USA: Government Plans to Strip Away Protections for Sage Grouse

Trump Drilling Plan Threatens 9 Million Acres of Sage Grouse Habitat (New York Times)

Bird habitat in western US coincides with many geothermal energy areas

Dan Cepeda/The Casper Star-Tribune,
via Associated Press

The Trump administration on Thursday detailed its plan to open nine million acres to drilling and mining by stripping away protections for the sage grouse, an imperiled ground-nesting bird that oil companies have long considered an obstacle to some of the richest deposits in the American West.

In one stroke, the action would open more land to drilling than any other step the administration has taken, environmental policy experts said. It drew immediate criticism from environmentalists while energy-industry representatives praised the move, saying that the earlier policy represented an overreach of federal authority.

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From Global Geothermal News archives:

• Thursday, May 3, 2018 - Nevada: Proposed Changes for Managing Sage Grouse Could Open up More Areas for Geothermal Energy Development
• Friday, September 2, 2016 - USA: Government Agency Clarifies Protection for Greater Sage-Grouse
• Tuesday, September 22, 2015 - Greater sage grouse does not require endangered species act protection - Win for geothermal energy developments