Judge Refuses To Block Rules Protecting Greater Sage Grouse
A federal judge in Nevada is refusing to temporarily block new U.S. rules intended to protect the greater sage grouse.
U.S. District Judge Miranda Du said Tuesday that nine Nevada counties challenging the regulations have failed to prove any irreparable harm could be averted by halting their implementation.
The lawsuit backed by Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt claims the restrictions on development were adopted illegally and would threaten the survival of miners, ranchers and rural economies across the West.
The judge said opponents can argue their case at a trial, expected to begin early next year. But she says they've yet to meet the extraordinary standard required for a temporary injunction to halt the policy U.S. wildlife officials say is needed to ensure the bird doesn't go extinct. The large bird has faced declining populations due to encroachment on its habitat of sagebrush country in the western United States.
