Lesser prairie-chicken removed from endangered species list
On Feb. 26, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced the lesser prairie-chicken has officially been delisted from any endangered status. The red tape associated with protecting the lesser prairie-chicken on rangeland has long been a frustration for landowners and cattle ranchers.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council filed litigation to have the lesser prairie-chicken removed from the Endangered Species Act list in 2022 citing overreaching restrictions and flawed science.
“The ESA listing of the lesser prairie-chicken, coupled with the designation of critical habitat across cattle country, created an unnecessary and unlawful burden for ranchers,” said NCBA President Gene Copenhaver. “Established science has repeatedly proven that healthy rangelands maintained by cattle grazing is exactly where the lesser prairie-chicken thrives. Grazing creates robust, sustainable habitat for the bird, and by removing this listing, the Trump administration is helping ranchers continue that stewardship. NCBA engaged with multiple administrations, Congress, and the federal court system for years to defend cattle producers from this overreaching, unscientific rule, and we are glad it is finally removed.”
This listing originally took effect on March 27, 2023, and impacted multiple High Plains states that fell within the lesser prairie-chicken’s habitat, including Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The U.S. Federal District Court of Western Texas vacated the lesser prairie-chicken’s 4(d) rule, which concluded the bird should be treated as a “threatened” species under the ESA because FWS did not consider the economic consequences of the listing.
“Ranchers are the primary caretakers of a wide variety of landscapes that provide important habitat for species like the lesser prairie-chicken through voluntary conservation work. Federal agencies recognize that this work is the best way to provide long-term stability for habitat for these species,” said Tim Canterbury, president of PLC. “When the lesser prairie-chicken was listed with two separate designations, the ability to effectively carry out that voluntary conservation work was seriously constrained and PLC took legal action to ensure livestock producers would continue to be able to maintain these working lands. This delisting is welcome news for ranchers across the region, and we will continue to work with our state and federal partners to create and conserve habitat.”
With this ruling, the farmer, rancher, landowner, conservationists, and fowl can all thrive without constraints or regulations.
“The removal of the lesser prairie-chicken from the endangered and threatened species list is a major win for Kansas farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-KS. “For years, Kansas producers have worked to protect the bird’s habitat through voluntary, locally driven conservation efforts, but the listing’s burdensome federal regulations put severe strain on many Kansas industries. I have worked to oppose the listing of the lesser prairie-chicken for more than a decade, and I applaud today’s decision to remove the listing and continue to support local efforts to promote voluntary solutions that will protect the bird’s habitat without placing unnecessary burdens on our agricultural community.”
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
