The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has ruled a listing of the greater sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act isn’t warranted given land conservation efforts underway across the West to protect the bird and its habitat.

The ruling follows an evaluation of the bird’s population as well as the collective efforts of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service, state agencies, private landowners and others to conserve habitat. Despite long-term population declines, sage grouse remain relatively abundant and well-distributed across the its 173-million acre range, the agency ruled. Because of conservation efforts, the bird doesn’t face the risk of extinction now or in the foreseeable future.

“This is truly a historic effort – one that represents extraordinary collaboration across the American West,” Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in announcing the ruling. “It demonstrates that the Endangered Species Act is an effective and flexible tool and a critical catalyst for conservation — ensuring that future generations can enjoy the diversity of wildlife that we do today. The epic conservation effort will benefit westerners and hundreds of species that call this iconic landscape home while giving states, businesses and communities the certainty they need to plan for sustainable economic development.”

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the decision reflected efforts by ranchers and others who’ve worked to conserve wildlife habitat along with their western lifestyles. “Together, we have shown that voluntary efforts joining the resources of private landowners, federal and state agencies and partner organizations can help drive landscape-level conservation that is good for sage grouse, ranching operations and rural communities. Through the comprehensive initiatives on both public and private lands, the partnership has made and will continue to make monumental strides in supporting the people and wildlife that depend on the sagebrush landscape.”

Federal agencies, the 11 states in the sage grouse range and dozens of public and private partners are involved in efforts o protect, restore and enhance sage grouse habitat. This effort includes new management direction for BLM and Forest Service land use plans that place greater emphasis on conserving sage grouse habitat; development of state sage grouse management plans; voluntary, multi-partner private lands efforts to protect millions of acres of habitat on ranches and rangelands across the West; unprecedented collaboration with federal, state and private sector scientists; and a comprehensive strategy to fight rangeland fires.

The BLM and  Forest Service  announced they have issued Records of Decisions finalizing 98 land use plans to help conserve greater sage grouse habitat and support economic development on portions of public lands in 10 states across the West. The land use plans were developed over a multi-year process in partnership with the states and local partners. The BLM and USFS also initiated today the public comment process associated with their proposals to withdraw lands deemed age grouse strongholds from future mining claims.

The greater sage grouse is considered an “umbrella species” that indicates the health of the sagebrush habitat it shares with more than 350 other kinds of wildlife, including mule deer, elk, pronghorn and golden eagles. Roughly half of sage grouse habitat is on federal lands, most of it managed by the BLM and Forest Service. These tend to be drier uplands where the birds mate, nest and spend fall and winter. While the federal plans differ in specifics to reflect local landscapes, threats and conservation approaches, their overall goal is to prevent further degradation of the best remaining sage grouse habitat, minimize disturbance where possible and mitigate unavoidable impacts by protecting and improving similar habitat.

About 45 percent of the grouse’s habitat is on state and private lands, which often include the wetter meadows and riparian habitat essential for young chicks.

Through a sage grouse initiative, more than 1,100 ranchers have restored or conserved about 4.4 million acres of habitat. Through a recently announced strategy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture expects voluntary, private land conservation efforts to reach 8 million acres by 2018.

On private and federal lands, the Fish and Wildlife Service and BLM have received commitments on 5.5 million acres through candidate conservation agreements. Many of these projects also improve grazing and water supplies for ranchers, benefiting cattle herds and ranching operations. Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Idaho have also developed strategies to improve state and private land management to benefit the sage-grouse.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has determined conservation measures will slow and then stabilize the loss of sage grouse habitat across the range.