Sen. Moran Applauds Court Ruling to Remove Lesser Prairie-Chicken from Endangered Status

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) - a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry - today released the following statement, applauding the ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to remove the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) 2022 listing of the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act (ESA):

"The decision to list the lesser prairie-chicken as an endangered and threatened species three years ago, despite voluntary efforts by landowners to protect the bird's habitat, put burdensome regulations on Kansas producers. The court's ruling to remove the listing is an encouraging step forward, and I will continue to support local efforts to promote voluntary solutions that will protect the habitat of the lesser prairie-chicken without placing unnecessary burdens on our agricultural community."

Items to Note:

• Sen. Moran recently joined his colleagues in introducing legislation to bolster the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), helping to promote conservation efforts by maximizing enrollment options for producers seeking to preserve wildlife habitat.

• In January 2025, Sen. Moran joined his colleagues in introducing legislation to delist the lesser prairie-chicken as endangered and threatened under the ESA.

• On May 3, 2023, Sen. Moran gave remarks on the Senate floor applauding the passage of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) Resolution of Disapproval to nullify the listing of the lesser prairie-chicken as a threatened species under the ESA. The CRA was later vetoed by President Biden, and Sen. Moran voted to override the veto.

• On July 16, 2021, Sens. Moran and Marshall and Rep. Mann led a group of their colleagues in requesting a 90-day extension to the comment period for the proposed listing of the lesser prairie-chicken.

• On May 21, 2021, Sen. Moran joined his colleagues in urging the Biden administration's U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to not list the lesser prairie-chicken under the ESA.

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