The U.S. Senate has voted to remove the lesser prairie chicken from the Endangered Species List, continuing a battle that has been fought for years between states and the federal government.
Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, praised the passage of the bill. He said the listing would cause unnecessary harm to farmers and ranchers in Kansas. Moran said studies have shown that agricultural practices and conservation measures have helped bird populations in the five habitat states, including Kansas. The birds are also found in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado.
Moran said “Listing the bird as a threatened or endangered species is not the answer – plain and simple, we need more rainfall, not more regulation. I am confident there are ways to conserve the species without hindering economic development in rural communities, and I will continue to push for a voluntary solution.”
A similar bill is in the House, co-sponsored by Kansas congressman Tracey Mann. A House committee has advanced the bill to the floor of the House for a vote.
