Environmental groups have long been demanding strict curbs on activities such as oil and gas drilling that has been blamed for decline in the population of greater sage grouse across the American West.

In a latest effort, these groups Thursday sued the Obama administration alleging the sage grouse conservation programme that the government had announced in September last had many loopholes. Filed in the US District Court in Idaho, the lawsuit also claimed that the plan may not prove enough to protect the bird from extinction. Sage grouse is known for its elaborate mating ritual.

On the other hand, mining companies, ranchers and officials in Utah, Idaho and Nevada contend that the administration's steps will hinder economic progress. The ground-dwelling bird, which is yet to be included in the list of endangered species, is found across a 257,000-square-mile region spanning 11 states.

Officials said the new rules and land use policies in the region were aimed at keeping the popular game bird off the endangered list. These rules, however, came in for sharp criticism from the Western Watersheds Project, Center for Biological Diversity and two other groups that are behind the lawsuit. They alleged that there still were too many exceptions to “favor” the industry at the cost of the bird’s safety.

Erik Molvar of the WildEarth Guardians, another plaintiff in the case, said, “Each state had its own specific loophole... For Wyoming, there are huge loopholes for oil and gas. Nevada has loopholes for geothermal power. In southeastern Oregon, there were loopholes for wind farms. And everywhere there are loopholes for transmission projects”.

The Interior Department, however, defended the government’s new rules claiming these were crafted in partnership with state and local officials. The plans are both balanced and effective, protecting key sage-grouse habitat and providing for sustainable development, said department spokeswoman Jessica Kershaw.