Gov. Brian Sandoval says he and the U.S. Interior Secretary have resolved some significant issues that lingered even after the sage grouse was spared from the Endangered Species List.
Sandoval met for more than an hour Friday with Sally Jewell to hammer out some disagreements between state and federal officials about how to protect the bird's habitat. Republicans including Sen. Dean Heller complained said the land use restrictions Nevada accepted as a condition of staying off the list threatened economic development, mining and grazing.
Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt even signed Nevada onto a lawsuit against Sandoval's will that challenged the restrictions.
Sandoval said the lawsuit didn't help ongoing negotiations with federal officials, but said he and Jewell agreed not to let it get in the way of resolving disagreements.