To remove the lesser prairie-chicken from the lists of threatened species and endangered species published pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and to amend that Act to exclude the lesser prairie-chicken from the authority of that Act.
This bill would remove the lesser prairie-chicken from the federal lists of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and would amend the ESA to prohibit the Secretary from making any determination that the lesser prairie-chicken is threatened or endangered. In practical terms, if enacted, the federal protections and regulatory framework that come with ESA listing would be eliminated for the lesser prairie-chicken, and the species (including any recognized distinct population segments) would no longer be protected under the ESA. The bill shifts conservation responsibility away from the federal level, placing it in the hands of states, local governments, landowners, and other non-federal parties. The bill additionally formalizes the delisting by modifying Section 4(a) of the ESA to add a new subsection that flatly forbids any listing determination for the lesser prairie-chicken. Taken together, these provisions would end federal oversight and protections for the species and its habitats under the ESA.
Key Points
- 1Delisting: The bill would remove the lesser prairie-chicken (including all distinct population segments) from the federal lists of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.
- 2Prohibition on listing: It adds a new subsection to ESA Section 4(a) stating that the Secretary may not determine that the lesser prairie-chicken is threatened or endangered.
- 3Scope of prohibition: The delisting and the listing prohibition apply to all regulatory authority tied to the ESA for the lesser prairie-chicken.
- 4Implication for protections: With delisting, protections and regulatory mechanisms that accompany ESA listing (such as species-wide protections, critical habitat designations, and certain federal interagency reviews) would no longer apply to the lesser prairie-chicken.
- 5Shift in conservation responsibility: Conservation and management would primarily fall to states, local governments, landowners, and private or non-federal programs rather than a federal framework.