The Gunnison sage grouse, found primarily in southwestern Colorado, will get another chance at federal protection following the settlement of a lawsuit by environmental groups.
The settlement filed Monday gives the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service until June 30 to decide whether the chickenlike bird should be added to the endangered-species list. The Gunnison sage grouse is among the species getting a second look in the wake of a federal report that found improper political meddling in endangered-species rulings.
The report last year concluded that former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior Julie MacDonald and other Bush administration officials interfered with federal biologists’ decision-making for multiple species. The Associated Press
