By BRANDON MESSICK
Daily Press Staff Writer
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) as a threatened species this week after months of debate with local business owners and politicians. The special decision recognizes the efforts of New Mexico companies to preserve the LPC and will allow the state’s oil and gas companies to continue business as usual, so long as they continue their conservation efforts for the LPC.
The bird’s habitat, comprising parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas, encompasses millions of acres of land voluntarily offered for the chicken’s conservation. Oil and gas companies have implemented voluntary protective measures toward the conservation of the LPC over the past several years in the hope of keeping the bird off of the endangered species list and avoiding the impact of a listing. … For the rest of the story, subscribe in print and on the web.
