Greater sage grouse strut in the pre-dawn light during mating season on the McStay Ranch in Craig on April 7. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
Re: “High stakes for an iconic bird,” May 24 Vincent Carroll column.
Although Vincent Carroll does do the state of Colorado justice in his column, especially pointing out how both government officials and private landowners wish to do the right thing and make the greater sage grouse priority No. 1, he does not point out that the habitat of the greater sage grouse is far more vast than any local jurisdiction can handle.
The Endangered Species Act was put in place to ensure there is a check-and-balance voice to ensure that the interests of the sage grouse would not be whittled down to local politics. I always have and will continue to support local interests, especially here in Colorado, but this is more of a national priority, as the greater sage grouse does not know of any local jurisdictions or interests, other than its own, and that is something that cannot be solved by local landowners and government officials alone.
Alex Marks, Evergreen
This letter was published in the May 31 edition.
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