For some, rare birds mean more government

An odd-looking grouse with an intricate mating dance is at the center of an intense battle over wildlife conservation among energy companies, Texas officials and environmental advocates and the federal government. But as is frequently the case in debates about threatened species, the private landowner has the most at stake — and often seems absent from the negotiating table. That is especially true for Texas and the lesser prairie chicken, whose U.S. population has decreased to 17,000 from 34,000 in the past year. The bird is believed to roam on 3 million acres of mostly private property in the western portion of the state and the Texas Panhandle. Ranchers own and operate much of the native grassland prairie that the chicken loves, and are crucial to conserving the species. If protections for the chicken are to work, the ranchers must overcome their suspicion of any efforts associated with government. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may decide by March whether to list the bird as threatened. Should that happen, landowners could be subject to hefty fines and jail time under the Endangered Species Act if the birds are harmed on their property. Dozens of other species in Texas will be up for such listings in the coming years. “This is very serious, and it very well could put our 100-year operation out of business,” said Evertt Harrel, whose West Texas family cattle ranch has long been a home to lesser prairie chickens. A chunk of it, like many in Texas, is leased for oil and gas activities. Harrel’s face is familiar to state and federal officials at nearly every public meeting on the topic. But as are most ranchers, he is skeptical of participating in government programs that pay them to conserve land, even though the payments would help offset huge income losses in the face of drought...more