Cave Lake Sage-Grouse Habitat Protection
Current Status:
Inactive
Date Filed:
Jun 14, 2013
Case Title:
Western Watersheds Project v. Amy Luenders, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Department of Interior
Staff attorney(s):
Todd Tucci
Client(s):
To Protect:
Land
Wildlife
States:Nevada
Case Information:
June 14, 2013 — In a case led by Senior Attorney Todd Tucci, Advocates for the West filed a complaint on behalf of Western Watersheds Project to protect 145,000 acres of public lands in the Ely district of Nevada, which contains key sage-grouse habitat.
This is a follow-up case to our broader, ongoing lawsuit challenging 16 BLM Resource Management Plans in Idaho, Nevada, Utah, California, Wyoming, and Montana. This particular suit is in response to the BLM’s “Cave Valley/Lake Valley Watersheds Restoration Plan” which intends to apply a “treatment” to the area which involves mowing, chopping, burning, poisoning and “masticating” sagebrush within what the Nevada Department of wildlife considers “essential and irreplaceable” Greater sage-grouse habitat.
This plan is in direct contradiction to BLM’s own management guidelines, policies and other provisions designed to protect and enhance sage-grouse populations and habitat. In addition, BLM’s Plan is devastating for the other wildlife that relies on this public land, including bighorn sheep, pronghorn, pygmy rabbits, and a host of other sensitive species.
