"Trump Administration Aims to Boost Energy Production, Cut Protections for Sage Grouse" NPR's Nathan Rott, Dec. 6th, 2018
Article Summary by Milana Baldizzi
A recent article written by NPR's Nathan Rott focuses in on the Trump Administration's review to cut down on protections on the sage grouse in order to expand on "...local economic growth and job creation". The sage grouse is a near threatened species of bird native to North America, specifically the western United States and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. The sage grouse is the largest grouse in North America, and was determined by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service to be warranted protections in 2010 under the Endangered Species Act. Adequate protections were placed and many conservation groups advocated for the revival and preservation of this bird. In 2015, under the Obama Administration, the bird was determined to no longer need protections under the ESA. This was a controversial decision which led to backlash by some environmental groups. In the recent year, the Trump Administration has reviewed expanding on boosting oil and gas production on public land, as a step towards Trump's "America First" energy plan. This lessening of restrictions on energy companies is a huge step back on conservation efforts. Industries will continue to pollute and deprive the ecosystem of resources through mining and fracking. No doubt will this decision meet retaliation by wildlife groups. Species such as the sage grouse rely on unpolluted land and space to live, and decisions to cut protections and allow oil companies to intrude will have unavoidable consequences.