LAKEVIEW, Ore. — Interior Secretary Sally Jewell visited Oregon to get a closer look at a habitat restoration project to help the sage grouse, a candidate for Endangered Species Act protection.
The Department of Interior says Jewell and U.S. Bureau of Land Management Deputy Director Steve Ellis toured BLM land outside Lakeview on Thursday where juniper trees are being cut down as part of a larger effort involving state and federal agencies, private landowners and others.
Jewell said in a statement that she is encouraged by the collaborative spirit she is seeing.
Juniper trees have come to dominate much of the habitat used by sage grouse. The trees crowd out native plants, and suck up scarce water. Cutting them down restores the landscape to a condition more beneficial to sage grouse and other species.
