Daily Score Blog

As part of the Cascadia Scorecard’s wildlife indicator, Sightline monitors the populations of five Northwest species as a proxy for broader ecological health. We track the population of greater sage-grouse in Oregon, which can tell us something about the integrity of the region’s sagebrush country. Unfortunately, recent population trends are troubling: biologists believe there are now as few sage-grouse in Oregon as at any time since they have been studied.

With the Northwest’s abundant iconic scenery, it is easy to ignore the vast swath of interior desert of southern Idaho, eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. That's unfortunate because the “shrub steppe” ecosystem -- it’s not technically a desert -- is home to an astonishing array of wildlife, some of which inhabit no place else on earth but the arid Northwest. In fact, the region is home to curiosities like pygmy rabbits and giant earthworms, but also a full suite of more “charismatic” critters like elk, owls, porcupines, cougars, and of course, the sage-grouse.

Perhaps no single species speaks for the health of sagebrush country as well as the greater sage-grouse, a bird that is best known for its ostentatious breeding displays. (Check out this video to see what I mean.) The birds can serve as a rough indicator of the health of their ecosystem because nearly every form of human activity in sage country affects their populations. Fencing, towers, and transmission lines give their predators the advantage. Resource extraction, such as mining and drilling, stress the grouse and render land unsuitable for mating and breeding. Farmlands and sagebrush eradication destroy their habitat conspicuously, while livestock grazing and off-road vehicles accomplish the same end more subtly. Invasive species, especially cheat grass, render their landscapes more vulnerable to fire even while simplifying the native plant communities, making food more scarce. And long-term mismanagement of the land can turn even native species, like juniper, into a threat.

Sage-grouse are now under consideration for listing as a federal endangered species in the United States. (A decision is expected by summer of 2009.) And if the future of sage-grouse is in doubt, then it is probable that the integrity of the large sagebrush ecosystem is also severely weakened, boding ill for a number of plants and animals.  

The 2009 Washington State legislature came to a close last month and talk of a special session has dissipated. So how did the environment – and opportunities for efficiency, transportation and smart energy choices -- fare during this latest gathering of law makers?

Overall the 2009 session was a mix of defeats for larger more comprehensive measures but wins for smaller, more focused legislation. 

Let’s start with Priorities for a Healthy Washington, a legislative agenda put together by The Environmental Priorities Coalition. The Coalition had 4 items on its list this year.

But the real story -- often buried below headlines like "Eco-Wars" -- is how these two camps of environmentalists are already working together to reconcile the critical need (and indeed the opportunity) to transition to clean energy to combat global climate change with the need to stick to their guns when it comes to environmental protection and sensitivity to critical habitats.

In fact, just yesterday The Oregon Natural Desert Association released a mapping project that determines optimal sites for responsible wind development in the Oregon desert. They worked with Audubon Society of Portland, Defenders of Wildlife, Hells Canyon Preservation Council, Oregon Sierra Club, and WildEarth Guardians to put it together.

We'll likely see more and more of this kind of cooperation. As Johanna Wald, a senior lawyer at the Natural Resources Defense Council put it in the Washington Post, "There is no free lunch when it comes to meeting our energy needs," She added, however, that the renewables boom "offers a chance to do it right."

"We want to do it differently compared to how we did oil and gas development."

Here's a great, short video on development, sprawl, and transportation that illustrates some of the concepts we here at Sightline have been talking about for a while. Created by John Paget, it's the winner of the Congress for New Urbanism CNU 17 video contest. And it's pretty cool to boot:

If the video doesn't work, you can see it on YouTube.