Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement on his decision to vote to overturn the unnecessary and burdensome U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) final rule to up-list the current status of the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) to endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). There are preexisting and successful voluntary conservation efforts to protect the LPC, and the FWS rule would harm the national agricultural economy and impede critical energy projects. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval of the up-listing.

“The Administration’s Lesser Prairie Chicken rule is yet another example of dangerous federal overreach. Up-listing the species to endangered status disregards the preexisting voluntary conservation efforts that are successfully protecting the bird and even increasing its population. The rule will also cause serious damage to our national agricultural economy and hinder critical oil and gas projects in favor of a radical environmental agenda. I will proudly vote to in favor of the resolution of disapproval, and I encourage President Biden to accept this clear and bipartisan rejection of his Administration’s overreaching and unnecessary rule.”

For more than two decades, federal, state and private landowners have partnered with FWS to conserve the LPC and its habitat. These voluntary partnerships have already resulted in conservation agreements covering roughly 15 million acres of potential habitat for the species. Aerial estimates show total LPC numbers are growing from less than 20,000 birds in 2013 to more than 25,000 birds in 2022. According to the American Farm Bureau, nearly $14 billion in agricultural sales occurs on land deemed to be crucial habitat for the LPC.

In 2015, Senator Manchin joined 53 bipartisan Senators in voting to delist the LPC as a threatened species under the ESA.