In the run up to today's big decision by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on future protections (or lack thereof) for sage grouse, The Oregonian ran a big story with the headline "Sage Grouse could be spotted owl of plains."

Of course, to many, the mere mention of the northern spotted owl is enough to send shivers down spines. Those reactions are more emotional than reasoned. While the spotted owl has long been blamed for economic ruin, a look back shows that the timber industry was in flux long before the bird was listed and protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Still, given the over-the-top comparison, it was interesting to see how enviros and industry folks reacted today when Secretary Salazar decided that the sage grouse deserved protection but it wasn't going to get it today.

Check below the jump for the mixed reactions.

Perhaps the most succinct summary of the days' decision came in Jim Tankersley's Los Angeles Times story:

Federal officials "got the science right but passed on the opportunity to fully protect this bird today," George Fenwick, president of the American Bird Conservancy

In the same article, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) was apparently reading a different decision:

Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) called it "one more on a growing list of examples that this administration places environmental special interests before job creation" and "a direct attack on the hundreds of Western communities that depend on access to federal lands for ranching, livestock, mining and energy production."

Interestingly enough, the oil, gas, and wind developers who Rep. Bishop purports to be speaking for felt differently. In the Houston Chronicle, Kathleen Sgamma with the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States saw a brighter future for energy development without protections in place for the sage grouse:

"But it appears that Interior plans to balance implementation so that restrictions on energy development do not apply with a broad brush across the entire region," [Sgamma] said.

Here in Oregon, our sister group the Oregon Natural Desert Association has worked on sage grouse issues for decades. Here's what Executive Director Brent Fenty said in a press release:

"The sage-grouse is just one indicator that the Western landscape is in trouble and we need to work toward practical and effective solutions so that future generations can enjoy Oregon's wild places with the wildlife that define them," Fenty added. "We hope that protecting the Greater sage-grouse and conserving other sensitive species in Oregon's High Desert will become a top priority for the State of Oregon and federal land managers."

All in all, the decision looks like a mixed bag at best. Here's to hoping that the state of Oregon will take the challenge of sage grouse recovery seriously.