Lesser Prairie Chicken Proposed For ‘Threatened Species’ Listing

Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the start of a process that could lead to the listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken as a ‘threatened species’ under the Endangered Species Act. The bird lives in the grasslands of the Texas panhandle, as well as in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, and Colorado. The proposal to list it as “threatened” rather than “endangered” allows Fish and Wildlife more flexibility in crafting conservation measures for the animal. Under the listing, “we can tailor ‘take’ prohibitions under section 4d of the Act,” Leslie Gray, Texas Public Affairs Specialist with the Service, told StateImpact Texas. A “take” is an action that harms, harasses or kills the animal. Gray says the Service has crafted special rules for other animals in the past. “We’ve done that for species such as the Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse and the California Tiger Salamander. And basically in those 4d rules it allows ‘takes’ associated with routine farming and ranching operations because it was determined that that ‘take’ was not significant to the species,” said Gray. She said the service would now investigate whether similar rules could be crafted for the Lesser Prairie Chicken. While some conservationists may have preferred a proposal for the more stringent “endangered” listing, many politicians as well as business interests had lobbied against that move. Conservative Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe called the listing  “very good news,” according to NewsOK...more

Steve Pearce (R-NM) released the following statement:

 Today, U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce responded to the announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the Lesser Prairie Chicken is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

“Unfortunately, our jobs and our way of life in southern New Mexico continue to come under assault” said Pearce.  “The prairie chicken is yet another example that federal species regulation is not based on science, but rather driven by lawyers for extreme interest groups, like Santa Fe-based WildEarth Guardians, who filed the lawsuit in this case.  These groups have filed hundreds of job-killing petitions, often at taxpayer expense, while never having to live with the consequences to the local communities.”

“I am confident that the Fish and Wildlife Service has learned through the dunes sagebrush lizard case that New Mexico successfully protects our species through local, state and regional agreements.  I have always supported these conservation efforts, and I will continue to hold the Fish and Wildlife Service accountable to allow a balanced, local approach that protects the species without threatening New Mexico’s jobs.”

Despite having faced one of the worst droughts on record in recent years, the prairie chicken population is on the rise or holding steady in many parts of the country, suggesting the success of current agreements and calling into question the need for federal regulation.