,,ii #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #bege ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #i1 #bjad ,mr4 ,walsh 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,tester1 and ,mr4 ,udall of ,colorado7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,environment and ,public ,works ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of the ,interior to prepare a report on the status of greater sage-grouse conservation efforts1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,sage-,grouse ,accountability and ,private ,conservation ,act of #bjad4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 pursuant to the court-approved work schedule described in the ,joint ,motion for ,approval of ,settlement ,agreement and ,order of ,dismissal of ,guardians ,claims entitled ,in ,re ,endangered ,species ,act ,section #d ,deadline ,litigation 7,d4,d4,c4 #bjaa71 not later than ,september #cj1 #bjae1 the ,secretary is scheduled to issue a decision on whether to proceed with listing the greater sage-grouse as a threatened or endangered species under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq472 7#b7 the ,federal ,government1 through programs of the ,department of the ,interior and the ,department of ,agriculture1 has invested substantial funds on greater and ,gunnison sage-grouse conservation efforts to avoid the greater and ,gunnison sage-grouse being listed as threatened or endangered species under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq472 7#c7 ,state wildlife management agencies have prepared1 and as of the date of enactment of this ,act are in the process of implementing1 greater and ,gunnison sage-grouse conservation plans to complement the conservation efforts of the ,federal ,government2 7#d7 private investment in conservation efforts1 independently and in conjunction with ,federal cost-share conservation easement programs1 has been significant2 7#e7 through a combination of ,federal1 ,state1 and private efforts1 significant conservation progress is being made1 and further progress will be made following full implementation of ,state management plans and new ,federal conservation programs2 and 7#f7 farmers1 ranchers1 developers1 and small businesses need certainty1 and further clarity on the likelihood of a listing decision will provide that certainty4 #c4 ,definition of ,secretary ,in this ,act1 the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of the ,interior4 #d4 ,greater ,sage-,grouse ,reporting ,requirement 7a7 ,in ,general ,not later than ,december #ae1 #bjad1 the ,secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report on the status of greater sage-grouse conservation efforts4 7b7 ,contents ,in the report required under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall include-- 7#a7 a description of public and private programs and expenditures1 including ,state and ,federal ,government agencies1 relating to greater sage-grouse conservation2 7#b7 a description of ,state management plans1 including plans that have been announced but not yet implemented2 7#c7 a description of ,bureau of ,land ,management plans1 or plans by any other land management agencies1 relating to greater sage-grouse conservation2 7#d7 in accordance with subsection 7c71 a description of the metrics that1 at the discretion of the ,secretary1 will be used to make a determination of whether the greater sage-grouse should be listed as threatened or endangered under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq472 7#e7 any outcome under the programs1 expenditures1 or plans referred to in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#c7 that can be measured by the metrics described in subsection 7c72 and 7#f7 any recommendations to ,congress for legislative actions that could provide certainty to farmers1 ranchers1 developers1 and small businesses and could assist in the conservation of the greater sage-grouse4 7c7 ,reported ,metrics ,the metrics referred to in subsection 7b77#d7 may include-- 7#a7 the quantity of acres enrolled in sagebrush and habitat protection in conservation programs established under title ,,xii of the ,food ,security ,act of #aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #chja et seq47 or other conservation programs of the ,department of ,agriculture1 including conservation easements1 land purchases or swaps1 vegetation management or habitat enhancement programs1 and fuels management programs2 7#b7 data on nonfire related habitat restoration efforts1 including native1 nonnative1 and mixed seeding efforts2 7#c7 data on mine reclamation and subsequent restoration efforts intended to restore greater sage-grouse habitat2 7#d7 data on conifer removal2 7#e7 data on presuppression fire efforts1 including-- 7,a7 the number of acres associated with fuels management programs2 and 7,b7 the number of miles associated with fire breaks2 7#f7 data on habitat restoration1 including postfire restoration efforts involving native1 nonnative1 and mixed seeding2 7#g7 data on structure removal1 power line burial1 power line retrofitting or modification1 fence modification1 fence marking1 and fence removal2 7#h7 for livestock and rangeland management1 data on allotment closure and road closure2 7#i7 for travel management1 data on road and trail closure and trail rerouting2 7#aj7 data on greater sage-grouse translocation efforts1 including the number of greater sage-grouse translocated1 the age of each translocated greater sage-grouse1 and the sex of each translocated greater sage-grouse2 and 7#aa7 any other data or metric the ,secretary may examine in making the decision on whether to list the greater sage-grouse as a threatened or endangered species under the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq474 #e4 ,agricultural ,land ,easements 7a7 ,in ,general ,section #abfe;,b7b77#b77;,c77i7 of the ,food ,security ,act of #aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #chfe;b7b77#b77;,c77i77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking ,grasslands and inserting ,in general2 and 7#b7 by inserting and land with greater or ,gunnison sage-grouse habitat of special environmental significance after significance4 7b7 ,considerations ,section #abfe;,b7b77#c77;,b7 of the ,food ,security ,act of #aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #chfe;b7b77#c77;,b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7i71 by striking and after the semicolon at the end2 7#b7 in clause 7ii71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7iii7 maximizing the protection of greater or ,gunnison sage-grouse habitat4 4