Invoking the iconic Western bird — the greater sage grouse — the Department of the Interior has set into motion the largest land withdrawal in the history of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. Unfortunately, this move will do very little to protect the bird, it comes with a high price tag for U.S. mining and the vast sectors of our economy that depend upon a reliable and secure supply chain of minerals and metals.

The Interior Department’s recent decision not to include the sage grouse on the Endangered Species list was premised, in part, by the decision to withdraw 10 million acres of public land from new mining operations. Yet, mining is not even considered a major threat to the bird or its habitat as evidenced by the department’s own supporting documents, which point to wildfires and invasive species as the greatest threats to the sage grouse. In fact, mining companies play an integral role in managing the lands on which they operate, often voluntarily restoring low-value habitats into prime sage grouse habitats.