AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The final decision regarding the endangered species designation of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken has been made by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
According to officials, the designation is set to officially be vacated after the United States Fish and Wildlife Service moved for vacatur and remand of the rule in May 2025.
Previously reported on MyHighPlains.com, the lesser prairie-chicken’s range covers a portion of the Permian Basin along the New Mexico-Texas state line and extends into parts of Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
Amarillo South Rotary awards 2025 firefighter, police officer of the year
According to previous court documents filed in August 2025, a Texas Judge from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas Midland/Odessa Division ruled that the lesser prairie-chicken is to lose its endangered species designation. On Feb. 25, according to ther Center for Biological Diversity, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service issued its final decision to strip the federal Endangered Species Act protection from the lesser prairie-chicken…