On March 9, 2012, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter promulgated Executive Order 2012-02 [PDF, 341 kb] establishing a 15-member Sage-Grouse Task Force. The purpose of the Task Force is to provide Governor Otter with recommendations by June 1, 2012, to ensure the species' long-term viability in Idaho and to prevent the need for the federal protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Task Force recommendations will be aimed at facilitating short- and long-term solutions to the primary and secondary threats to the species and its habitat, all in an effort to avoid the serious and economically damaging impacts an ESA listing would create as Idaho continues to emerge from the national recession. The promulgation of this executive order is an effort to elevate the issue, ensuring swift response to the problem by tasking a wide variety of impacted and interested stakeholders.