A lesser prairie chicken is seen amid the bird's annual mating ritual near Milnesand, N.M., on April 8, 2021.A wild chicken species in the Texas Panhandle could stymie the nation’s oil and gas producers, industry insiders fear.
“This will add significant time and uncertainty to those permitting requirements," said Ben Shepperd, president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association. Known as the “rangewide plan,” it’s administered by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, which is comprised of the Texas Department of Fish and Wildlife and its counterparts from other states in the region. The effort began about a decade ago.
But the national Fish and Wildlife Service said that active oil and gas wells in the chickens' habitat have increased by more than 80 percent over the last 10 years, a significant threat. Michael Robinson, a senior conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, described the rangewide plan as a “scam.”
More silliness from the Federal govt
Fantastic that the Lesser Prairie Chicken will finally be protected. ❤️
Good