ESA Protections for Sage Grouse, Prairie Chicken a Worry for E&P

摘要

Legal protections under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the sage grouse and prairie chicken have created a firestorm in the Rockies and Midcontinent regions due to the risk of red tape and restrictions across a massive expanse of energy-producing lands. The federal Bureau of Land Management recently launched a set of rules to protect the Gunnison sage grouse in Colorado and Utah, which could restrict or slow down tight-gas development in those states. Also, a possible ESA listing of the lesser prairie chicken has triggered lawsuits from oil and gas industry representatives and county officials in Oklahoma and New Mexico.