The Trump administration has taken steps to revoke federal protections for the lesser prairie chicken, a vibrant grouse unfortunate enough to inhabit the southern and central grasslands, which have long been targeted for agricultural and energy development.
In a court filing on Wednesday, officials stated that the Fish and Wildlife Service mistakenly made a decision during the Biden era to classify these birds as endangered.
This move exemplifies the ongoing efforts of the White House to dilute or eliminate environmental regulations that hinder Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” agenda.
Furthermore, it marks yet another development in the ongoing struggle for the species, a battle that has persisted for 30 years.
Known for their unique courtship rituals of stomping, tail feather flicking, and “flapping,” the lesser prairie chicken’s population has plummeted from hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to only about 30,000 due primarily to habitat loss.
“President Trump will always advocate for the elimination of burdensome regulations affecting the American agriculture sector, particularly as numerous ranchers voluntarily engage in protecting lesser prairie chicken habitats,” stated White House spokesperson Anna Kelly.
The filing, submitted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, aims to reevaluate the bird’s status by November 30, 2026.
While the species currently lacks protection under the Endangered Species Act, the filing asserted that “there are at least 16 different conservation initiatives and programs administered by state, federal, and private entities.”
Despite this, conservationists foresaw that the service would be under no obligation to reevaluate the species on its own timeline and would likely need to take legal action to prompt a review.
“The Trump administration is once again yielding to the fossil fuel industry, ignoring sound science and common sense while jeopardizing at-risk species,” stated Jason Rylander, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity.
“A political decision to remove protections for endangered species is one that would not hold up in court,” he added, noting his group’s involvement in the issue.
Back in 1998, federal wildlife officials acknowledged that fewer grassland chickens warranted conservation efforts but initially prioritized other species. This led to the bird being tangled in a legal battle, fluctuating in and out of protected status.
In 2022, protections for the lesser prairie chicken were reinstated under President Biden, which split the species into two distinct populations: the southern population (encompassing eastern New Mexico and eastern Texas) and the northern population (covering central Kansas, western Oklahoma, central Texas, and the northeastern Panhandle).
The oil and ranch sectors faced lawsuits in 2023, similar to those filed in Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
Currently, the Trump administration contends that the Fish and Wildlife Service mischaracterized the species as a cohesive group and is “precisely contaminating” the validity of this assessment.
The major global authority on species, the United Nations List for Nature Conservation, classifies the lesser prairie chicken as vulnerable, similar to the U.S. endangered list.
Rylander from the Center for Biological Diversity stated his intention to challenge federal motions in the days ahead. The struggle over the lesser prairie chicken continues as scientists warn about unprecedented levels of biodiversity loss in human history.
Temperate grasslands are recognized as among the most endangered ecosystems globally.
Source: www.nytimes.com
