The National Cattlemen?s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) shared their displeasure with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency recently decided to move forward with their Endangered Species Act Designation for the Lesser Prairie Chicken, which designates two Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of the species. Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and the Northeast Texas Panhandle make up the Northern DPS. The prairie chickens in this area will be listed as ?threatened.? The Southern DPS extends across New Mexico and the Southwest Texas Panhandle and will list the species as ?endangered.?
The NCBA and the PLC say this decision to implement tight ESA protections for the Lesser Prairie Chicken following decades of conservation partnerships will lessen the incentive to continue efficient public-private partnerships.
?The scientific data supports our belief that voluntary conservation work led by producers is the most effective way to provide stability for the birds and their habitat,? NCBA Executive Director of Natural Resources and Executive Director of the Public Lands Council Kaitlynn Glover said. ?After years of successful voluntary conservation efforts and the development of meaningful partnerships, the ESA designation of the Lesser Prairie Chicken is severely disappointing.?
