"The Trump administration is planning on making more acres of public land available for energy and mineral development in eight Western states, a move worrying environmentalists watching for the declining population of greater sage-grouse.
The Bureau of Land Management announced Monday plans to modify its greater sage-grouse land use plan on about 50 million acres of sagebrush across Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nevada, California, Utah and Wyoming.
The bird has been eligible for some Endangered Species Acts protections since the early 2010s, establishing limits on mining oil, gas, transmission lines and other heavy industry operations, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. The federal agency says the plan addresses threats to the birds’ habitat while balancing the government’s ability to manage public lands for other uses with states’ input."
Alixel Cabrera reports for Utah News Dispatch December 22, 2025.
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