Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Tom Buchanan issued the following statement in response to the ruling of a federal district court judge in Texas concerning the lesser prairie chicken.
“Oklahoma Farm Bureau applauds a Texas federal district court judge ruling on Sept. 1 that removed the lesser prairie chicken from the threatened listing under the Endangered Species Act.
“The court said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to follow its own policies and did not adequately consider the states’ conservation plan when it listed the LPC as threatened.
“The LPC is found in western Oklahoma, as well as Texas, Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado. Listing the LPC as threatened creates additional regulations for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, as they must protect any LPC populations on their property.
“If the FWS had followed its own policies from the start, the LPC might not have been listed at all.
“Oklahoma Farm Bureau urges the FWS to correct the mistakes it made when it listed the LPC as threatened. Marla Peek, our director of regulatory affairs, will continue to work tirelessly to ensure farmers and ranchers are not subject to unnecessary regulations.”
