U.S. House committee votes to reverse protections for endangered Lesser Prairie-Chicken

In a controversial move that would pave the way for increased drilling in wildlife habitats, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources voted Thursday to use the Congressional Review Act to reverse the lesser prairie-chicken's listing under the Endangered Species Act — the first step toward stripping the species of federal protections.

Native to the southern Great Plains, which includes West Texas and the Texas High Plains regions, the lesser-prairie chicken has been listed as a threatened species since 2014. Losing about 97% of its population since the 1960s — primarily due to habitat loss — the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services listed the species under the ESA in November.

Last week, the National Audubon Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting North American wild bird species, urged members to support the species' remaining populations, especially as it comes time for the Senate to vote in coming weeks.

"Congress, now being majority Republican, has greater interests," said Jon Hayes, executive director of Audubon Southwest and vice president at the National Audubon Society. "Whether its influence from oil and gas or other developers that would be opposed to the lesser prairie-chicken listing, they have allowed the politics to drive their agenda. It's no longer about the population and the status of the bird; it's about the impacts of listing that bird on whatever economies they're most worried about."

Prior to the committee vote, Hayes said, more than 15,000 supporters had already taken action to help safeguard the birds' habitats and prevent the reversal of federal protections for the species, which he described as "the most imperiled bird species in North America."

While many took their activism to social media and signed a petition on the organization's website, others called and wrote to their local officials urging them to vote against the reversal.

"Oil and gas companies might be OK with extinction, but the people aren't," Hayes said. "This species is really an indicator of ecosystem health for the Great Plains. So, if we're doing things that help protected species, then we're sequestering carbon and improving water infiltration on the prairie. We're improving forage for livestock producers to be able to graze their cattle. When we meet the needs of the prairie chicken, we're helping ranchers, farmers, communities, the whole planet."

'A rollercoaster of listing decisions'

With local populations primarily living in and around the Permian Basin — the nation's largest petroleum-producing basin — the debate over the lesser prairie-chicken has remained a contentious issue between environmentalists and economic interests for several years.

In the decades-long chronicle that Audubon describes as a "roller coaster of listing decisions, court orders, and failed recovery efforts," the recent committee vote is only one complication for the species since it was initially proposed for ESA listing in 1995.

As the motion works its way through the U.S. bicameral system over the next few weeks, Hayes said Audubon will increase its advocacy efforts at the regional level.

"Any species going extinct is a tragedy," Hayes said. "That bird has existed on the planet for close to 2 million years, and we're talking about removing it because of our actions in just 100 (years). I think that kind of loss is indicative across wildlife and the biodiversity crisis we're experiencing."

During Thursday's markup, Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Arkansas, began the discussion by remarking his doubts on the act's effectiveness in species protection — a belief consistent with much of the Republican party's long-standing criticism of the ESA's impact on industry and private property rights.

"The Endangered Species Act is an important part of our history, but it's also an outdated part of our history," Westerman said, noting that the law was established in the 1970s. "I believe we have an incredible responsibility to steward our rich diversity of wildlife here in America and care for them in ways that allow them to flourish for generations to come. But I disagree with my colleagues when they are adamant that listing a species is the only way to ensure its survival. In fact, we've seen the opposite is often true."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service referred to its April 18 testimony to dispute this claim.

The chairman cited examples to align with his assertion, including the scenario of the West Coast-based three-inch fish, which, according to Westerman, has received millions of dollars in federal funding but has seen little benefit in species recovery.

He also pointed out that federal protections of the northern spotted owl, which is primarily losing its habitat to wildfires, have not benefited the survival of the species.

"The real crisis this species faces is catastrophic wildfires decimating its habitat," Westerman said. "No amount of ESA regulations will protect the owl against raging infernos tearing through western forests every year ... Instead of using the ESA as a fix-all for every problem, we need to look at the root issue."

Over the last several decades, wildfires have increased in frequency and severity around the globe. Experts primarily attribute these natural disasters to climate change, which many scientists say has direct links to the burning of fossil fuels.

Contradicting Westerman's comment, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Arizona, expressed his disappointment in the committee's decision to reverse the species' listing.

"(We're seeing) that the Republicans are moving on to attacking the Endangered Species Act even as we face a biodiversity crisis," Grijalva said. "And it's worth adding that the Endangered Species Act, in addition, to being extremely effective at preventing extinction is also an extremely popular law."

Grijalva, who is ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, prioritizes his efforts in support of Indigenous and Native American communities and their lands. The fight to protect the lesser prairie-chicken is one facet of this since the species holds cultural significance in several Plains tribes, who incorporated the species in their powwows and religious ceremonies centuries ago.

"Unfortunately, voluntary conservation practices aren't enough, and the lesser prairie-chicken is on the brink of extinction," Grijalva said. "It's time to take species conservation seriously and stop rolling back environmental protections for special interests who have refused to do their part to conserve and recover the species."

Texas does not currently have a member on the Natural Resources Committee.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: House committee votes to reverse protections of Lesser Prairie-Chicken