Maybe I’ll just start every new post with “Told ya so.” This news is not the least bit surprising to anyone who has been paying attention.

The Interior Department on Friday issued a final plan to close 1.6 million acres of federal land in the West originally slated for oil shale development.

The proposed plan would fence off a majority of the initial blueprint laid out in the final days of the George W. Bush administration. It faces a 30-day protest period and a 60-day process to ensure it is consistent with local and state policies. After that, the department would render a decision for implementation.

The move is sure to rankle Republicans, who say President Obama’s grip on fossil fuel drilling in federal lands is too tight. (Read More)

The administration defends the move, since they aren’t shutting off all development. But what they’re leaving open is just a fraction of what they’re cutting off. And if it was really such a great idea, why did they wait until after the election to make the announcement?

But hey, at least the sage grouses are happy.