Washington, D.C. - The Department of the Interior today released new land management plans for the greater-sage grouse that pave the way for more oil and gas development on sensitive public lands habitats. The plans significantly reduce protections for essential sage-grouse habitat across the western United States and eliminate requirements for industry to compensate for habitat loss.
The move, being undertaken at the request of the oil and gas industry, undermines decades of bipartisan, collaborative efforts to protect the species.
“The Trump administration just admitted that drilling on public lands accounts for nearly a quarter of the nation’s carbon emissions, and here they are trying to push the number higher," said Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva, who will seek to chair the Natural Resources Committee next Congress. “President Trump and Secretary Zinke are leaving no stone unturned in their race to trash our public lands and give polluting industries whatever they want. Our public lands exist for public enjoyment, not for wiping out at-risk species and worsening our climate crisis."
