Court halts drilling plan in bird fight
The Trump administration’s plan to expand oil and gas drilling in the western U.S. has been put on hold because of the threat to habitat for the greater sage-grouse, a bird with a mating ritual likened to Funky Chicken dance moves.
In a major victory for defenders of the most hotly debated bird since the northern spotted owl, an Idaho federal judge on Wednesday blocked U.S. agencies from loosening restrictions on oil and gas development on land across several states designated by the Obama administration as a critical conservation area for the imperiled sagegrouse.
With its population numbers falling dramatically over the last three years, the largest grouse in North America is caught in a fierce fight over President Donald Trump’s efforts to unwind environmental regulations and promote drilling, mining, logging and ranching on public lands.
Debate over whether to list the sage grouse as an “endangered species” goes back to at least 2005. This year, the Trump administration moved to revise protections put in place in 2015, saying it wanted to improve cooperation between federal agencies and state regulators in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and California.
The sage-grouse is known for its distinctive mating ritual in which males puff up their chests and spread spiky tail feathers.
The decision was hailed by environmental groups that accused the Trump administration of creating loopholes to allow more drilling and fracking.