Federal Judge Removes Lesser Prairie-Chicken from Endangered Species List
Nullification of US Fish and Wildlife Service Decision Leaves Threatened Bird鈥檚 Future Uncertain
DALLAS, Texas 鈥 Earlier this week a federal district court voided the US Fish and Wildlife Service鈥檚 decision to list the Lesser Prairie-Chicken, a brightly-colored resident of the southern Great Plains known for its unique mating dance, as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The 探花精选 issued the following statement:
鈥淩emoving the Lesser Prairie-Chicken from the endangered species list eliminates necessary and critical protections required for this species to return to a stable population,鈥 said Executive Director of 探花精选 Texas Brian Trusty. 鈥淭he US Fish and Wildlife Service is best suited to judge whether a species requires a listing, and reestablishing protections ensured by the Endangered Species Act is paramount for its successful comeback. Voluntary measures are essential and will continue to play a role in this species鈥 conservation management, but unfortunately they alone are not sufficient for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken.鈥
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Contact: Nicolas Gonzalez, ngonzalez@audubon.org, 212-979-3068