Thank you
And others:
http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2015/feb/16/steamboat-briefs-business-owners-lobby-governor-ab/
According to Kent Vertrees, co-owner Steamboat Powdercats, the letter calls on the state to carry out meaningful conservation measures to ensure the greater sage grouse is not listed under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in September.
“We want to make sure that Governor Hicklenlooper knows how important the iconic greater sage grouse is to our local business community in Routt County,” Vertrees said in a news release. “It’s an important part of our Western heritage and our economy. We want to see the bird protected, but we don’t want to see it listed under the Endangered Species Act.”
In a report released by ECONorwest in September, it was estimated visitors to the BLM sagebrush lands in the 11 western states with greater sage grouse habitat spent approximately $623 million within 50 miles of the recreation sites in 2013.
“As a local business community just getting back on our feet after the economic downturn, an endangered species listing would be another blow, and it simply doesn’t need to happen if we can protect and conserve the iconic bird’s habitat now,” Vertrees added.