Sage Grouse Leaders Say Debate Over the Bird is Improving

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming sage grouse leaders say talks with the Department of the Interior are improving after the announced review of the bird's protections caused dissonance.

At the meeting last week, members of the state's Sage Grouse Implementation Team say the discord is giving way to a collaborative approach.

When the Trump administration earlier this year announced it would review and potentially change federal plans established in 2015 for the bird, it spurred a protest campaign by conservationists and some western state leaders.

Team Chairman Bob Budd says the federal plans can be improved, and the resulting hysteria was overblown. He says changes will be suggested that aim to clarify the current strategy in Wyoming, which is home to more than 30 percent of the bird's population.