Sponsors (18)
The bill increases state control and short‑term land‑use flexibility for private and energy interests by barring federal relisting of the lesser prairie‑chicken, but it raises the risk of species decline, lost conservation funding and services, and potential future public costs.
Landowners, energy companies, and agricultural operators face fewer federal Endangered Species Act restrictions on habitat use and development where lesser prairie-chickens live, allowing more immediate flexibility for land use and project activity.
State governments gain greater control over land and species decisions because the federal Secretary is barred from relisting the lesser prairie‑chicken under §4(a), shifting regulatory authority from the federal level to states.
Ranchers, hunters, rural residents, and the broader public face likely declines in lesser prairie‑chicken populations and associated losses of recreational opportunities and ecosystem services (e.g., pollination, pest control, prairie resilience).
Local communities and conservation organizations lose federal habitat protections and restoration funding tied to an ESA listing, reducing resources for habitat conservation and local economic benefits from conservation programs.
Taxpayers and governments may face future costs if species declines trigger emergency responses, litigation, or expensive remedial actions resulting from the statutory bar on relisting.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Removes the lesser prairie‑chicken from the Endangered Species Act lists and forbids the Secretary of the Interior from determining the bird is threatened or endangered in the future. The change results in an immediate delisting and creates a permanent statutory bar against relisting the species under the ESA unless Congress repeals or amends that bar. The law changes federal responsibility for the species, reducing ESA-based protections and regulatory oversight. That will affect land use, energy and agricultural activities in the bird’s range, federal agency duties, and conservation groups working on recovery efforts.
Introduced January 21, 2025 by Tracey Mann · Last progress January 21, 2025