A team of scientists recently said sage-grouse population might get reduced to almost half if the rising destructive wildfires are not stopped. They said the decline could be seen in next three decades.

A report released on Thursday by the US Geological Survey (USGS) came just ahead of a deadline order by court on September 30 under which the US Fish and Wildlife Service had to decide whether sage-grouse needs to be provided protection under the Endangered Species Act.

According to some experts, putting the bird under the endangered act can cause harm to Western state’s economies. As per records, the chicken-sized, ground-dwelling bird is found in almost 11 different Western states.

The bird has most of its habitat administered by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The bird’s population once was found to be the millions but presently an estimated population of 200,000 to 500,000 is left.

The bird is among some 400 species that use the sagebrush steppe. But scientists consider the bird an indicator of the overall health of the sagebrush steppe, called the ‘sagebrush sea’ for the vast areas it covers and the challenges it faces.

Matt Brooks, a fire ecologist with the USGS and one of the report’s authors, said, “The sagebrush steppe and sagebrush ecosystem are in trouble”.

Researchers during the study identified some possible ways to prevent the declining population of the bird. They said they can achieve the goal by classifying areas for their resilience to disturbance and resistance to invasive species such as cheatgrass, and then applying suitable strategies.