Today, Ranking Republican Rob Bishop (R-Utah) issued the following statement on the announced U.S. Forest Service final rule regarding Obama-era sage grouse amendments.  Previous actions taken by the Obama administration stifled state and local conservation efforts of the sage grouse and locked up 165 million acres of land in 11 different states.

“This move is one more encouraging demonstration of the administration’s deference to state and local wisdom. The Department of Agriculture clearly understands that the ‘one size fits all’ federal approach of the past is inappropriate and unproductive. The Endangered Species Act will no longer be used as a weapon to circumvent states and their unique regional needs and proven track records on preserving sage grouse habitat.”