Lankford Frustrated about Lesser Prairie-Chicken's Threatened Listing

Statement

Representative James Lankford (R-OK) released the following statement in response to today's announcement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) is now listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA):

"This is a prime example of how the Administration inserts itself into the lives of Americans at every possible turn, forcing federal regulations on hardworking Americans and the communities they call home. It is absurd to think that local land and business owners do not care about the quality of the environment in their own backyard and need to be federally controlled. Now that the LPC is listed as threatened, landowners and industry developers in the LPC's habitat are going to be burdened with the financial hardships and management difficulties that come with federal regulations.

"There is a way to protect species and their habitats in a way that allows for continued economic development and growth without imposing greater regulations in agriculture and energy industries. The five states in the range of the chicken proactively designed a comprehensive conservation strategy and have to date enrolled 11 million acres for conservation purposes--an unprecedented action and accomplishment--undertaken entirely by state and local stakeholders. By listing the LPC, the Administration has shown it does not trust the states to be good stewards of their own land, even when they have clear evidence to the contrary. Historically, the federal government has a deplorable 2% record of recovering species once they have been listed. The State of Oklahoma can and should lead in LPC recovery--not have yet another federal takeover of private land.

"I hope the Administration will see the commitment the five states have to conserving this species, and work with Oklahoma to remove the lesser prairie-chicken from the threatened list. I will continue to perform oversight on the Administration's broken policies and work to ensure taxpayer dollars are being utilized effectively."

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