US to limit energy activity to protect sage grouse

OREANDA-NEWS. May 29, 2015. The US administration is moving to restrict oil and gas drilling, coal mining and renewable energy development in 10 western states as part of a strategy to protect the habitat of the greater sage grouse.

The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Agriculture Department's US Forest Service today released a package of final environmental impact statements and land use plans that aim to protect the ground-dwelling bird by limiting surface disturbances on public lands near its habitat.

"As land managers of two-thirds of greater sage grouse habitat, we have a responsibility to take action that ensures a bright future for wildlife and a thriving western economy," interior secretary Sally Jewell said.

The sage grouse population has dwindled to 200,000-500,000 across the west, down from an estimated millions historically. Its habitat covers 165mn acres (668,000 km?), less than half of its historic range.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2010 determined that the sage grouse merited protection under the Endangered Species Act but deferred action because of other priorities. Regulators must revisit that issue by 30 September.

Interior officials say the science demonstrates that populations decline as surface disturbances such as oil and gas wells, roads and building construction increases. And they point to other species, including mule deer, elk and golden eagles, which likewise will benefit from the restrictions.

Interior will impose the highest protections on "sagebrush focal areas," concentrations of federal lands that feature large populations of breeding sage grouse and high quality sagebrush habitat. A second tier of restrictions will govern land disturbance in "priority habitat management areas" and a third level for "general habitat management areas."

Regulators say they will respect existing permits for oil and gas, mineral and renewable energy development, as well as rights-of-way.

But under the land use plans, BLM officials will restrict surface disturbances in focal and priority habit management areas for new lease and will prioritize future leasing outside of priority and general habitat areas. Regulators will impose buffers around leks, areas where male sage grouse conduct mating displays to attract females.

BLM will consider sagebrush habitat when reviewing proposals to develop new coal mines or expand existing ones. And regulators will steer large-scale wind and solar projects and electric transmission lines away from priority habitat.

The land use plans now will be subject to a 60-day reviews to ensure consistency with state plans, as well as a concurrent, 30-day protest period before records of decision can be signed.

US House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) dismissed the proposal as "flat out wrong," saying it is "only about controlling land, not saving the bird."

Oil and gas producer group the Western Energy Alliance vice president Kathleen Sgamma pointed to estimates the restrictions on oil and gas companies in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming alone will cost \\$2.4bn-\\$4.8bn/yr, affecting 9,170-18,250 jobs. Arguing that the federal government should defer to the states, Sgamma said the alliance will protest all land use plan amendments that differ from state plans.

National Mining Association president Hal Quinn called the proposal "unprecedented in scale, unwise from a minerals security standpoint and unnecessary to protect the greater sage grouse habitat."

Environmental group the Natural Resources Defense Council president and one-time interior assistant secretary Rhea Suh called the conservation plan "a huge step in the right direction that holds out the promise to save not only this beautiful bird but also hundreds of other species."