Protecting the Gunnison sage grouse

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the Gunnison sage grouse as "threatened," a designation that means the bird and its habitat in Colorado and Utah need greater protection in order for the species to recover and thrive. The agency's decision touched off a new round of controversy between people who think listing the bird as "threatened" goes too far, and those who think the bird should have been listed as "endangered" and therefore eligible for higher standards of protection. The decision…