U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Talks About Lesser Prairie Chicken In Lubbock
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: February 11, 2013
LUBBOCK -- United States Fish and Wildlife Service representatives met with West Texans on Monday night to discuss a bird that could cause some big trouble for several industries.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended that the Lesser Prairie Chicken be listed as a threatened species.
The fowl has a habitat in the High Plains regions from the Permian Basin to western Kansas and eastern Colorado.
If the Lesser Prairie Chicken is listed as threatened, conservation efforts could limit oil and gas, ranching, wind farming and transportation industries throughout West Texas, eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, western Kansas and eastern Colorado.
While a final decision on the proposal isn't expected until fall 2013, officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service want feedback from those that live in the bird's habitat.
With that goal in mind, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials held a public hearing over the proposal in Lubbock on Monday evening.
Texas Governor Rick Perry, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper released a joint statement opposing the proposal to list the Lesser Prairie Chicken as threatened in January 2013.
Representative Randy Neugebauer (R-TX, District 19) and Representative Mike Conaway (R-TX, District 11) have also spoken out against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposal.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended that the Lesser Prairie Chicken be listed as a threatened species.
The fowl has a habitat in the High Plains regions from the Permian Basin to western Kansas and eastern Colorado.
If the Lesser Prairie Chicken is listed as threatened, conservation efforts could limit oil and gas, ranching, wind farming and transportation industries throughout West Texas, eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, western Kansas and eastern Colorado.
While a final decision on the proposal isn't expected until fall 2013, officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service want feedback from those that live in the bird's habitat.
With that goal in mind, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials held a public hearing over the proposal in Lubbock on Monday evening.
Texas Governor Rick Perry, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper released a joint statement opposing the proposal to list the Lesser Prairie Chicken as threatened in January 2013.
Representative Randy Neugebauer (R-TX, District 19) and Representative Mike Conaway (R-TX, District 11) have also spoken out against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposal.
