[The_Media_never_lie]

As much as I would like to lay the blame on President Trainwreck, this debacle was underway way before he came onto the scene. It is a fish and wildlife/EPA initiative and probably got underway in the 90s, if not before. The bureaucracies soon develop a life of their own.The Carolina Heelsplitter/Snail Darter/Spotted Owl are just means to an end. No more development(/drilling etc.), nowhere!

[JimSEA]

You are right. The company I used to work for tried to permit a mine in a long closed open pit in Nevada, the permits were denied for the potential impact on the environment. You see, when the old company closed the open pit mine, critters took up homes there and we can’t disturb them, particularly the tortoises.