Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
Latest activity
Classifieds
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Log in
Register
What's New?
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Navigation
Install the app
Install
More Options
Advertise with us
Contact Us
Close Menu
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Forums
Hobbies & Interests
Hunting & Fishing
Turkey 2019
Search titles only
By:
Reply to Thread
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Message
<blockquote data-quote="dennishoddy" data-source="post: 3224759" data-attributes="member: 5412"><p>The current ODW director, JD Strong claims to be the last person to legally kill a chicken. </p><p></p><p>In doing a little research to validate that I came across this. </p><p><a href="https://newsok.com/article/5602450/prairie-chicken-numbers-belie-claims-of-impending-demise" target="_blank">https://newsok.com/article/5602450/prairie-chicken-numbers-belie-claims-of-impending-demise</a></p><p></p><p>ENVIRONMENTAL activists continue to demand that the lesser prairie chicken be declared “threatened” or “endangered” under the federal Endangered Species Act, which would impose restrictions that severely curtail much economic activity in rural Oklahoma. Those activists want this change despite accumulating evidence the bird is rapidly increasing in number.</p><p></p><p>This was reinforced again this month when the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies announced results of its latest annual breeding population survey. It showed an increase of about 30 percent in the chicken population over the previous year.</p><p></p><p>“The most encouraging result from the survey is the steadily increasing population trend over the last six years, which likely reflects improving habitat conditions,” said Roger Wolfe, the lesser prairie chicken program manager with WAFWA.</p><p></p><p>The growth of the lesser prairie chicken has been ongoing since 2013 when major drought conditions began to subside across the bird's native range, which includes northwestern Oklahoma.</p><p></p><p>The year 2013 is significant because prior federal efforts to grant the lesser prairie chicken additional protected status under the Endangered Species Act were tied to those drought conditions.</p><p></p><p>Lawsuits challenging the ESA classification of the chicken noted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded a “population crash” was underway based almost exclusively on a one-year decline observed from 2012 to 2013, while ignoring survey data from the 1960s, 1980 and 2003.</p><p></p><p>In fact, one lawsuit pointed out the federal wildlife service claimed an 84 percent decline in the area occupied by the lesser prairie chicken based on a “historic range” that “predates European settlement of the Great Plains.” Yet the agency's own documents showed that between 1980 and 2012, the chicken's occupied range increased 159 percent.</p><p></p><p>A federal judge eventually ruled the Obama administration's efforts to declare the lesser prairie chicken “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act were done “arbitrarily and capriciously.” He found the fish and wildlife service “failed to properly apply” its own policies for evaluating state conservation efforts “resulting in material error.”</p><p></p><p>Under the voluntary plan implemented by Oklahoma and three other states, more than $64 million in enrollment and mitigation fees has been provided for conservation actions, and landowners have agreed to conserve more than 150,000 acres of habitat through 10-year and permanent conservation agreements.</p><p></p><p>Yet at the urging of several environmental groups, the wildlife service is conducting still another species-status review of the lesser prairie chicken and is expected to issue a ruling later this year.</p><p></p><p>The “threatened” designation is meant to help preserve species whose chances of long-term survival are bleak without action. At this point, it's clear the lesser prairie chicken doesn't fall into the category and no federal intervention is required.</p><p></p><p>Federal officials should concede the obvious and deny requests to give the chicken new legal protections. A decision to the contrary would show the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service isn't trying to save birds but is instead trying to throttle economic activity in rural areas.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="dennishoddy, post: 3224759, member: 5412"] The current ODW director, JD Strong claims to be the last person to legally kill a chicken. In doing a little research to validate that I came across this. [URL]https://newsok.com/article/5602450/prairie-chicken-numbers-belie-claims-of-impending-demise[/URL] ENVIRONMENTAL activists continue to demand that the lesser prairie chicken be declared “threatened” or “endangered” under the federal Endangered Species Act, which would impose restrictions that severely curtail much economic activity in rural Oklahoma. Those activists want this change despite accumulating evidence the bird is rapidly increasing in number. This was reinforced again this month when the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies announced results of its latest annual breeding population survey. It showed an increase of about 30 percent in the chicken population over the previous year. “The most encouraging result from the survey is the steadily increasing population trend over the last six years, which likely reflects improving habitat conditions,” said Roger Wolfe, the lesser prairie chicken program manager with WAFWA. The growth of the lesser prairie chicken has been ongoing since 2013 when major drought conditions began to subside across the bird's native range, which includes northwestern Oklahoma. The year 2013 is significant because prior federal efforts to grant the lesser prairie chicken additional protected status under the Endangered Species Act were tied to those drought conditions. Lawsuits challenging the ESA classification of the chicken noted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded a “population crash” was underway based almost exclusively on a one-year decline observed from 2012 to 2013, while ignoring survey data from the 1960s, 1980 and 2003. In fact, one lawsuit pointed out the federal wildlife service claimed an 84 percent decline in the area occupied by the lesser prairie chicken based on a “historic range” that “predates European settlement of the Great Plains.” Yet the agency's own documents showed that between 1980 and 2012, the chicken's occupied range increased 159 percent. A federal judge eventually ruled the Obama administration's efforts to declare the lesser prairie chicken “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act were done “arbitrarily and capriciously.” He found the fish and wildlife service “failed to properly apply” its own policies for evaluating state conservation efforts “resulting in material error.” Under the voluntary plan implemented by Oklahoma and three other states, more than $64 million in enrollment and mitigation fees has been provided for conservation actions, and landowners have agreed to conserve more than 150,000 acres of habitat through 10-year and permanent conservation agreements. Yet at the urging of several environmental groups, the wildlife service is conducting still another species-status review of the lesser prairie chicken and is expected to issue a ruling later this year. The “threatened” designation is meant to help preserve species whose chances of long-term survival are bleak without action. At this point, it's clear the lesser prairie chicken doesn't fall into the category and no federal intervention is required. Federal officials should concede the obvious and deny requests to give the chicken new legal protections. A decision to the contrary would show the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service isn't trying to save birds but is instead trying to throttle economic activity in rural areas. [/QUOTE]
Insert Quotes…
Verification
Post Reply
Forums
Hobbies & Interests
Hunting & Fishing
Turkey 2019
Search titles only
By:
Top
Bottom