the lesser prairie chicken ( tympanuchus pallidicinctus ) , a species in the grouse family , is slightly smaller and paler than its near relative the greater prairie chicken .

about half of its current population lives in western kansas , with the other half in the sandhills and prairies of western oklahoma , the texas panhandle including the llano estacado , eastern new mexico , and southeastern colorado .

like its larger relative , it is known for its lekking behavior .

considered " vulnerable " by the iucn due to its restricted and patchy range , it is vulnerable to habitat destruction .

there is evidence suggesting that global warming may have a particularly detrimental influence by greatly reducing the size of the sagebrush ecosystem .

subfossil remains are known , e.g. , from rocky arroyo in the guadalupe mountains , outside the species ' current range but where more habitat existed in the less humid conditions in the outgoing last ice age .

range contraction apparently took place no later than about 8000 bc .

the united states department of the interior has proposed creating a lesser prairie chicken preserve as a national monument , but it remains controversial , and president barack obama has not taken action on the proposal under the antiquities act of 1906 as of february 2010 .

on march 27 , 2014 , the lesser prairie chicken was listed as threatened ( t ) under the endangered species act .

in 2015 , senator jerry moran ( r-kan ) introduced an amendment to legislation authorizing construction of the keystone xl pipeline that would overturn the listing .

he disputed the listing as , " ... another example of unnecessary intrusion into private lives and businesses by the federal government . ” his action as supported by the american energy alliance , and opposed by the league of conservation voters .

when the senate voted on the keystone bill , it did not get the 60 votes in favor that was required to pass .

it got only 53 republican and 1 democratic senator to vote in favor .

lesser prairie chicken

the purchase of 30 , 000 acres of lesser prairie chicken habitat in kansas .
nrcs’ prairie chicken efforts are part of working lands for wildlife ( wlfw ) , through which nrcs provides technical and financial assistance to help ranchers restore and protect habitat for prairie chicken . visit nrcs’ lesser prairie - chicken webpage to learn more .
the species - protection battle over the lesser prairie chicken has raged for over 20 years . as part of a
woodward’s lesser prairie chicken festival wraps nature , wildlife , geography and conservation into a compelling package of eco - adventuring .
this march 2007 photo provided by the texas parks and wildlife department shows a male lesser prairie chicken in a mating stature in the texas panhandle . the obama administration has placed the lesser prairie . . . more
washington – - the fight over the keystone xl pipeline is about to become a fight over the lesser prairie chicken as well .
the western association of fish and wildlife agencies , which oversees the lesser prairie - chicken range - wide conservation plan , said in its second annual report to the u . s . fish and wildlife service that the lesser prairie chicken had another successful year in 2015 .
the surveys will be conducted by helicopter in locations chosen randomly within lesser prairie chicken range , which is part of the methodology strategy .
hicken is because it ' s smaller and pastier than the greater prairie - chicken .
a smaller , paler version of the greater prairie - chicken , the lesser prairie - chicken is now found only in restricted areas of five states in the southern great plains . it inhabits open rangeland dominated by shinnery oak or sand sagebrush .
producers in kansas , oklahoma , new mexico , texas and colorado are helping the lesser prairie - chicken rebound by voluntarily conserving habitat on their land .
a male lesser prairie chicken in the texas panhandle . the bird ' s entire habitat includes parts of colorado , kansas , new mexico , oklahoma and texas .
federal plan to save prairie chickens ruffles state feathers the federal government just listed the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species , but states are pushing back hard , saying that restrictions could negatively impact a number of industries .
see and hear the quickly vanishing lesser prairie chicken displaying on its booming and gobbling grounds at the annual lesser prairie chicken festival in woodward . a popular birding event in the state of oklahoma , visitors to this festival are invited to come share and experience the natural heritage of the high plains of northwest oklahoma with activities that include prairie dog , turkey and owl viewing , as well as geocaching , star gazing and nature workshops .
a male lesser prairie chicken in the texas panhandle . the bird ' s entire habitat includes parts of colorado , kansas , new mexico , oklahoma and texas . jon mcroberts / ap hide caption
the fish and wildlife service has been threatening to step in and protect the lesser prairie chicken for years , a sour prospect for farmers and ranchers , who own almost all the bird ' s habitat .
other species of birds that may be spotted besides the popular lesser prairie chicken include the snowy plover , burrowing owl , prairie falcon , least tern , roadrunner , chestnut - collared longspur , scissor - tailed flycatcher , canyon wren , rock wren , indigo bunting , lark sparrow and more . whether enjoying a birding trek in the early morning , or setting out on a nighttime owl prowl , the lesser prairie chicken festival is a bird - lover ' s paradise .
this undated file photo provided by u . s . fish and wildlife service shows a male lesser prairie chicken in southeastern new mexico . ( u . s . fish and wildlife service via ap , file )
asked how many takes it took him to get “lesser prairie chicken” out , duffy just laughs . “once , in the old dallas , we had the phrase , ‘well , daddy , i think the whole herd’s got screwworm . ’ and ‘screwworm’ did not come out of larry’s and my mouth for about an hour . it’s one of those phrases . ‘lesser prairie chicken’ is one of those phrases , ” he says .
recently the five range states , wafwa , federal and state agencies and organizations working on lesser prairie - chicken conservation met in edmond , oklahoma , to share information on current chicken conservation efforts and identify new strategies for working together . you can read wafwa ' s piece on the edmond meeting
though it has achieved a complete legal victory , the petroleum association and the other businesses , landowners , and developers that have partnered with the states on the lesser prairie chicken initiative council have many challenges ahead of them . when announcing that it had finalized the chicken ' s delisting , fws
sen . jerry moran ( r - kansas ) is seeking to attach an amendment to legislation authorizing construction of the pipeline that would throw out federal protections for the lesser prairie chicken , a bird native to midwestern prairies .
a month after senior u . s . district judge robert junell upheld his september 2015 ruling overturning the listing of the lesser prairie chicken as “threatened , ” a second - year update offered good news on the species .
“those industry participants within the rwp are demonstrating they can be both economically viable and conserve the lesser prairie chicken even with the downturn in oil prices , which extends to other energy - related industries , ” he said .
the lesser prairie - chicken is a nationally identified target species of the working lands for wildlife ( wlfw ) partnership , a collaborative approach to conserve habitat while keeping working lands working . from 2010 to 2015 , the lesser prairie - chicken initiative ( part of the wlfw family ) enabled producers to conserve more than 1 million acres of prime habitat . from 2016 to 2018 , nrcs aims to conserve 500 , 000 additional acres . read our fy2016 - 2018 conservation strategy .
this year the lesser prairie - chicken has faced a variety of attacks aimed at undoing its recent listing . now , a lawsuit filed by the permian basin petroleum association and four new mexico counties has succeeded in doing just that—at least temporarily .
join the oklahoma audubon council for an amazing prairie experience . this year ' s event will include another round of field trips and workshops , such as lesser prairie chicken viewing from blinds or vans , an opportunity to actively participate in protecting the species by helping to mark fences in the area and much more .
nrcs offers technical and financial assistance to help agricultural producers to voluntarily conserve lesser prairie - chicken habitat on private lands . this assistance helps producers plan and implement a variety of conservation activities , or practices , that benefit the bird and agricultural operations .
the states and their private - sector partners will need to consistently demonstrate that their commitment to preserving the lesser prairie chicken has not wavered after their court win . they will have to demonstrate the type of positive results detailed in a march 31 , 2016
( lincoln : university of nebraska press , 1983 ) . v . w . lehmann ,
the attwater prairie chicken : current status and restoration opportunities ,
the prairie grass has died back and the wildlife that depends on it is suffering . lesser prairie chickens only live about a year and a half on average , so a couple of years without many chicks takes a serious toll .
. wind - energy facilities are increasing in the great plains , particularly in states with lesser prairie - chickens as these have the highest potential for wind energy development .
science to solutions : a new study by researchers at kansas state university identifies specific grazing practices that create the varied grassland habitat structure that lesser prairie - chickens need .
financial assistance helps producers pay for the adoption of a system of conservation practices that improve the health of prairie and grassland ecosystems . nrcs assistance covers part of the cost . common conservation practices for the lesser prairie - chicken include the removal of redcedar and mesquite and use of prescribed grazing and burning . see a full list of practices .
environmental activist groups instinctively oppose voluntary conservation , and organizations such as defenders of wildlife—which brought the original listing suit against fws—will fight vigorously to restore federal control over the lesser prairie chicken . after the federal court ' s september 1 decision , a defenders of wildlife senior official
still , it ' s tough being a lesser prairie chicken these days . this type of grouse once spanned an enormous area , though now they survive mainly in pockets of oklahoma and kansas . their numbers are plummeting ; in 2012 , the population dropped by half .
adult male lesser prairie chickens ( tympanuchus pallidicinctus ) have brightly colored air sacs on the sides of their neck that they inflate during courtship displays . cimarron national grassland , kansas .
the service is officially removing the lesser prairie - chicken from the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife in accordance with the september 2015 court order vacating our 2014 listing determination . this administrative action and the decision not to appeal the court’s ruling do not constitute a biological determination on whether or not the lesser prairie - chicken warrants federal protection . the direct final rule ( docket no . fws - es - r2 - 2016 - 0028 ) will be available in the federal register reading room on july 19 , 2016 , and publish on july 20 , 2016 .
“this is a tribute to wafwa and all of the stakeholders who work every day to ensure the success of the range - wide plan . this is good news for the lesser prairie chicken , the habitat and everyone who lives , works and plays in these areas , ” he added .
field report ; what does the prairie look like from a coyote ' s eye view , and why does that matter to lesser prairie - chickens ? lpci range conservationist marina osier , based in lamar , colorado , answers this question in her recent field report .
van pelt reported landowners are stepping up and implementing conservation practices benefiting the chicken . eight landowner contracts were finalized covering 67 , 512 acres . conservation measures are being implemented range - wide , including habitat restoration on 8 , 214 of 15 , 911 prescribed acres . a total of $ 1 , 821 , 737 was paid to landowners managing their lands to generate credits for lesser prairie chicken conservation , he said .
when you enroll land with lpci , follow a sustainable grazing plan , and complete other conservation practices to benefit lesser prairie - chickens , you can run your ranch without fear of esa regulation .
last year’s aerial surveys found an abundance of spring rainfall in 2015 , along with ongoing efforts associated with the range - wide plan and other conservation initiatives , helped increase the lesser prairie chicken population by approximately 25 percent from 2014 to 2015 . results from this year’s surveys will be available on july 1 .
this march 2007 photo provided by the texas parks and wildlife department shows a male lesser prairie chicken in a mating stature in the texas panhandle . the obama administration has placed the lesser prairie chicken on a list of threatened species , a move that could affect oil and gas drilling , wind farms and other activities in five central and southwestern states . the decision by the fish and wildlife service is a step below “endangered” status and allows for more flexibility in how the protections for the bird will be carried out under the endangered species act . ( ap photo / texas parks and wildlife department , jon mcroberts ) less
gerrit vyn is a wildlife biologist who photographed and recorded the sounds of five of these species : the greater and lesser prairie chicken , greater sage grouse , sharp - tailed grouse and gunnison sage grouse .
all of these species have undergone drastic population declines since we settled the west ,
vyn says .
for the fish and wildlife service to come out and say , ' yes , we ' re going to classify the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species , but we ' re not going to change anything , ' seems to beg the question , then why did you take the step ?
pruitt says .
primarily due to large - scale loss of habitat and fragmentation of habitat , their range distribution has been reduced by roughly 85 percent . about 95 percent of the lesser prairie chicken’s habitat is privately owned , making the land management decisions of producers pivotal to the bird’s success . stewardship - minded producers are helping the at - risk bird and many other wildlife species by voluntarily improving the health of prairie and grassland ecosystems .
through wlfw , nrcs targets conservation efforts where the returns are highest by targeting threats to the bird . for the lesser prairie - chicken , the loss and fragmentation of habitat is caused by invading mesquite and redcedars , poor grassland and prairie health and conversion to cropland . wlfw is able to provide technical and financial assistance through the environmental quality incentives program and agricultural conservation easement program , two programs funded through the farm bill .
“the u . s . fish and wildlife service is best suited to judge whether a species requires a listing . . . voluntary measures are essential and will continue to play a role in this species’ conservation management , but unfortunately they alone are not sufficient for the lesser prairie - chicken , ” trusty said in a statement for audubon .
wayne keller is scanning the vast expanse of caramel - colored prairie from his ranch south of dodge city for prairie chickens . keller says it ' s drought that is killing them .
again later that year , arguing that the bird belonged on the endangered list . a petroleum industry association and four new mexico counties sued fws as well , arguing that the agency failed to take into consideration voluntary conservation efforts in the affected states—colorado , kansas , new mexico , oklahoma , and texas . wildlife regulators and private enterprises in those states , concerned with the severe economic impact of an esa listing for the chicken , created a voluntary lesser prairie chicken initiative .
providing predictability . when you enroll land with lpci , follow a sustainable grazing plan , and complete other conservation practices to benefit lesser prairie - chickens , you can run your ranch without fear of esa regulation . learn more
adult male lesser prairie chickens ( tympanuchus pallidicinctus ) have brightly colored air sacs on the sides of their neck that they inflate during courtship displays . cimarron national grassland , kansas . gerrit vyn / gerritvynphoto . com hide caption
meet ed koger , a rancher in south - central kansas who manages his pastures with prescribed grazing and burning , which simultaneously provides good forage for his cattle and habitat for the lesser prairie - chicken . “as long as i incorporate fire in my management of the prairie on this ranch , ” he says , “i’m going to have more wildlife , and i’m going to produce more pounds of beef . ” learn more about ed’s ranch .
the lesser prairie chicken is the latest member of the grouse family to face congressional scrutiny . in december , a provision included in the omnibus spending bill barred the interior department from moving forward on proposing endangered species act protections for the greater sage - grouse , and from finalizing those protections for the gunnison sage - grouse , which the department has listed as threatened .
top , from left : lesser prairie - chicken , melody lytle / audubon photography awards ; ring - necked pheasant , lynn cleveland / apa ; california quail , pat ulrich / apa ; bottom , from left : wild turkeys , steve green / apa ; willow ptarmigan , nps photos / katie thoresen / flickr creative commons ; spruce grouse , justin peter / apa .
( boston : houghton mifflin , 1977 ) . heather miller ,
vanishing with the prairie ,
come to woodward ' s lesser prairie chicken festival and embark on a series of field trips led by local experts around northwest oklahoma plus an excursion to black mesa . visitors to this much - loved birding event will also enjoy an art show and sale showcasing local artists and vendors , as well as a variety of informative workshops and speakers . most events require pre - registration .
the u . s . fish and wildlife service has completed initial reviews of three endangered species act petitions and found that two present substantial information that the petitioned action may be warranted . a petition to list the lesser prairie - chicken as endangered and another to list the leopard as endangered throughout its range in africa will move to the next phase , where each species will undergo a thorough status review .
to fws on the conservation plan ' s second year . the plan has led to a
25 percent increase in the lesser prairie chicken population . . . industry partners committed nearly $ 51 million in fees to pay for mitigation actions , and landowners across the range agreed to conserve more than 67 , 000 acres of habitat .
on june 13 , 2016 , an umbrella group of western - state wildlife agencies
the department of interior ' s fish and wildlife service listed the bird as threatened under the endangered species act in march , citing the
rapid and severe decline
of lesser prairie chicken populations . protections for
threatened
species are not as strict as those for
endangered
species , but the service said the listing recognizes that the bird is
likely to become in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future .
nrcs launched the lesser prairie - chicken initiative ( lpci ) in 2010 , establishing a partnership of ranchers , agencies , universities , non - profit groups and businesses that embrace a common vision – wildlife conservation through sustainable ranching . this innovative partnership of ranchers , agencies , universities , non - profit groups and businesses all embrace a common vision – achieving wildlife conservation through sustainable ranching . visit urltoken to learn more about the partnership .
allow habitat regeneration , manage grazing to provide adequate cover and forage for prairie chickens . continue to manage occupied habitats on private lands , and hasten progress towards effective management on public lands . protect occupied habitats . develop and promote effective incentives for land - owners to maintain populations . continue monitoring leks and develop statistically robust methods of estimating populations from lek data . regulate the construction of tall structures in or near lesser prairie - chicken habitats . ensure effective evaluation and mitigation of the impacts of wind turbine and other tall structure installation on the species .
spoiler alert ! this week’s episode of dallas saw john ross ( josh henderson ) and bobby ( patrick duffy ) each take bold steps in their battle over fracking at southfork . in the end , even though john ross had convinced the ranch hands that more money could be made in oil than cattle , bobby managed to put a hold on john ross’s drilling permit by informing the sierra club of a potentially endangered population of lesser prairie chicken .
voluntary conservation efforts have been in the works for years . in the lead - up to the usfws decision in 2014 , the western association of fish and wildlife agencies ( wafwa ) and the five states with lesser prairie - chicken habitat finalized a massive plan to protect the bird across its range . but in the end , usfws decided that it couldn ' t measure the impact of those programs because not enough landowners and companies had enrolled in them .
a little smaller and paler than the greater prairie - chicken , this grouse is adapted to arid short - grass regions of the southern great plains . at one time it was abundant in this region , but it has declined seriously , and is now an uncommon bird found in a few local concentrations .
they ' ve lost 84 percent of the shortgrass prairie , which this bird depends on as its home ,
ashe says .
the pbpa , along with chaves , eddy , lea and roosevelt counties in new mexico , had sued the department of the interior and fish and wildlife service to overturn the chicken’s listing .
still , participants who walk away would sacrifice their hefty enrollment fees , counters wafwa grassland coordinator bill van pelt . and even if the bird’s federally threatened status evaporates , prairie - chicken declines could trigger yet another listing process , van pelt says , prodding more people to sign up . “for us , it’s still business as usual . ”
wafwa in partnership with the states of new mexico , colorado , kansas , oklahoma and texas have embarked on an innovative and unprecedented approach to wildlife conservation . this partnership began in 2012 with the directors of the five states that are home to the lesser prairie chicken ( lpc ) and its habitat to create a document that outlined the needs of this charismatic grouse species endemic to the five states . this document , “ the lesser prairie chicken range - wide conservation plan , ” ( rwp ) , written by the states lpc interstate working group , addresses the needs of this species , establish population goals and provides a mechanism for industry to continue operating . this document brings together the different voluntary conservation programs in the high plains into a common approach to provide for both minimization and mitigation of impacts and conservation of lpc habitat . the only plan of its kind endorsed by the us fish and wildlife service , it was incorporated into the section 4 ( d ) special rule at the time of listing in 2014 . strong participation in the plan could lead to a timely delisting of the lpc .
has disappeared from most of former range and is probably still declining ; considered to be threatened . biggest problem is conversion of natural prairie to farmland .
we ' re walking toward a lek , which is kind of like a singles bar for prairie chickens . they get together and do their thing .
, val w . lehmann , nancy lehmann - carssow , and nova j . silvy ,
prairie chickens ,
accessed july 09 , 2018 ,
aerial surveys of the chicken’s population began march 17 and are expected to continue through mid - may in the five states that contain the bird’s habitat : texas , new mexico , oklahoma , kansas and colorado .
on september 1 , a u . s . district judge in texas vacated the u . s . fish and wildlife service’s decision to designate the lesser prairie - chicken as threatened under the endangered species act . his ruling stated that prior to listing , the agency failed to follow its own rules for gauging whether existing conservation programs could help stem the bird ' s decline . “it’s just one more cut into the ( agency’s ) authority and the efficacy of the esa , ” says karyn stockdale , a senior advisor for the national audubon society and former director of audubon new mexico .
turkeys , ptarmigans , pheasants , grouse , and quail—these birds are all capable of doing crazy things . take the lesser prairie - chicken for example . to show off to the ladies , the males suck air in and out of the ping pong balls on the sides of their neck , make weird moaning sounds , and do a snazzy quick - feet display , all at the same time . so the real question is , just how crazy can these birds be ? try this true / false quiz , and check the answers below to see if you can separate fowl truth from fiction .
. in oklahoma 39 . 5 % of the prairie - chicken mortality recorded was due to fence collisions , while in new mexico , this figure was 26 . 5 percent . the species has also been found to avoid power lines and so it is likely that the erection of other tall structures ( including wind turbines ) will lead to increased habitat fragmentation and reduced home range sizes ( pruett
best known for their dramatic courtship display , the bird depends on prairie and grassland ecosystems that have evolved under the interaction of fire and large herbivore grazing over the years .
if it’s good for the bird , it’s good for the herd . with lpci technical and financial assistance , landowners can improve habitat for both prairie - chickens and livestock , boosting ranch sustainability .
wayne keller , a rancher whose land is south of dodge city , kan . , scans his land for prairie chickens . the federal government has proposed listing the bird as an endangered species .
some sound like alien techno music , others resemble old lawnmower engines . . . but all of these calls were made by grouse and prairie chickens . recordings provided by cornell laboratory of ornithology .
sandhill country , sage and bluestem grass , oak shinnery . found in sandy short - grass prairie regions with scattered shrubs such as sand sage . often found around stands of low , scrubby oaks ( havard and mohr ' s oak , also called
shin oak
) . regularly comes to agricultural fields to feed on waste grain , but disappears from areas where too much of native prairie is taken over by farmland .
wayne keller , a rancher whose land is south of dodge city , kan . , scans his land for prairie chickens . the federal government has proposed listing the bird as an endangered species . frank morris / kcur hide caption
win - win conservation . if it’s good for the bird , it’s good for the herd . with lpci technical and financial assistance , landowners can improve habitat for both prairie - chickens and livestock , boosting ranch sustainability . learn more
in the report , wafwa said the chicken’s range - wide population had increased by 25 percent to just more than 29 , 000 birds , industry partners had committed nearly $ 51 million in fees to pay for mitigation actions , and landowners across the five - state range agreed to conserve more than 67 , 000 acres of habitat .
the plan will pay landowners to make their property more livable for prairie chickens , and companies that degrade habitat will have to compensate landowners to create more of it elsewhere . it could be profitable for farmers and ranchers — and it needs to be .
science to solutions : hot off the press ! new research shows that patch - burn grazing creates the mosaic of grassland habitat structure that prairie - chickens depend on . lpci ' s latest science to solutions paper describes the research and its implications for range management .
they only nest on the ground , nowhere near a tree or anything else , like an oil derrick or wind turbine , sticking up from the prairie . there were once millions of the birds , and ashe says now there may be fewer than 18 , 000 .
every spring , flocks of prairie chickens and grouse gather in the prairies of the american west to strut and sing and fight for the attention of females . it ' s called a lek , and like many wildlife mating rituals , it ' s all about female choice .
the prairie - chicken , which has an elaborate , chest - puffing mating dance and a call similar to woody the woodpecker’s laugh , currently struts on just 16 percent of its historic range . oil and gas development , wind farms , roads , transmission lines , fences , and other development have threatened these last slivers of existing habitat . and thanks to drought on the southern plains , population numbers plummeted from around 35 , 000 to 17 , 616 between 2012 and 2013—which partly explains usfws ' s motivation for listing them . “this is an incredibly difficult creature to save , ” says audubon texas executive director brian trusty . “it’s really fickle . ”
an aggressive encounter between two male greater prairie chickens ( tympanuchus cupido ) . during aggressive encounters , males leap into the air and strike their opponent with feet , wings and / or beak . fort pierre national grassland , south dakota . gerrit vyn / gerritvynphoto . com hide caption
in montana , an area of unplowed grassland called the northern prairie was listed on the interior department memorandum , discussed as a possible home for a new national bison range . but the state’s representative at large , denny rehberg , a republican , said in a statement , “the antiquities act was never intended as an end - run around the will of the people nor as a land - grab device for east coast politicians . ”
that business may already be producing some results for prairie - chickens : their numbers have climbed back to 29 , 000 , a 25 percent increase since last year ' s listing . “you can’t ignore that you had 180 companies modifying their behavior , ” van pelt argues . but even he admits that drought relief is the most important factor : “we’ve had a lot of rain . that’s what it takes for this bird . ”
if the federal court ' s decision stands , prairie - chickens will be cut off from federal endangered species recovery funds , and landowners will be free to destroy the bird ' s remaining habitat without consequence . even wafwa’s range - wide plan could lose its teeth : without the looming threat of the listing , there would be no incentive for landowners and industries to participate , li says . with 100 , 000 acres and $ 46 million tied up in voluntary contracts , “there’s potentially a lot to lose . ”
the global population is estimated to number 20 , 000 - 40 , 000 individuals ( h . whitlaw in litt . 2007 ) . trend justification : this species is declining rapidly ( rogers 1997 ; wolfe et al . 2007 ) , owing to conversion and development of prairie grasslands . it has undergone a large and statistically significant decrease over the last 40 years in north america ( 99 . 6 % decline over 40 years , equating to a 75 . 7 % decline per decade ; data from breeding bird survey and / or christmas bird count [ butcher and niven 2007 ] ) .
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cedar mesa in southeastern utah is on an interior department list of possible national monuments . the department says the list is preliminary .
denver — in much of the nation , “monument” is an innocuous word , conjuring up images of historical figures cast in bronze or road - side plaques few stop to read .
in the west , though , it’s a fighting word , bound up for years with simmering resentments against the federal government and presidential powers . the feeling dates to the days when , with the stroke of a pen , theodore roosevelt declared lands he wished to protect as national monuments under the american antiquities act .
a new monument fight erupted this week when representative rob bishop , republican of utah , said he had uncovered a “secret” interior department memorandum suggesting that the federal government was considering national monument designation for 14 huge blocks of land in nine states from montana to new mexico .
a spokeswoman for the department of the interior , kendra barkoff , said the list was not secret at all , but simply a “very , very , very preliminary , ” internal working document resulting from a brainstorming session that interior secretary ken salazar , a democrat and former senator from colorado , had requested about the lands in the west .
“no decisions have been made about which areas , if any , might merit more serious review and consideration , ” ms . barkoff said in a statement .
but the word “secret , ” especially when applied to the possible doings of far - away federal bureaucrats , is right up there with “monument” in its ability to unleash vitriol among western conservatives . in 1996 , president bill clinton created the 1 . 7 million - acre grand staircase - escalante national monument in southern utah with a surprise announcement that still resonates across the region as a symbol of government powers , or what critics call the abuse of those powers .
the new interior department memorandum , people in both parties said , has reopened a wound from those days that never quite healed .
the san rafael swell in central utah is on the list , along with 13 other sites .
“given the lingering frustration felt by many utahns , following the 1996 ‘stroke of the pen’ monument designation , it is totally inappropriate for this federal agency to even have preliminary discussions without involving the stakeholders on the ground , ” said representative jim matheson , democrat of utah , a state that had two of the possible new monuments on the list , the san rafael swell and cedar mesa .
ms . barkoff at the interior department said in an interview that mr . salazar , as colorado’s attorney general , united states senator and secretary of the interior , had a history of seeking consensus , and that any discussion of monument designation would be open to public and congressional involvement .
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a spokesman for the southern utah wilderness alliance , a conservation group , said the appearance of secrecy in monument talks had melded with ideological opposition to the obama administration — widespread in a deeply republican part of the country .
“i don’t think it’s as much about the specifics of the land issues as it is pure ideological concerns , ” said the group’s executive director , scott groene . “there’s already been a great fury going on in this state , and it’s hard to imagine that this really changes any of that . ”
the fury is nothing new . in 1969 , for example , the town of boulder , utah , passed a resolution changing its name to johnson’s folly , and predicted the town’s demise after president lyndon b . johnson added thousands of acres to arches and capitol reef national monuments , which were both later designated national parks by congress .
the town later reverted to its original name , and on its web site the boulder business group now proudly calls the town the “gateway to the grand staircase - escalante national monument . ”
representative bishop , who was teaching history and government in a high school in northern utah when that monument was created in 1996 , also held out the possibility that cooler heads and calmer discussions could prevail on land protection in the west . the prerequisite , he said , is transparency and genuine dialogue . if westerners think there is a foregone conclusion , hostility to more national monuments will be unavoidable .
“if they do things in an open and transparent way and involve everyone , then there’s no need for yelling and screaming , ” mr . bishop said . “do it the right way , and we can work it out . ”
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
gland , switzerland , 5 july 2018 ( iucn ) – australia’s unique reptiles – including lizards and snakes – face severe threats from invasive species and climate change , with 7 % of th . . .
the value of medicinal and aromatic plant trade has increased three - fold in the past 20 years , but traditional harvesting practices are being replaced by less sustainable alternatives . . . .
a recently released iucn technical brief recommends increasing investments in sustainable land management practices , as well as better cooperation between agriculturalists and conservationists to conse . . .
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moran said in a statement that the listing is
yet another example of unnecessary intrusion into private lives and businesses by the federal government .
he said the listing is hurting farmers , ranchers , oil and gas development , transportation , and wind farms .
i am confident there are ways to conserve the species without hindering economic development in rural communities ,
moran said .
listing the bird as a threatened species is not the answer .
the league of conservation voters called the moran amendment
egregious
in a letter to senators urging them to vote against it , describing it as
congressional meddling in science - based decision making .
the american energy alliance , a group linked to one of the koch brothers , put out a statement monday , saying the alliance would treat the amendment as a
key vote ,
to be included in its annual energy scorecard rating of lawmakers .
' yes ' is the pro - wildlife , pro - energy , pro - private property , and pro - human flourishing vote ,
the group wrote .
sen . lisa murkowski ( r - alaska ) , who has been leading the senate floor debate on the keystone bill , indicated tuesday evening that votes on the moran amendment and others are likely on wednesday .
update : jan . 28 , 4 : 36 p . m . - - the senate voted on the moran measure wednesday afternoon . a majority of 54 senators - - all the republicans present and one democrat , joe manchin ( w . va . ) - - voted in favor of the measure , but the amendment did not get the 60 votes it needed to pass .
first - person essays , features , interviews and q & as ; about life today .
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> u . s . state department ' s report < / a > on the keystone xl pipeline , jan . 2014 . drivers of oilsands development are global and any single infrastructure project is unlikely to significantly affect the rate of extraction in oilsands areas .
del hoyo , j . , collar , n . j . , christie , d . a . , elliott , a . and fishpool , l . d . c . 2014 . hbw and birdlife international illustrated checklist of the birds of the world . volume 1 : non - passerines . lynx edicions birdlife international , barcelona , spain and cambridge , uk .
40 cm . plump , brown - barred gamebird . yellow wattles of skin form eyebrow . in courtship , reddish - orange air - sacs on sides of neck inflated and neck - plumes ( pinnae ) erected . female has shorter neck - plumes and barred tail .
in west - central kansas , which is larger , darker and has yellow - orange air - sacs .
this species qualifies as vulnerable owing to a long - term and rapid population decline . although most populations appear to have stabilized or increased since 1995 , populations in north - east texas and parts of oklahoma have declined precipitously since 2005 , and in south - east new mexico since 2001 . as the effects of drought and the increasing demand for both fossil fuel and renewable energy development ( including wind and biofuels ) continue to place remaining habitats at risk , the species is precautionarily retained as vulnerable until positive trends have been sustained .
. it is now most common in dwarf shrub - mixed grass vegetation , sometimes interspersed with short grass and , optimally , with some portion ( < 25 % ) of the landscape in row grains as supplemental winter forage . successful nests tend to be in areas with greater shrub cover and visual obstructions ( davis 2009 ) . leks are usually on elevated areas with short vegetation ( hagen 2005 , wolfe
. large areas of habitat have been purchased by some states and the nature conservancy and candidate conservation agreements with assurances are being implemented in texas . research has been conducted on its ecology and conservation which will facilitate the production of recovery plans . over 900 birds have been radio - tracked between 1999 and 2010 . miles of unneeded fences have been removed in parts of oklahoma and texas and a method has been developed to mark remaining fences to reduce mortality ( rogers 1997 )
( errata version published in 2017 ) . the iucn red list of threatened species 2016 : e . t22679519a118850421 .
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u . s . fish and wildlife service home page about the u . s . fish & wildlife service department of the interior urltoken accessibility privacy notices
the mission of the u . s . fish and wildlife service is working with others to conserve , protect , and enhance fish , wildlife , plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the american people .
all images credit to and courtesy of the u . s . fish and wildlife service unless specified otherwise .
forages mostly on ground , sometimes above ground in oaks . may move several miles every day from roosting areas to good feeding sites .
usually 11 - 13 . whitish to pale buff , finely speckled with brown and olive . incubation is by female only , 22 - 24 days . young : downy young leave nest shortly after hatching . female tends young , but young feed themselves . young are able to make short flights at age of 1 - 2 weeks , but are not full - grown for several more weeks .
downy young leave nest shortly after hatching . female tends young , but young feed themselves . young are able to make short flights at age of 1 - 2 weeks , but are not full - grown for several more weeks .
includes seeds , acorns , insects , leaves . diet varies with season . eats seeds and leaves of a wide variety of plants , including oak leaves and acorns . may eat much waste grain around agricultural fields in fall and winter . eats many insects , including grasshoppers and beetles , especially in summer . also eats some flowers , twigs , oak galls .
in spring , at dawn and again in evening , males gather on
booming grounds
and display there to attract females . booming ground on slight rise or level open ground , with good visibility . in display , male raises feather tufts on neck , stamps feet rapidly while making hollow gobbling sounds ; may leap in the air with loud cackles . female visits booming ground , mates with one of the males . nest site is on ground , usually under a shrub or clump of grass . nest ( built by female ) is shallow depression lined with a few bits of grass , weeds .
no regular migration , but some may move many miles between summer and winter ranges .
audio © lang elliott , bob mcguire , kevin colver , martyn stewart and others .
in the broadest and most detailed study of its kind , audubon scientists have used hundreds of thousands of citizen - science observations and sophisticated climate models to predict how birds in the u . s . and canada will react to climate change .
the darker the color , the more favorable the climate conditions are for survival . the outlined areas represent approximate current range for each season .
each map is a visual guide to where a particular bird species may find the climate conditions it needs to survive in the future . we call this the bird’s “climatic range . ”
the darker the shaded area , the more likely it is the bird species will find suitable climate conditions to survive there .
the outline of the approximate current range for each season remains fixed in each frame , allowing you to compare how the range will expand , contract , or shift in the future .
the first frame of the animation shows where the bird can find a suitable climate today ( based on data from 2000 ) . the next three frames predict where this bird’s suitable climate may shift in the future—one frame each for 2020 , 2050 , and 2080 .
you can play or pause the animation with the orange button in the lower left , or select an individual frame to study by clicking on its year .
the darker the color , the more favorable the climate conditions are for survival . the outlined areas represent approximate current range for each season . more on reading these maps .
gail patricelli is one of a few researchers using robotic birds to study avian courtship . her current work focuses on the greater sage - grouse .
the endangered species act is under attack . but how much trouble is it in ?
politicians are asking for major changes to the law—and even an outright repeal . here ' s how the esa could take a hit and everything that ' s at stake .
how well do you know your north american fowl ? find out with this true / false quiz .
tell congress to oppose a harmful rider that threatens sage - grouse and other wildlife .
tell congress and the department of the interior to uphold the country ' s most important bird protection law .
technical assistance is free to producers , through which the agency’s conservationists work side - by - side with producers to develop a conservation plan . this plan is customized the producer’s land and provides a roadmap for how to use a system of conservation practices to meet natural resource and production goals .
if you’re interested in technical and financial assistance from nrcs , please contact your local usda service center . a conservationist in your community will help you develop a conservation plan customized to your land , and if you’re interested , apply for financial assistance through farm bill conservation programs . learn more about getting started with nrcs .
collaboration and partnership . more than 25 agencies , nonprofit organizations , universities , and private businesses have pooled resources and know - how to conserve rural agriculture and provide habitat for native wildlife . learn more
science - based action . how do we know if our range management strategies are working ? lpci - funded research ensures we’re doing enough of the right things in the right places to achieve our conservation goals . learn more
more than 25 agencies , nonprofit organizations , universities , and private businesses have pooled resources and know - how to conserve rural agriculture and provide habitat for native wildlife .
how do we know if our range management strategies are working ? lpci - funded research ensures we’re doing enough of the right things in the right places to achieve our conservation goals .
on july 20 , 2016 , ten months after a u . s . district court for the western district of texas judge
its delisting decision . the decision not only validates the work of a public - private bird - conservation partnership , it will also test the viability of such state - based efforts .
arrangement with environmental activists , fws listed the bird as threatened in april 2014 . preferring a higher designation , the same activist groups with which fws settled
decision agreed with the states that under the esa , fws failed to fully “tak [ e ] into account those efforts , if any , being made by any state … to protect such species . ” 16 u . s . c . § 1533 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( a ) . a september 15 , 2015
by featured expert contributor sam boxerman of sidley austin llp provides a full analysis of that decision . on february 29 , 2016 , the texas federal court
that it would be
undertaking a thorough re - evaluation of the bird ' s status and the threats it faces using the best available scientific information to determine anew whether listing under the esa is warranted .
fws ' s statement , and its silence on the private - public conservation effort , is not surprising , especially considering that the agency had endorsed the council ' s rangewide conservation plan in october 2013 , but then reversed course and imposed the
threatened
designation just seven months later .
,
people who had previously been prepared to abide by the rules under a listing are now heading towards the bulldozers again .
. all those involved in a self - regulatory mechanism have a shared stake in its success , and the voluntary nature of the program allows them to quickly adapt their efforts . such incentives and flexibility do not exist in a one - size - fits - all government regulation .