U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today issued the following statement about recently released guidelines from the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Agency involving special protections for the Sage Grouse:
“Yet again, the BLM is trying to muscle its way into a situation where the State of Utah, private landowners, private industries and other stakeholders have already taken action. This type of one-size-fits-all environmental policy may be good for bureaucrats in Washington but it sure doesn’t work for Utah. Utahns don’t need any more direction from the BLM. The BLM needs to let Utahns continue to do their jobs and for the BLM to stop standing in the way of the economic and recreational opportunities that make Utah great.
Earlier this week the BLM issued an Instructional Memorandum (IM) involving the Sage Grouse that trumps state, local and other federal efforts over the last 10 years. During this time, there have been formal coordination efforts between the State of Utah, private landowners, private industries, ranchers, farmers, sportsmen, environmental groups, and federal land management agencies to conserve and manage sage grouse habitat. Any additional action taken by the BLM may have a detrimental effect on the work already done as well as Utah’s economy.