For Immediate Release
June 8, 2004

Contact Information

Laramie, Wyoming-A decision that would illegally lease for oil drilling thousands of acres of potential wilderness in the Little Missouri National Grassland of western North Dakota has been protested by BCA and four other conservation groups. The leasing threatens to destroy four Roadless Areas within the Grassland, degrade habitat for rare plants and wildlife, and jeopardize air and water quality. These areas are also some of North Dakota's last remaining public prairie wildlands and have remained relatively undisturbed for decades, despite the region's extensive road building, oil drilling, coal mining, and other development.

The leasing was initiated by the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the Little Missouri National Grassland. Earlier this year, the Forest Service recommended to the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that deals with oil leasing, that 20 lease "parcels" within four Roadless Areas, or areas that qualify for wilderness protection, be auctioned off. Not only does the Forest Service's own Roadless Area Conservation Rule prohibit new leasing in roadless areas, but given that these wildlands support rare plants and imperiled animals, as well as clean air and water, the decision to lease these areas defies common sense. In response, BCA, with the help of Colorado-based Western Resource Advocates, has filed a formal protest of the leasing. Fortunately, the Bureau of Land Management has indicated it will not issue the leases until the Forest Service addresses our protest. We will hear soon whether or not the Forest Service will move to protect, rather than despoil, these irreplaceable wildlands.

black-tailed prairie dog-The black-tailed prairie dog is a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act, meaning it warrants listing, but listing is currently precluded by higher priorities. The prairie dog has declined dramatically rangewide and now exists in less than 1% of its former range. Oil drilling, road building, coal mining, recreational shooting, ongoing poisoning, and introduced plague threaten the prairie dog with extinction. The species is found on Little Missouri National Grassland, especially in undeveloped roadless areas.

sage grouse-The sage grouse has declined significantly rangewide and is being considered for Endangered Species Act listing. The grouse is designated as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. The grouse is dependent upon high quality sagebrush habitat, which has declined throughout the west, and is facing escalating threats from oil drilling in North Dakota and the surrounding region.

Dakota skipper butterfly-The Dakota skipper butterfly was petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act by Biodiversity Conservation Alliance in May of 2003 and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has indicated listing is warranted. The butterfly is also designated as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. The butterfly depends on high quality, undisturbed mixed and tall grass prairie habitat and is very sensitive to disturbance. Populations have historically been reported from the Little Missouri National Grassland, but may now be extirpated. The species is declining rangewide due to extensive habitat loss and degradation.

bighorn sheep-The bighorn sheep was once extinct from western North Dakota, but due to successful restoration efforts now inhabits the badlands and rocky outcrops of the Little Missouri National Grassland. The sheep is extremely rare and is designated as sensitive by the Forest Service. The sheep is extremely sensitive to impacts of human intrusion and developments, such as oil drilling and road building, and is dependent upon undisturbed Roadless Areas, which provide the sheep much-needed refuge and security.

Dakota buckwheat-The Dakota buckwheat is designated as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. The plant is found only in western North Dakota, western South Dakota, and southeastern Montana. The plant is known from 43 occurrences in North Dakota and is the only known vascular plant to be endemic to the Dakotas. The buckwheat is found on Little Missouri National Grassland in badland habitats and is threatened by nonnative plants, oil drilling, and road building.

smooth goosefoot-The smooth goosefoot is designated as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service. Three records of the plant from the Little Missouri River National Grassland, all in sandy floodplains along the Little Missouri River. Populations declined as a result of severe flooding of the Little Missouri River in 1993 and have declined throughout North Dakota. The goosefoot is restricted to fragile sandy soils and is threatened nonnative plants, off-road vehicle use, oil drilling, and road building.