Sage grouse concern halts well permits

Permits for some 82 coalbed methane wells are being sent back to the Bureau of Land Management's Buffalo Field Office because of alleged inadequate and inconsistent regard for sage grouse. The Interior Board of Land Appeals decision could have broader implications for the industry in the Powder River Ba-sin, given that ranchers and various environmental groups have filed similar appeals to the board. "It said the BLM was not consistent in analyzing sage grouse impacts," said Jill Morrison, organizer for the Powder River Basin Resource Council. Bruce Hinchey, president of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, said he couldn't comment on the ruling but said the data that Wyoming has generated would suggest that the sage grouse is not endangered in the state. "I think the main thing to do is wait for the (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife (Service) to make a decision," Hinchey said, refer-ring to the agency's ongoing review of whether to list the sage grouse as a threatened or endangered species...Billings Gazette