Office of Senator Moran/KFB
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced an amendment to the fiscal year 2016 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill to restrict the use of funds for enforcement of the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to list the lesser prairie chicken (LPC) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The amendment passed with a majority vote.
“I was pleased the Senate Appropriations Committee acted today to protect Kansas and rural America from the consequences of the listing of the lesser prairie chicken,” Sen. Moran said. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acted prematurely when listing the lesser prairie chicken. The five states with habitat area – Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas – came together with stakeholders to develop a broadly supported plan to conserve the bird. However, they were not given adequate time to implement the conservation plan due to the federal government unnecessarily stepping in and listing the bird as a threatened species.”
“I am confident there are ways to conserve the species without burdensome regulations from the federal government that hinder economic development in rural communities,” Sen. Moran continued. “Rainfall this spring and conservation efforts at the state and local level will be far more effective at replenishing the lesser prairie chicken population than rules and regulations coming from Washington, D.C.”
The bill must now pass the full U.S. House and Senate and be signed into law by President Obama. Kansas Farm Bureau continues to advocate with our Congressional delegation for the de-listing of the lesser prairie chicken and to push forward with the Stop Fowl Play campaign against radical environmentalists’ attempt to have the LPC listed as “endangered.”
Photo credit: Larry Lamsa
