Oregon Ranchers Given Incentives to Protect Sage Grouse

LAKE COUNTY, Oregon (AP) — The Obama administration and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown joined with Oregon ranchers to celebrate agreements they all hope will help keep the sage grouse off the endangered species list.

The agreements announced Friday in Bend, Oregon, give ranchers incentives to protect sage grouse and their habitat on 5,500 square miles of private land in central and southeastern Oregon. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and the governor praised the spirit of cooperation the agreements represent, and expressed their hopes that both sage grouse and family ranches would thrive.

Lake County Rancher John O'Keefe says the agreements would help his family ranch continue into the fourth and fifth generations. The agreements are the latest in a series announced by the Obama administration as the Sept. 30 deadline approaches for deciding whether to propose the greater sage grouse for Endangered Species Act protection.