FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sept. 3, 2015
CONTACT: Laramie Adams
Cell: 512-922-7328
Fort Worth, Texas – The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) today applauded U.S. District Judge Robert A. Junell’s decision to overturn the listing of the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species. This announcement comes after the lesser prairie chicken, a Great Plains bird, was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened last year.
“Judge Junell’s decision to vacate the threatened listing of the lesser prairie chicken is a major victory for ranchers and landowners across the country,” said TSCRA President Pete Bonds. “It is apparent that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to consider the many state conservation efforts before listing the prairie chicken as threatened.
“The administration should realize by now that ranchers are the best stewards of our nation’s land, and they have proven their ability to successfully implement their own conservation practices. Onerous federal regulations only interfere with the outstanding work American cattlemen and women perform daily to provide food and fiber worldwide.
“TSCRA appreciates Judge Junell and Texas and Oklahoma leaders for their work on this very important issue. We will continue monitoring endangered species listings and fighting against an overreaching federal government that continues trying to regulate us out of business,” Bonds concluded.
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TSCRA is a 138-year-old trade association and is the largest and oldest livestock organization based in Texas. TSCRA has more than 17,000 beef cattle operations, ranching families and businesses as members. These members represent approximately 50,000 individuals directly involved in ranching and beef production who manage 4 million head of cattle on 76 million acres of range and pasture land primarily in Texas and Oklahoma, but throughout the Southwest.