"WASHINGTON —

"WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Friday finalized its plan to loosen Obama-era protections on the habitat of the sage grouse, an imperiled ground-nesting bird that roams across 10 oil-rich Western states.

The plan, which would strip away protections for the bird on nearly nine million acres of land in the West — making it easier for oil and gas companies to drill on that land — was first detailed in a draft proposal published in December.

The sage grouse plan is the latest step in a series of moves by the Trump administration to promote oil and gas drilling on public land, in support of what President Trump has called a policy of American “energy dominance.” The architect of the plan, David Bernhardt, is a former oil lobbyist who now serves as acting head of the Interior Department."

Coral Davenport reports for the New York Times March 15, 2019. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"The Trump Administration Is Opening Millions Of New Acres To Drilling — And That’s Just The Start" (Washington Post) [3]

"Sage Grouse: Final BLM Plans Sharply Rebuke Obama-Era Regs" (Greenwire) [4]