u.s. congressman Mac Thornberry.com serving the people of the 13th district of texas

Washington, Nov 30 - Today, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials announced its plan to initiate the process to consider whether the Lesser Prairie-Chicken should be listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) made the following comments in response to the announcement:


“This decision is disappointing.  There is way to go before any final decision is made, but this announcement highlights, once again, that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) process is broken and the underlying law is severely flawed.  The Fish and Wildlife Service admitted that they do not take any economic impact into account when they consider these designations.  That makes no sense at all.  The process is also abused and misused regularly, and federal intrusion on private property has been taken far beyond its original purpose.  The entire law needs to be repealed, or at least reformed, in the interest of jobs, the economy, and common sense.”


The Lesser Prairie-Chicken can be found in Texas, as well as grasslands in Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas.  Despite having faced record droughts over the last several years, the prairie chicken population is on the rise or holding steady in many parts of the country.  This fact has led many residents, lawmakers, and others to question the need for new federal regulation to “protect” the birds.