Opinion ID: 4558193
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Lesser prairie-chicken

Text: On December 11, 2012, DOI proposed listing the lesser prairie-chicken as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. See Listing the Lesser PrairieChicken as a Threatened Species, 77 Fed. Reg. 73,826. In response, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies implemented a conservation plan that it hoped would avoid the need for a listing. Despite these efforts, on April 10, 2014, DOI announced it was listing the lesser prairie-chicken as threatened, effective May 12, 2014. See Determination of Threatened Status for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken, 79 Fed. Reg. 19,973, 19,974 (the “listing decision”). On September 1, 2015, the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas vacated the listing decision because DOI “failed to properly apply” the PECE Rule. Permian Basin Petroleum Ass’n v. Dep’t of the Interior, 127 F. Supp. 3d 700, 707 (W.D. Tex. 2015). 3 On July 20, 2016, DOI complied with the district court’s 3 In its complaint and in its opening brief, KNRC represents that it “participated” as amicus in the Permian Basin litigation. App. at 19; see also Appellant Br. at 13. That is not completely accurate. In the Permian Basin case, KNRC filed a motion for leave to file an amicus brief in support of plaintiffs’ motion 7 ruling and withdrew the listing decision. See Lesser Prairie-Chicken Removed From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, 81 Fed. Reg. 47,047. On September 8, 2016, several nonprofits petitioned DOI to list the lesser prairiechicken as endangered. On November 30, 2016, DOI determined that an emergency listing was not warranted, but also initiated a status review because the petition presented “substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the lesser prairiechicken may be warranted.” Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Findings on Three Petitions, 81 Fed. Reg. 86,315, 86,317. On June 12, 2019, the petitioner-nonprofits sued DOI in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for failing to publish a complete finding on whether listing of the lesser prairie-chicken is warranted. Complaint, Defs. of Wildlife v. Bernhardt, No. 1:19-cv-01709-RC (D.D.C. June 12, 2019), ECF No. 1. On September 16, 2019, the district court approved a settlement agreement whereby DOI agreed to publish a new 12-month finding on whether listing is warranted no later than May 26, 2021. See Stipulated Settlement Agreement, Defs. of Wildlife (D.D.C. Sept. 16, 2019), ECF No. 7, at 2. for summary judgment. The district court denied that motion, however, after finding KNRC’s amicus brief “unnecessary to adequately evaluate the merits of the case.” Order, Permian Basin Petroleum Ass’n v. Dep’t of the Interior, No. MO-14-CV-050 (W.D. Tex. May 26, 2015), ECF No. 71. 8