The new greater sage grouse management plans finalized Monday by the Trump administration involve a number of subtle changes to past blueprints that could have significant impacts.
The updates amending dozens of land-use plans in eight Western states — which weren’t finalized by the Biden administration — touch on the rules for mining, oil and gas development, and livestock grazing near the sagebrush nesting grounds for the roly-poly Western bird.
They also illustrate a desire to be flexible in protecting sage grouse habitat and implementing the Bureau of Land Management’s fundamental mission to allow for multiple uses of bureau rangelands.
BLM over the years has struggled to strike a balance between habitat protection and other uses of bureau rangelands, such as livestock grazing, which if done carefully can help improve the bird’s sagebrush habitat.
