US Fish and Wildlife has removed the lesser prairie chicken from certain federal protections as a threatened or endangered species, depending on the location.
The “delisting” is connected to a federal court ruling last year that ended protections under the Endangered Species Act, following legal arguments by Kansas and other states, as well as the beef and petroleum industries, that the threatened or endangered status was overprotective.
The Biden administration gave the prairie chicken threatened status in Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and certain parts of Texas, giving the bird endangered status in New Mexico and other parts of Texas.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach says the delisting is a win for Kansas ranchers and energy utilities, saying the Biden administration’s decision in 2022 “would have crippled energy production and limited when and where ranchers could graze cattle on their own properties.” US Senator Roger Marshall says, “this action is a win for rural America and removes the red tape that has burdened Kansas farmers, ranchers and energy producers for too long.” US Senator Jerry Moran agrees, saying, “the listing’s burdensome federal regulations put severe strain on many Kansas industries.”
