Even as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved this week to not relist the Lesser Prairie Chicken as a threatened species, the government was being sued over efforts to protect the greater sage grouse.
The Western Energy Alliance and North Dakota Petroleum Council filed suit over the drilling restrictions put in place to protect the bird that exists in 11 Western states. The suit alleges that local and sate efforts to increase populations of the grouse have been effective and changes to federal land use policies are unnecessary.
The policies affecting federally owned land have already drawn opposition while environmentalists argue the new rules on oil and gas drilling have too many loopholes.
