beardtongueEnvironmental groups are jumping the gun in declaring a victory in their lawsuit that would block energy development on oil shale formations in Colorado and Utah.

A federal judge this week vacated the Fish and Wildlife Service’s 15-year conservation agreement to protect a flowering plant, rather than list it as an endangered species because the agreement was time-limited and two other minor factors.

All of the findings can be easily corrected, which is just what the judge ordered the government to do, make some corrections and get back to him by February.

But Earthjustice and a laundry list of other environmental groups are telling their funders in a press release it was a major victory.

Check out the judge’s ruling here.

More dastardly, is what this legal action portends — Greenies effectively delayed energy development and cost taxpayers a small fortune in legal fees to defend one conservation agreement, and likely have more in their crosshairs.

We’re going to jump the gun on our New Years predictions, and say that the sage grouse agreement is next.

By challenging these conservation agreements to actually protect species, whether it be plant or animal, these groups are showing their true colors — they don’t really care about protecting the species, they just want to stop energy development.