April 4, 2023 at 6:01 a.m.
Concealed in a blind, we watched late into the morning that spring of 1999, until the last birds — members of a rapidly vanishing species — flew off. For decades, the Fish and Wildlife Service, under pressure from opponents in Congress and powerful industries, has used this designation to delay Endangered Species Act protections for hundreds of species that need an ecological safety net, including the lesser prairie chicken.
Kansas Republicans, namely Sen. Roger Marshall and Rep. Tracy Mann, have already pressured the Fish and Wildlife Service to delay the date that the listing takes effect. Texas has also filed a lawsuit to block the listing, and Kansas and Oklahoma are threatening to sue. The long struggle to keep the birds alive is far from over.
They're using its endangered status to stop oil and gas. This is unethical. There are other reasons for this bird's losses. We were doing just fine without the inept Feds help. But oh no, the 'All praise government!' people seem to believe ONLY government is a savior.
Fuck yeah