A federal judge in Texas has blocked a US Fish and Wildlife Service decision to list the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened or endangered species.
The rule proposed by the Biden administration in 2022 was challenged by attorneys general in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said in a statement this morning.
“This is a huge win for Kansas ranchers and energy producers.” Kobach stated. He added that the rule would have crippled both oil and wind energy production and limited when and when Kansas ranchers could graze cattle on their own property.
This is the second time a court has blocked efforts to list the lesser prairie chicken. A 2014 proposal from the Obama administration was similarly struck down.
First District Congressman Tracey Mann also issued a statement on the ruling.
“Kansas farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers have always been and always will be the original conservationists of the land,” said Rep. Mann. “The District Court of West Texas’ ruling to remove the lesser prairie-chicken from the endangered and threatened species list honors their stewardship of the land and acknowledges the facts on the ground. This ruling is a win for Kansas agricultural and energy producers and a huge loss for radical climate activists and bureaucrats who have abused the Endangered Species Act for over a decade to hurt American agriculture and energy production.”
