Deadline to send comments on the Lesser Prairie Chicken Status review to USFWS
March 30th is the deadline to send comments in to the USFWS on the new status review for the Lesser Prairie Chicken
Lesser Prairie Chicken’s status review Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants;
Status Review for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken – Comments due March 30th
Federal Register Notice:
SUMMARY – Quotes from the USFWS:
“In response to a court order, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) are initiating a new 12-month petition finding process for the lesser prairie-chicken ( Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We ask the public to submit to us any information relevant to the status of the lesser prairie-chicken or its habitat.
COMMENT DEADLINE:
“Although we [USFWS] welcome new information submissions at any time, to ensure that we can fully consider your information in the new status assessment, please submit comments on or before March 30, 2026. ”
COMMENTING:
1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R2-ES-2025-1661, which is the docket number for this document. Then, click on the Search button. On the resulting page, in the panel on the left side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, check the Proposed Rule box to locate this document. You may submit a comment by clicking on “Comment.”
(2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2025-1661, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
“We [USFWS] request that you send comments only by the methods described above. We [USFWS] will post all comments on https://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we [USFWS] will post any personal information you provide us (see Request for Information, below, for more information).”
Information regarding the lesser prairie-chicken: Related materials, such as the 2022 species status assessment report, are available at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2021-0015, the docket for previous Federal actions.
===================
OLDER – RECENT HISTORY ITEM (2/25/26)
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removal of Northern and Southern Distinct Population Segments of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in Compliance With Court Order
Quote from the USFWS:
“In response to a court order, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) removed the northern and the southern distinct population segments (DPSs) of the lesser prairie-chicken ( Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Additionally, we are rescinding the rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act for the northern DPS. As a result of the court’s orders, the regulatory protections under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) no longer apply to either DPS.”
Federal Register Notice:
===============================================
CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY STATEMENT on 2/25/26 DELISTING
OLDER REFERENCE
AUDUBON OF KANSAS’s 2021 letter of support for listing on lesser prairie chicken (It was listed before and delisted before in 2016) and then listed again.
We will have a members meeting on the topic by Zoom, on the evening of March 24th or 25th, likely the 24th, Watch the calendar for an update.