![]() (…) And in the case of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken, the energy development, agriculture, so many causes have led to its decline. “When animals and plants are squeezed into some of their last homes and their previous habitats have already been developed, their remaining habitat is often desired to be exploited by corporations. Given the bird’s major habitat areas in prime oil and gas country, Michael Robinson with the Center for Biological Diversity said the delay comes down to one thing: Now, the USFWS is facing a lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity for delaying the prairie chicken’s status listing, despite a recent aerial survey showing a 20% decline in the bird’s population over just the last two years. The ranch is prime prairie chicken habitat, with plenty of grass, shrubs to provide cover from the sun and no tall structures that predatory birds can hide in. StateImpact Oklahoma The landscape of the Gardiner Angus Ranch. While the USFWS initially agreed to an interview for this story, the Service was not able to schedule it before publication. However, the Service has yet to finalize its proposal to do so, despite its June 2022 deadline. In June 2021, the USFWS proposed to list the bird - a move that would’ve triggered significant federal protections for it. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the grouse’s population numbers are concerning: of the two separate populations of Lesser Prairie-Chicken, one is likely to go extinct and the other is likely to become endangered in short order. #Endless sky map full drivers#Habitat fragmentation has been one of the main drivers of the bird’s population decline.Ībout 90% of the chicken’s historical range no longer exists, and according to the U.S. Through the use of a permanent conservation easement, Gardiner gave up his family’s development rights for part of the land - guaranteeing its status as a permanent, maintained habitat for the grouse. This June, part of the Gardiner Angus Ranch became an official safe haven for the imperiled bird. It’s known for its elaborate mating dance in which males raise their feathers, gobble and stomp their feet at a rate of up to 17 stomps per second, creating a drumroll on the prairie ground. The Lesser Prairie-Chicken is a grouse living in the southern and central high plains of the U.S. “Fortunately, this is one of the largest and one of the best prairie chicken populations - not only in Kansas, but anywhere.” “There’s prairie chickens over our entire ranch, and I’ve seen them ever since I was a kid,” Gardiner said. StateImpact Oklahoma Mark Gardiner stands on his family’s generational ranch. ![]()
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