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BLM Advances Greater Sage Grouse Land Use Planning
TRCP supports final plans that are durable and consistent
The BLM has opened a public comment period on updated management actions to the Proposed Greater Sage Grouse RMP Amendments for BLM-managed lands in California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. This announcement is a step toward revising land use plans across the 10-state range of the greater sage grouse in response to a court ruling that identified legal deficiencies in previous plans finalized in 2020.
In November 2024, the BLM issued proposed final plan amendments across the 10-state range of the greater sage grouse and signed Records of Decision in January 2025 for plan amendments in Colorado and Oregon. Since that time, the agency has continued to work with the remaining states to resolve administrative protests and consistency reviews submitted by several Governors.
“For more than a decade, state agencies have worked in unprecedented collaboration with the BLM to amend land management plans to conserve over 67 million acres of sagebrush habitat,” said Madeleine West, vice president of Western conservation for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The BLM’s action this week indicates they are committed to completing plan amendments in the remaining Western states. Finalizing these outstanding plan amendments could end a cycle of BLM planning that first began in 2012, allowing federal and state agency staff and resources to refocus on important species and land management work to benefit the sagebrush ecosystem and Western communities.”
The TRCP has been on the front lines in support of sage grouse conservation for over a decade. The decline of this iconic game bird of the American West indicates that sagebrush habitat is in trouble, and that matters for sportsmen and women because the sagebrush ecosystem is home to more than 350 different species of plants and animals, including pronghorn and mule deer. A 2022 U.S. Geological Survey report revealed that half of the original sagebrush ecosystem has been lost at a rate of approximately 1.3 million acres each year over the last two decades.
“We support the BLM’s efforts to collaborate with states to finalize the remaining land use plans in a manner that creates durable and consistent management across the range of the species,” continued West.
The BLM is accepting public comments on proposed updated management actions until October 3, 2025. Documents are available on the agency’s eplanning website.
Bipartisan Headwaters Protection Act Reintroduced to Safeguard America’s Forests and Watersheds
Hunters, anglers, and conservation groups applaud legislation aimed at new investments in source watersheds and resilient forests.
On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators – including Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and James Risch (R-Idaho) introduced the Headwaters Protection Act in an effort to invest in America’s forests and watersheds by expanding support for two U.S. Forest Service Programs created in the 2018 Farm Bill: The Water Source Protection Program (WSPP) and the Watershed Condition Framework (WCF). These two programs are unique in that they are the only Forest Service authorities that specifically support efforts to identify and implement conservation and restoration efforts to improve the quality of water originating on National Forest Service lands, which provide benefits for both downstream water users and fish and wildlife.
If passed, the bill would support critical public-private partnerships working to ensure our National Forests provide clean water to downstream communities, benefit agricultural water users, and safeguard fish and wildlife habitat that hunters, anglers, and communities rely on.
Originally introduced in 2023, the reintroduced bill aims to make important updates that will expand participation, increase funding, and boost resilience.
“Healthy source watersheds improve water reliability and quality, bolster resilience to drought and wildfire, and sustain the fish and wildlife habitat that hunters and anglers depend on,” said Alex Funk, TRCP’s director of water resources. “The Headwaters Protection Act will strengthen public-private partnerships to accelerate restoration and conservation of these landscapes, and we applaud Senators Bennet, Crapo, Hickenlooper, Luján, and Risch for their leadership in introducing this important bipartisan legislation aimed at keeping our forests and watersheds healthy.”
From backcountry trout streams to irrigation canals that sustain farms, healthy headwaters are the foundation of both America’s sporting traditions and our economy. National forests supply drinking water to more than 150 million Americans and sustain countless fish and wildlife species that hunters and anglers depend on. The Headwaters Protection Act would:
- Reauthorize the Water Source Protection Program (WSPP) and increase the authorization of appropriations for the program from $10 million per year to $30 million per year.
- Broaden the range of water users, including rural communities and Tribes, who could participate in and benefit from the WSPP.
- Reduce financial barriers for water users to participate in the WSPP by providing more flexible match requirements.
- Prioritize WSPP projects that benefit drinking water quality and improve resilience to wildfire and other natural disasters.
- Make a technical change to the Watershed Condition Framework (WCF) that ensures healthy watersheds do not become further degraded and authorizes $30 million in new appropriations per year for the implementation of locally led watershed restoration plans.
The WSPP and WCF projects would:
- Conserve and restore freshwater resources within National Forest System Lands and nearby non-federal lands, which supply drinking water to one in five Americans and contain much of our country’s best remaining cold-water habitat for salmon, steelhead, and trout.
- Complement and strengthen the Forest Service’s efforts to respond to growing wildfire risk by encouraging partnerships with water users to reduce threats associated with wildfire to water supplies.
Learn more about TRCP’s work on Habitat & Clean Water | Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Hunters and anglers have always been the unsung heroes of conservation in America, quietly paying it forward every time we buy a license, a box of ammo, or a tank of boat fuel. We know you’re not satisfied with simply going hunting or fishing and then going home—so go the extra distance. You can take action on the conservation issues that matter right now. Click here to get started.
TRCP Applauds DOI Action to Expand Hunt-Fish Opportunities on Public Land
Increased opportunities will benefit hunters and anglers beginning Fall 2025
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership joined hunters and anglers in celebrating the announcement by the Department of the Interior to expand hunting and fishing opportunities across the National Wildlife Refuge and National Fish Hatchery Systems.
“TRCP thanks Secretary Burgum for prioritizing expanded hunting and fishing opportunities at the Department of the Interior,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “These new opportunities will help Americans get outside to enjoy the great outdoors just in time for the fall hunting and fishing seasons.”
The final rule for the 2025–2026 season creates 42 new hunting and sport fishing opportunities on more than 87,000 acres of public lands across 11 states. These new opportunities will be available starting September 2, 2025.
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 prioritizes compatible wildlife-dependent recreational use on wildlife refuges and specifically identifies hunting and fishing as priority uses. This most recent expansion will increase sporting opportunities by opening more acres and units to hunters and anglers. For hunters and anglers, this means:
- New Access: Inaugural hunting opportunities will be offered on public lands such as Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge and the Grasslands Wildlife Management Area, and new sportfishing access will be available at North Attleboro National Fish Hatchery.
- Broader Alignment: Regulations are being streamlined to better match state fish and wildlife rules, helping reduce confusion and making it easier for hunters and anglers to enjoy these places.
- Conservation Benefits: By engaging hunters and anglers, these opportunities generate critical funding for habitat restoration, wildlife management, and local economies through license sales and excise taxes on gear and ammunition.
The final rule will be published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2025, and is available at regulations.gov (Docket FWS-HQ-NWRS-2025-0031). Updates take effect for the 2025–2026 hunting seasons beginning September 2, 2025.
These expanded opportunities reflect progress worth celebrating. Learn more about TRCP’s work to safeguard and improve hunting and fishing access by clicking HERE. Together, we can ensure that access, conservation, and America’s sporting traditions remain at the heart of our shared future.
Top Photo: Josh Metten
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.
Data Centers, Energy, and Water: What Hunters and Anglers Need to Know
Exploring how digital infrastructure shapes the natural systems hunters and anglers depend on
The backbone of today’s digital world is not something most hunters and anglers think about when they log onto a mapping app, stream a video, or upload photos from the field. But behind every click sits a vast network of data centers – massive facilities filled with computer systems, servers, and cooling equipment that run 24/7 to power online services, cloud storage, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). You might have heard about one being built near you.
And like any form of infrastructure, these facilities come with costs. Chief among them are growing demands for electricity and water – resources that are also vital to sustaining the fish, wildlife, and habitats hunters and anglers depend on.
Growth and Scale
Across the U.S., between 3,000 and 5,400 data centers are already operating, with new facilities rapidly being built to meet the booming demand for cloud computing, AI, and digital services. The United States hosts more data centers than any other country, and projections show their electricity use could rise from 17 gigawatts in 2022 to as much as 130 gigawatts by 2030. For context, that’s more than 100 times the output of a single large nuclear power plant.
Water use is just as significant. Cooling massive banks of servers requires millions of gallons per day in some locations, while additional indirect water demand comes from the power plants that generate electricity for these facilities. In arid states like Utah and New Mexico, these demands are sparking debates over whether scarce water should support fast-growing tech hubs or be reserved for communities, agriculture, and wildlife habitat.
Why This Matters for Fish and Wildlife
The connection between digital infrastructure and conservation may not be obvious at first, but the ripple effects are real.
Data centers place demands on three linked resources:
- Electricity: Data centers require enormous amounts of power to operate and meeting this need puts pressure on local energy grids and drives the increased demand for new energy development, whether oil and gas, coal, wind, solar, or other sources, which in turn can lead to increased development and fragmentation on the landscape.
- Water: Water is used directly for cooling and indirectly in power generation. This dual use can be especially challenging in arid states where every drop counts.
- Habitat: Construction of new facilities, transmission lines, and cooling infrastructure often requires large footprints that can fragment or displace wildlife habitat.
One notable example comes from New Mexico, where Facebook secured a deal guaranteeing access to 4.5 million gallons of water per day for a new data center campus. While local officials welcomed the economic boost, the deal sparked questions about long-term water availability in a drought-prone region.
Balancing Growth and Conservation
The digital economy is here to stay, and the demand for data will only increase. But growth doesn’t have to come at the expense of fish, wildlife, and clean water.
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is committed to working with diverse stakeholders to support energy development approaches that avoid and minimize impacts to the nation’s fish and wildlife resources to align with its Energy Platform such as:
- Smarter Siting: Prioritizing development on already disturbed lands rather than intact habitats.
- Water Stewardship: Using non-potable water, closed-loop cooling, and transparent reporting to reduce stress on drought-prone watersheds.
- Wildlife Safeguards: Incorporating habitat data and migration mapping into planning decisions so that critical fish and wildlife resources are conserved.
Looking Ahead
The growth of data centers is part of a broader digital transformation that shows no sign of slowing. At the same time, water scarcity and energy demand are critical challenges in many parts of the country. As these facilities continue to expand, decisions about how they are sited, powered, and cooled will play an important role in balancing economic growth with long-term resource sustainability.
By understanding how data centers function and the pressures they create, hunters, anglers, and other conservation-minded citizens can better appreciate the connections between digital infrastructure and the natural systems we all rely on.
Learn more about TRCP’s work on energy development and critical minerals production, including how TRCP is working to ensure this growth avoids and minimizes impacts on hunter and angler access and opportunity. Click HERE.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to further our commitment to conservation. $4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue our efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.
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