The greater sage grouse, whose numbers have seen a 90 percent decline from a century ago and who have lost more than half of their historic habitat, does not have a good long-term prognosis, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told reporters at a press conference this morning.

Still, the grouse population has been relatively stable for the past decade, which indicates that some things are being done right. So, in light of the sage grouse’s arrested march towards extinction, the Interior Department announced that at this time it would not receive full endangered species listing but instead be designated a candidate species.

By listing the grouse as a candidate species, the grouse can remain unlisted while incentives are provided to private landowners and management agencies to restore, enhance or maintain sage grouse habitat.

The announcement was a victory for Gov. Dave Freudenthal’s administration, which has worked hard with private landowners and the energy industry to protect sage grouse and keep them off the endangered species list.

Wyoming’s efforts at protecting the sage grouse were praised by Salazar, who noted the work done in the state to identify core areas and working to protect them, while allowing use on surrounding areas.

The Fish and Wildlife Service also is working with landowners and recently announced a program called Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAA).for cooperating landowners. Under the program, landowners are assured that if the grouse becomes listed as endangered in the future, the landowner will not be required to do more than was already agreed under the CCAA.

As reported last month in the Wyoming Business Report’s eDaily, “We would keep doing what we’re doing on the land," Jim Magagna of the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association said, calling the CCAA an “insurance policy” against harsher restrictions if listing were to occur.

Some oil and gas leaseholders may run into conflict, as Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey noted that his agency would “review permit in those areas already leased to determine the consequences” of drilling in certain areas, and would likely attach stipulations on that drilling.

Wyoming’s congressional delegation did not hail the decision, however.

A frustrated Sen. Mike Enzi declared, “If it isn’t one thing it’s another with the sage grouse… More unpredictability in this ruling means more uncertainty for Wyoming jobs.”

“The FWS determination creates more questions than it answers,” said Sen. John Barrasso. “People in Wyoming who are looking for work or worrying about their current job now must continue to wait for a concrete decision from the administration.”

Rep. Cynthia Lummis tartly noted that the Fish and Wildlife Service should “be focusing its time and resources on species facing imminent extinction, not species already benefitting from aggressive, state-level conservation efforts.”