As Greater Sage-Grouse numbers plummet throughout the West, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to waive habitat protections for oil and gas operations.

BLM oversees more sage grouse habitat than any other entity. The three field offices are in Wyoming, home to a third of the remaining Greater Sage-Grouse and the most within its 11-state Western range. Yet, sage grouse numbers have been declining in the Cowboy State since 2016.

The exemptions (sometimes called “timing stipulations”) allow mainly oil and gas activity in areas set aside to protect sage grouse and various migratory raptors.

Explore the table below for protection exception requests for the time period January 1, 2018 – October 13, 2023, from records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

Data current as of October 13, 2023

Please note that the data is based on incomplete Freedom of Information Act response from BLM. On September 12, 2023, PEER appealed DOI-BLM-2023-000745 on the grounds of insufficient search. We will update the data when/if records have been made available.

Greater Sage Grouse – Protection Exception Requests

Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming 1/1/18 – 10/13/23