedule can be viewed and printed at www.sisters folkfestival.org. Sunday- only tickets are still avail- able for $65 adults and $40 for youth (18 and younger). For more information visit www.sistersfolkfestival.org/ tickets/. www.NuggetNews.com
