A Trump administration announcement Wednesday evening that it will review plans from 2015 to protect the flamboyant Western sage-grouse bird throws into flux years of negotiations.

Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, played a large role in the effort that was announced two years ago, which avoided listing the bird as endangered thanks to state, federal and private partnerships.

The 2015 compromise was announced in Colorado at a nearly hour-and-a-half news conference at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City. It was a celebratory moment that ended a five-year controversial effort to save the bird in Western states, while kicking off land-use plans that focused on habitat conservation.

On Wednesday evening U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced that he signed an order to establish a review team that will evaluate federal sage-grouse plans and state plans and programs.

“While the federal government has a responsibility under the Endangered Species Act to responsibly manage wildlife, destroying local communities and levying onerous regulations on the public lands that they rely on is no way to be a good neighbor,” Zinke said in a statement.

Conservation groups quickly expressed concerns that the Trump administration’s review would lead to an unraveling of the delicate compromise that was reached in 2015, opening the door for more oil and gas development that could destroy the bird’s habitat.

“This review seems incredibly untimely,” said Luke Schafer, West Slope advocacy director for Conservation Colorado. “More time is needed for the plans to be fully implemented and monitored, and then decisions can be made about whether adjustments are necessary.”

While the compromise that was reached to avoid listing the bird as endangered marked progress, concerns were raised at the time that land-use plans would undermine state conservation efforts and burden ranchers and energy companies.

“I am encouraged by Secretary Zinke’s commitment to engaging states and local communities in sage-grouse preservation efforts,” said U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez. “Biologists and other experts have stated time and again that the most effective species preservation efforts are locally-tailored and take into consideration the unique ecology and topography of the region in which the habitat occurs.

“I am pleased to see action out of Interior that will reverse the one-size-fits-all approach that jeopardized the ongoing work being done in states to preserve and recover the species.”

Conservation discussions began after concerns were raised that the chicken-sized bird was going extinct. Greater sage-grouse once occupied more than 290 million acres of sagebrush in the West. Early settlers reported seeing millions, but the population has dwindled to a half-million or fewer.

At least half of the bird’s territory is on federal land. Advocates of protecting the bird pointed to development on grouse habitat, including exploration for oil and gas, which has limited the bird’s territory, making it difficult for them to mate and nest.

But state and private efforts across the species’ 165-million-acre range have reduced threats.

Colorado proposed plans encouraging ranchers to participate in voluntary conservation efforts by offering financial incentives to create, maintain and improve habitat.

Hickenlooper is concerned that the Interior’s plans would move from a habitat management model to one that sets population objectives for states.

“We are concerned that this is not the right decision. Our state agencies have decades of experience managing the species and we are willing to work with you to develop the best approach for managing the species on federal lands,” Hickenlooper wrote in a letter to Zinke with Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican.

Problems have, however, arisen with aspects of the land-use plans that were developed, which have stalled with little progress.

“The states understand the provisions that need improvement and can help … develop ways to target those problematic provisions. Wholesale changes to the land use plans are likely not necessary at this time,” Hickenlooper and Mead continued.

Following the Interior announcement Wednesday evening, Hickenlooper’s office said, “We will give the order a close review to better understand the details. I have encouraged Sec. Zinke to maintain the collaborative approach that has made sage grouse protection so successful to date. We will continue to work with Colorado stakeholders, governors and the Sage Grouse Task Force.”

Schafer, with Conservation Colorado, is concerned that the Interior Department’s budget request includes an $11.5 million cut to the “Sagebrush Conservation Implementation Strategy” and 59 fewer positions working on it.

“We are hopeful that Secretary Zinke will act upon the advice of Western leaders like Governors Hickenlooper and Mead and not make any sweeping changes to the sage grouse plans,” Schafer said. “Instead of again siding with the oil and gas industry, we believe Secretary Zinke should further engage with all stakeholders to help create certainty for our Western communities rather than swing the pendulum back towards another potential endangered species act listing by eliminating common-sense protections for the sage grouse.”