BLM to field offices: Mark fences for sage grouse

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is telling its field offices to mark certain fences and guy wires to make them more visible to sage grouse, sharp-tailed grouse and lesser prairie chickens. Studies have shown that barbed-wire fences can be deadly when these bird species fly into the fences without seeing them, although the number of birds killed depends on a variety of factors. Mortality tends to be a problem in places where large numbers of birds congregate frequently near fences. Land managers and environmentalists are particularly concerned about the sage grouse, a hen-sized game bird that is being considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expects to decide early next year whether to list the sage grouse as endangered. A directive from the BLM in Washington, D.C., earlier this month tells state BLM offices to evaluate fences for their risk to sage grouse and to place markers on the fences where appropriate. The directive also tells state offices to consider marking new fences as they're installed on BLM land. In addition, the directive says guy wires for wind turbines and meteorological towers on BLM land should be marked...read more