The US will tighten restrictions on energy development to safeguard the endangered sage grouse.

The Biden administration on Friday proposed stricter regulations on energy development across over 6,500 square miles of federal land in the U.S. West to safeguard a dwindling bird species.

However, it is doubtful the changes would survive under President-elect Donald Trump.

The greater sage grouse, known for their elaborate mating ritual and chicken-sized size, were once widespread across the U.S. West. However, their population has significantly decreased due to various factors such as energy exploration, wildfires, disease, and other pressures.

The Obama administration's 2015 agreement prevented the birds from being added to the endangered species list by restricting development in certain areas within their 270,000-square mile range.

Officials with the Interior Department are proposing to strengthen protections for the bird by eliminating loopholes that allowed development in areas vital to its survival. Under their plan, new solar and wind projects would be excluded, and oil and gas exploration could only take place from drilling platforms situated outside the protected areas.

Trump's push to open more public lands for energy development aligns with his "drill baby drill" mantra. In his first term, officials tried to reduce Obama-era sage grouse safeguards, but these efforts were halted by court rulings.

Deb Haaland, the Interior Secretary, stated on Friday that the proposed plan would benefit sage grouse while still permitting development on certain government lands. She emphasized that the plan was founded on the most current scientific research to safeguard the bird.

Haaland stated that for an extended period, a false dilemma has been presented for land management, which positions development in opposition to conservation.

The agency's effort to reach a compromise with environmentalists, industry representatives, and Republican elected officials was unsuccessful.

Government documents indicate that approximately 4,700 square miles of land at issue are located in Nevada and California, while the remaining affected parcels are found in Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, and the Dakotas.

The Republican governor of Wyoming, Mark Gordon, criticized the administration's "extreme indifference" towards his state and stated that new layers of federal regulation would impede practical solutions for the grouse.

Gordon stated that we have demonstrated effective management of this bird while also ensuring the preservation of core habitat and responsible development.

Officials were criticized by environmentalists for not taking advantage of an opportunity to implement effective safeguards that could prevent the grouse's decline towards extinction. Environmentalists pointed out that the loopholes that allow development will persist across almost 50,000 square miles of public lands.

"Greta Anderson of Western Watersheds Project stated, "The Biden administration could have prevented the cutting, but it didn't. Although it's less severe, it's still not acceptable.""

Officials predicted minimal economic effects due to restrictions on sage grouse habitat. Energy companies avoid working near breeding areas, but they can still find opportunities on other public lands, the officials stated.

The Western Energy Alliance's Kathleen Sgamma stated that the Biden administration had already restricted leasing in sage grouse habitat.

"Sgamma stated that companies are avoiding them despite their denial of access, which is disingenuous."

The Bureau of Land Management will consider protests against Friday's proposal until Dec. 9. After resolving the protests, final decisions on land management plan changes will be made.

The Obama-era proposal to block new mining projects on over 15,625 square miles in five states for 20 years to aid sage grouse was canceled under Trump but later restored by a court.

The Interior Department has stated that it will release an analysis of the mining ban by the year's end.

The population of greater sage grouse has decreased by 65% since 1986 across all or portions of 11 Western states.