BLM, Forest Service Seeks Public Comment on Sage Grouse

Federal agencies are asking for the public to weigh in as they try to figure out how to protect the greater sage grouse in 10 Western states. The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service announced Thursday that they would take comments on what issues they should consider. They plan to hold meetings throughout the West in January and February and comments are due Feb. 7. Sage grouse are chicken-sized birds that can be found in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, the Dakotas, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced last year that the bird deserves protection as an endangered species but such protection can't be extended because other species are in greater need of help.