The Biden administration released its final proposal for protecting greater sage grouse on Friday.
In an advance press release, the U.S. Department of the Interior said the proposals will balance sage grouse protections along with other public land uses, like expanding solar energy.
“For too long, a false choice has been presented for land management that aims to pit development against conservation,” Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “This Administration’s collaborative work has demonstrated that we can do both successfully.”
Related: Biden administration proposes changes to sage grouse protections, including in Oregon
The agency did not include a copy of the proposal along with its press statement.
The final environmental impact statement is expected to be posted to the Bureau of Land Management’s planning site on Friday at 6:30 a.m. Pacific Time. The agency is accepting public input until Dec. 16. The agency may make changes in response to those comments.
The proposal applies to 69 million acres of BLM-managed public lands across 10 states, including about 10 million acres in Oregon. The BLM manages the largest share of sage grouse habitat in the U.S. — 45% of 145 million total acres.
FILE - A male greater sage grouse struts its stuff on Bureau of Land Management land in this April 21, 2012, photo.
Courtesy U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Sage grouse thrive in sagebrush-covered plains, like those found in Eastern Oregon. They now only occupy about half of their historic range.
Despite their plummeting numbers, sage grouse aren‘t protected under the Endangered Species Act. In 2015, the Obama administration developed land-use plans intended to regulate the birds’ habitat. The first Trump administration tried to weaken those plans, but a federal court blocked that attempt.
In 2023, the Biden administration announced it would revise those 2015 land-use plans with additional protections, as sage grouse populations continued to fall. The BLM posted its draft proposal for revisions the following spring.
Multiple environmental groups criticized its proposal, saying it wouldn’t do enough to protect the struggling species.
“BLM officials know exactly how to protect greater sage grouse, but their preferred plan would fail these iconic birds and keep them headed toward extinction,” said Randi Spivak, public lands policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement in June.
Related: Feds say new investments in Oregon sage grouse habitat paying off, but conservationists disagree
Sage grouse once roamed 13 states, feeding off sage leaves and dancing an elaborate courtship strut. Like many vulnerable species, sage grouse are threatened by climate change and human developments, including livestock grazing, oil and gas drilling, and agriculture.
These desert birds are considered to be an indicator species, meaning their survival reflects the overall health and functionality of the surrounding environment. According to BLM, protecting their habitat indirectly protects 350 other wildlife species, including the pygmy rabbit, elk and mule deer.