Project Background
The lesser prairie chicken (Tympanuchus pallicicinctus),
hereafter LEPC, is a species of grouse found on grasslands of
the Southern Great Plains. Historically, the LEPC was common
throughout the western third of Oklahoma, as well as in areas of
Kansas, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico. While historical
records are too limited to precisely define the LEPC’s original
range, about 90% is no longer suitable for the species due to
extensive conversion of prairies to croplands and prairie
habitat degradation and fragmentation.
In response to a 1995 petition to list the LEPC as a threatened
species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), the US
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) determined it was “warranted,
but precluded from listing.” This finding indicates that
evidence supported listing the species under the ESA, but also
that the agency had higher-priority species to address at that
time. Unless LEPC populations sufficiently increase, the species
may be ESA-listed in the future – resulting in additional
federal regulations and restrictions on human uses and
development within its range.
The possibility of an ESA listing has increased concerns for the
species’ status, as well as for the possible constraints a
listing could cause on various activities. Since the USFWS’s
determination, the LEPC has received added scientific and
management attention as well as funding for
conservation-oriented research, management, educational
outreach, and cooperative efforts with landowners. An Interstate
Working Group, including participation by the Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) has been working
together to prioritize research needs and coordinate management
efforts among the five states in which LEPCs are still found.
Federal and state funds have been made available for habitat
conservation and restoration on private lands through
cooperative partnerships with landowners.
The Oklahoma State Legislature
(see Resolution) directed the
Secretary of the Environment and ODWC to develop the Oklahoma
Lesser Prairie Chicken Conservation Action Plan (OLEPCCP) to
“protect, enhance, and restore their habitat while also
addressing other factors leading to their decline.” The plan is
to be developed in consultation with research institutions,
other agencies, landowners and other stakeholders – and is to
address research needs, management actions to support
responsible development, and ways to provide technical
assistance and incentives to landowners to improve or restore
suitable habitats. The plan is intended to benefit the people,
economy and wildlife resources of Oklahoma by providing a
framework for effective management and habitat improvement that
will address the factors contributing to the decline of the LEPC
and facilitate population increase.
The ODWC contracted with The Ecosystem Management Research
Institute (EMRI) to develop the OLEPCCP, in consultation with
all involved parties. The planning process was conducted from
January – May 2012, with opportunities for agency,
non-government organization, stakeholder and general public
involvement. The conservation plan addresses:
– The science describing the habitat and other needs of LEPC’s
and its management, and identification of
research/data gaps.
– The characteristics of high quality LEPC habitat, the types of management that would contribute to the maintenance or restoration of this quality habitat, and how much habitat is needed – and its distribution – to maintain viable LEPC populations.
– How LEPC conservation can be conducted while minimizing effects on human economies and developments.
– Appropriate habitat improvement/conservation goals and long-term management actions/strategies to achieve these goals.
– Coordinated strategies to implement management actions –
including interagency coordination and incentive or other
programs that will make restoration and maintenance of LEPC
habitat economically viable for landowners.