Lawsuits Pile Up for Sage-Grouse Land-Use Plans

Since the September 22 announcement of Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service land-use plans to protect the greater sage-grouse in lieu of an Endangered Species Act listing, several entities have filed suit against the measure. The first group to legally challenge these plans was two Nevada counties and two mining companies on September 25. On October 23, seven more Nevada counties, the state of Nevada, another mining company, and a private rancher joined this lawsuit, which asks the court to stop the implementation of land-use plans in six states and to block the Administration’s decision to temporarily withdraw 10 million acres from new mining claims. The decision from Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt for the state to join this lawsuit stands in sharp contrast to the feelings of Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, who appeared with Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell as she made the September 22 announcement. Other groups that have filed suit against the implementation of these plans include the state of Idaho as well as the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.

Read more at the Las-Vegas Review Journal.

Check out the TWS Statement on “Not Warranted” Sage-Grouse Decision