WASHINGTON D.C. — The Institute for Energy Research responded to today’s announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that the agency will consider the lesser prairie-chicken as a “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act. According to FWS, the action is a part of a “comprehensive, court-approved agreement” to address “habitat loss, fragmentation, modification, and degradation within the species’ range.” Additionally, the agency noted that “land uses related to wind energy and transmission . . . present conservation challenges for the lesser prairie-chicken.” The areas affected by the action include major energy producing regions in West Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado.
