US Takes Steps To Ease Drilling Restrictions In Bird Conservation Areas - Interior Dept.

US Takes Steps to Ease Drilling Restrictions in Bird Conservation Areas - Interior Dept.

The Trump administration has proposed easing restrictions on oil and gas drilling across millions of acres of protected bird habitat in the western United States to better adjust existing federal and state government plans for protecting sage-grouse populations, the US Department of the Interior said in news releases on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2018) The Trump administration has proposed easing restrictions on oil and gas drilling across millions of acres of protected bird habitat in the western United States to better adjust existing Federal and state government plans for protecting sage-grouse populations, the US Department of the Interior said in news releases on Thursday.

"The proposed plan amendments aim to better align [Bureau of Land Management] resource management plans with state plans for conserving sage-grouse populations, strike a regulatory balance and build greater trust among neighboring interests in Western communities," the Interior Department said.

The proposal would reverse or modify Obama-era protections in seven US states - Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, California, Idaho and Oregon.

According to the documents released by the Bureau of Land Management, the Trump administration intends to increase the flexibility to grant waivers, exceptions or modifications in energy leasing across greater sage-grouse conservation habitats in the American West.

The administration of former US President Barack Obama adopted a set of land use restriction in 2015 to benefit the grouse population.

A final decision on the proposed changes is expected in early 2019 during which time state governors and the public will have another chance to weigh on the proposed amendments.