Northern California Court Re-Instates Protections For Sage Grouse

A U.S. District Court in Northern California reinstated protections for the bi-state sage grouse in California and Nevada.

Environmental groups such as the Center for Biological Diversity and the Western Watersheds Project had filed a motion against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for withdrawing the bi-state distinct population of greater sage groups as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

The court further ordered the Fish and Wildlife Service to provide a new opportunity for public comment on the proposed listing.

In a statement, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity called the decision an “important victory” that reinstates crucial protections for the birds.