Green Groups Get Sage-Grouse Habitat Protected From Oil Leases

Enviromental groups scored a win Friday after a federal appeals court affirmed a ruling to vacate oil and gas leases on a near-threatened bird’s habitat.

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the lower court’s decision to vacate the lease sales across multiple western states because the federal Bureau of Land Management failed to promote and encourage leasing outside of the sage grouse’s habitat, as required in the government’s Resource Management Plans under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.

The only way for the agency to comply with the plan’s objective of protecting the bird’s habitat ...