What does the lesser prairie chicken "threatened" listing mean for me as a landowner?

Photo courtesy: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

This may be a question many landowners are asking since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced in March 2014 that the lesser prairie chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) had been listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  "Threatened" means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.  The 2013 population survey found almost a 50 percent reduction to a record low of 17,616 birds.  Lesser prairie chickens are present on the short and mid-grass prairies of the southern Great Plains states of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado, but major causes cited by USFWS for the population decline are habitat fragmentation, loss and continual drought within its range.  You can see the former extent and current range in the map below.  

Historic and current range map courtesy of Natural Resources Conservation Service

This listing has local officials and business representatives upset, but what exactly does this mean for landowners?

Many had hoped that current efforts by state agencies and the USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service would have kept the bird from being listed altogether.  Luckily, the "threatened" status is a step below "endangered" which means that there is more flexibility under ESA regulations.  In addition, USFWS has used a special 4(d) rule for the first time that allows the state wildlife agencies to continue directing conservation efforts and manage activities that affect lesser prairie chickens and their habitat under the Range-Wide Conservation Plan developed by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.  This rule provides assurances against regulations for landowners and industries that could be impacted by the listing.

There is good news for landowners and industries.  Both groups can work with the appropriate state agency or Natural Resources Conservation Service Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative to gain technical and financial assistance to improve habitat management on their property.  By working with either agencies and conducting certain practices, such as prescribed grazing, landowners can have assurance that they won't be subject to regulations from USFWS.  

To learn more about the biology of these birds, as well as tools to help you manage your land, visit the NRCS Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative website, and to understand how this listing specifically impacts Texas, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

Contact your local NRCS Service Center or Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist to see if you can enroll your land with either agency to improve the habitat on your land.  Learn more about this iconic bird in the Texas Parks and Wildlife video below.