Arid Habitats
Despite the challenges of life in the desert, many bird species have made these habitats their home for at least a portion of the year.
Hope for a Secretive Seabird: New ABC-Supported Reserve Provides Habitat for the Markham's Storm-Petrel
Oil and Gas Leasing on Public Lands: American Bird Conservancy Emphasizes Risk to Greater Sage-Grouse
The current Administration announced on Friday, April 15 that it would resume selling oil and gas leases on public lands. And already this week, the Interior Department published final sale notices offering 144,000 acres across nine states. This is particularly concerning given its potential impact ...
FY2022 Budget Puts All Of The Sage-Grouse Eggs In Grouse Plan Basket By Blocking Endangered Species Act Protections
Greater Sage-Grouse conservation suffered another blow today when the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 included language to block full federal protection for the species. Once again, the budget bill included a rider that prevents any funding from being used to protect the species under the En...
Senate Drops Rider Exempting Greater Sage-Grouse from Endangered Species Act
The Senate FY 22 Interior Appropriations bill released today excludes a provision exempting protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the once-abundant but now rapidly declining Greater Sage-Grouse. The House of Representatives has already passed an Interior bill without the rider. Conse...
Groups Say BLM's Proposed Mining Withdrawal Not Enough to Save Declining Sage-Grouse
Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it is reopening a process to withdraw certain Greater Sage-Grouse habitats known as Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFAs) from damaging mining. The proposal would reinstate a process that was started under the 2015 Obama-era sage-grouse plan amendments, an...
Birds of New Mexico: 21 Must-See Species
Bordered by Texas, Arizona, and Colorado — three of the top birding destinations in the United States — New Mexico is often overlooked by out-of-state birdwatchers seeking new adventures. But the “Land of Enchantment” is very much a birding hotspot in its own right. Located at the intersecti...
