KOS and OOS Jointly File Letter to
Support Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken

In March 2013, the Kansas Ornithological Society (KOS) and the Oklahoma Ornithological Society (OOS) jointly filed a letter with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in support of listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a threatened species. A copy of this letter and supporting material can be found as a PDF document here.
March 14, 2013

Status and Information of USFWS action to list
Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a federally threatened species

In November 2012 the US Fish and Wildlife Service gave notice of their intent to list the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a federally threatened species. The Kansas Ornithological Society supports this listing. Comments can be made on this proposed listing until March 11, 2013. Updates and status of this action and conservation plan development can be viewed here.

A draft of the Range-wide Conservation Plan for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken can be accessed here.

Updated January 20, 2013

Petition for Emergency Listing of Lesser Prairie-Chicken
as a Threatened Species in Kansas

On July 6, 2009, the Kansas Ornithological Society, along with six National Audubon Society Chapters in Kansas (see cover letter, below, for listing of co-petitioners), filed a petition with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks requesting the department to consider an emergency listing of Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a Threatened Species.

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is responsible for listing rare species of fauna in Kansas as Endangered, Threatened, or Species-in-Need-of-Conservation (SINC). Every five years the list is reviewed as required by statute (K.S.A. 32-960). A Threatened and Endangered Species Task Committee (Committee) oversees the process and makes listing recommendations to the Secretary of KDWP. The recommended changes must then be approved by the KDWP Commission.

The Committee solicited input from other sources regarding listing, delisting, uplisting, or downlisting of Kansas wildlife in 2008 as part of the review process. The Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) was not petitioned for listing at that time. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) completed a review of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken in November of 2008 to reassess its candidate status. The USFWS review was completed after solicitation and review of petitions received by KDWP, moreover, a paper just published underscores the vulnerability of the species range wide. As such, new data on potential threats to existing populations in Kansas necessitates a petition that warrants emergency State listing of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken in Kansas.

Presentation from Ed Miller given at informational meetings (pdf format 1.6 MB)
Lesser Prairie-Chicken Review Questions List
Informational Meeting Schedule (April 27 - May 3)

Entire Document with attachments (15.5 MB)
Cover Letter (93 kb)
Emergency Petition (715 kb)
Attachment #1 (1.24 MB) - Species Assessment and Listing Priority Assignment Form: Lesser Prairie-Chicken USFWS. 2008.
Attachment #2 (664 kb) - Candidate Conservation Agreement for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and Sand Dune Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) In New Mexico
Attachment #3 (4.54 MB) - Figures: Using GIS for Wind Resource Planning in Kansas
Attachment #4 (7.85 MB) - Figures: Southwest Power Pool Transmission Expansion
Attachment #5 (178 kb) -  Figure: Designing Energy Solutions Without Borders