News & Alerts
February 21, 2020 BLM RELEASES NEW DRAFT SEIS FOR SAGE-GROUSE ON LANDS IN SEVEN WESTERN STATES
On February 21, 2020, the Bureau of Land Management released six draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statements for management of greater sage-grouse habitat on public lands in seven Western states, including Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. The new plans issue on the heels of an October 2019 decision of the U.S. District Court for Idaho. That case grew out of sweeping changes in sage-grouse management plans developed under the Trump administration and introduced in March of last year. Proponents argued the changes would strengthen protections for sage-grouse on 60 million acres of affected public lands, but several environmental groups sued to block implementation of the 2019 changes. The Idaho District Judge found the BLM failed to adequately analyze the 2019 changes’ impacts on sage-grouse habitat, citing studies indicating dramatic declines in sage-grouse populations in recent years. The BLM is accepting public comment on the new draft SEIS through April 6. The plans are available at www.blm.gov/programs/fish-and-wildlife/sagegrouse/blm-sagegrouse-plans.