For Immediate Release: June 13, 2012
Contact: Carmen Fenton, 512-469-0171
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) today applauded the decision from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to not list the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The announcement comes after stakeholders, including ranchers and landowners, spent more than a year developing and implementing voluntary conservation agreements that protect the species without federal government intervention.
“This announcement is good news for Texas landowners,” said Joe Parker Jr., rancher and TSCRA president. “It is an excellent example of how stakeholders can voluntarily work together without the need for more federal regulation.
“TSCRA would like to thank Comptroller Susan Combs for assimilating and leading the working group as well as Sen. John Cornyn for his efforts to give stakeholders more time to come up with voluntary solutions.
“TSCRA is still committed to working with the U.S Congress to reform the Endangered Species Act, but this announcement is a step in the right direction,” Parker concluded.
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TSCRA is a 135 year-old trade association and is the largest and oldest livestock organization based in Texas. TSCRA has more than 15,000 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.