FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Colorado BLM Withdraws Gunnison Sage Grouse and Parachute Penstemon Habitat from Oil and Gas Leasing

Imperiled Grouse and Wildflower Will Benefit

Citing concern about impacts to two highly endangered species – Gunnison sage grouse and Parachute penstemon – the Bureau of Land Management announced today that it withdrew portions of seven parcels from tomorrow's quarterly sale of oil and gas leases in Colorado. Center for Native Ecosystems expressed concerns about six of these seven parcels because of impacts to these two species, and today filed a formal protest challenging their inclusion in tomorrow's sale.

Citing concern about impacts to two highly endangered species – Gunnison sage grouse and Parachute penstemon – the Bureau of Land Management announced today that it withdrew portions of seven parcels from tomorrow's quarterly sale of oil and gas leases in Colorado. Center for Native Ecosystems expressed concerns about six of these seven parcels because of impacts to these two species, and today filed a formal protest challenging their inclusion in tomorrow's sale.

"It's great that the BLM withdrew these parcels, but what were they thinking?" asked Jacob Smith, executive director of Center for Native Ecosystems. "They should have looked carefully at the impacts before including them in the sale notice."

Specific withdrawals included all of the habitat for Parachute penstemon included in the original sale notice. Parachute penstemon is a native wildflower restricted to only six sites in Colorado's Roan Plateau area and has been an official "candidate" for Endangered Species Act protection for fifteen years. Because of its extremely endangered status and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s refusal to protect this imperiled plant, in March 2004 Center for Native Ecosystems was joined by Colorado Native Plant Society and two botanists (including Steve O'Kane, one of the botanists who discovered the plant in 1986) in submitting a formal citizen petition to protect Parachute penstemon under the Endangered Species Act. The agency has yet to respond to this petition.

The BLM also withdrew some – but not all – of the Gunnison sage grouse contained within the parcels included in the sale notice. The Gunnison sage grouse has suffered severe declines, with a total population decline between 42-90% over the last 50 years. Despite efforts by local collaborative working groups, six of the eight populations in the Gunnison Basin are now at risk of extinction. A coalition of citizen groups is currently working to secure emergency Endangered Species Act protection for the grouse.

"It shouldn't fall on the shoulders of Congressman Salazar and citizen groups around the state to make sure that oil and gas leasing doesn't destroy critical habitat for wildlife and plants," said Erin Robertson, staff biologist for Center for Native Ecosystems. "If the Bush Administration doesn’t give the BLM enough funding to responsibly manage public lands, the agency needs to speak up."

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