Senator Marshall, Rep. Mann Introduce Bill to Delist Lesser Prairie-Chicken

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS), Jerry Moran (KS), James Lankford (OK), and Markwayne Mullin (OK) introduced legislation to delist the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) introduced the House companion legislation.

"In listing the lesser prairie-chicken, the Biden Administration prioritized the interests of radical environmentalists over rural America. Kansas and surrounding states have contributed millions of public and private dollars to conservation efforts that are committed to preserving the lesser prairie-chicken," said Senator Marshall. "This work resulted in increasing the population of the bird well before the unnecessary and heavy-handed decision to list it. Fortunately, with this bill, we can undo the burdensome government micromanagement of agriculture and industry in western Kansas and celebrate the voluntary, locally-driven conservation efforts."

"Listing the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened or endangered species is disruptive to Kansas farmers and ranchers and harmful to rural communities," said Sen. Moran. "We need more rain, not regulations, to protect the future of this bird. I will continue to work with local communities to bolster voluntary solutions to protect the habitat of the lesser prairie chicken without placing unnecessary burdens on landowners in Kansas."

"America's farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers are the original conservationists of the land," said Rep. Mann. "For more than a decade, farmers, ranchers, private landowners, agricultural and energy producers have enacted voluntary conservation efforts to preserve the lesser prairie-chicken's population. Despite these efforts increasing the population by more than 15,000, President Biden's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ignored the facts and decided that the federal government is better equipped to manage these populations than local citizens. This bill is the first step in rolling back burdensome regulations from the previous administration that handcuffed Americans. I look forward to working with President Trump and the DOGE Caucus to roll back these senseless regulations and to get our country back on track."

Background:

In 2023, Senators Marshall, Moran, Lankford, and Mullin led the charge to strike down the Biden Administration's listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) as part of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The measure passed both the Senate and the House before then-President Bidenvetoed the resolution. This bill will de-list the LPC as endangered or threatened under the ESA and prohibit future re-listing efforts.