In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Mary-Thomas Hart, chief counsel for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, about a long-awaited decision that removes federal endangered species oversight from the Lesser Prairie Chicken across five states.
Hart says the final action from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service follows months of anticipation after a favorable federal court ruling last spring and summer. “After almost 10 months of waiting for some action… today the Fish and Wildlife Service published its finalized removal of the northern and southern distinct population segments of the Lesser Prairie Chicken from the Endangered Species Act,” Hart said, calling it “certainly a victory for producers… especially those in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico.”
She explained that even when the species was listed as threatened rather than endangered, the practical impacts on landowners were largely the same. “When it comes to practice out on the land, landowners are really impacted just the same,” Hart said. She noted that producers faced “pretty burdensome limitations on the ability of landowners to effectively manage that land and to effectively graze cattle… on their private property.”
Hart acknowledged frustration over how long it took the agency to act after court rulings in March and August of 2025, but said the delay was not surprising. “When you get a decision this big related to the Endangered Species Act, the agency wants to make sure… it’s crossing all of its t’s and dotting all of its i’s,” she said, adding that officials were likely preparing for potential legal challenges from environmental groups.
Looking ahead, Hart emphasized that the biggest win is returning control closer to the ground. “I hope that this decision and this delisting gives state and local actors the chance to be in the driver’s seat,” she said. While recognizing the value of the species, Hart stressed the importance of balance, saying landowners should be allowed to manage their property effectively without “a burdensome regulatory regime.”
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
