Citing government shutdown, Interior blocks public comments on greater sage grouse habitat
Source: USA Today
Citing government shutdown, Interior blocks public comments on greater sage grouse habitat
Benjamin Spillman
,USA TODAY•December 25, 2018
RENO, Nev. – Citing the government shutdown, the Department of the Interior is denying online access to documents outlining a proposal to change conservation rules over 83 million acres of greater sage grouse habitat in six states.
The denial comes despite the fact the planning process to implement the changes is in the midst of a 30-day period in which the public is allowed to provide feedback.
The conservation group Western Watersheds Projected noticed the denial Monday when attempting to access the documents on the department’s website.
Instead of a web portal to the public documents, visitors are greeted with a notice that states, “During the Federal government shutdown, no updates will be made to this website except in the case of an emergency.”
“The (Bureau of Land Management) could have simply taken no action and left the web links up for the public to access when the government shut down, but instead they took action to block the public from seeing the amendments that are proposed,” said Eri Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds.
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Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/citing-government-shutdown-interior-blocks-150317202.html