WASHINGTON (February 26, 2026) – Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) finalized removal of the Northern and Southern Distinct Population Segments (DPS) of lesser prairie-chicken from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) list. The Public Lands Council (PLC) filed litigation to remove this listing when the lesser prairie-chicken was first listed in 2022 due to the protections being both legally and scientifically flawed.
This listing took effect on March 27, 2023, impacting all states in the species’ range including Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. In 2025, the U.S. Federal District Court of Western Texas vacated the lesser prairie-chicken’s 4(d) rule, holding that the bird should no longer be protected as “threatened” under the ESA because FWS failed to consider economic implications of issuing the listing. Today’s action by FWS aligns agency action with an existing federal court mandate and is long overdue.
“Ranchers are the primary caretakers of a wide variety of landscapes that provide important habitat for species like the lesser prairie-chicken through voluntary conservation work. Federal agencies recognize that this work is the best way to provide long-term stability for habitat for these species,” said PLC President and Colorado rancher Tim Canterbury. “When the lesser prairie-chicken was listed with two separate designations, the ability to effectively carry out that voluntary conservation work was seriously constrained and PLC took legal action to ensure livestock producers would continue to be able to maintain these working lands. This delisting is welcome news for ranchers across the region, and we will continue to work with our state and federal partners to create and conserve habitat.”
Posted: February 26, 2026