Because "sage grouse habitats" are more important than energy independence. The Hill: The Interior Department on Friday issued a final plan to close 1.6 million acres of federal land in the West originally slated for oil shale development. The proposed plan would fence off a majority of the initial blueprint laid out in the final days of the George W. Bush administration. It faces a 30-day protest period and a 60-day process to ensure it is consistent with local and state policies. After that, the department would render a decision for implementation. The move is sure to rankle Republicans, who say President Obama's grip on fossil fuel drilling in federal lands is too tight. Interior's Bureau of Land Management cited environmental concerns for the proposed changes. Among other things, it excised lands with "wilderness characteristics" and areas that conflicted with sage grouse habitats. Under the plan, 677,000 acres in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming would be open for oil...(Read Full Post)