Dear Audubon Advocate,
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on whether to roll back Endangered Species Act protections for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken.
Urge your U.S. Representative to vote NO on the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Extinction Act.
The Lesser Prairie-Chicken is one of the most iconic bird species of the Great Plains, with eye-catching plumage and elaborate courtship dances. Yet their populations have declined by 97 percent since the 1960s due to widespread habitat loss, making it one of the species most vulnerable to extinction in North America.
Last November, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Lesser Prairie-Chicken under the Endangered Species Act to help ensure its survival. But now, this protection is in jeopardy as Congress attempts to overturn the science-based decision.
The Endangered Species Act, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, provides a critical safety net for our most imperiled wildlife. This Congressional Review Act vote—aka the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Extinction Act—will not only eliminate much-needed protections for this species, but it could also prevent any future protection, which may doom it to extinction. The vote would also set a dangerous precedent by replacing science-based decisions with politics.
Take action today and tell your U.S. Representative to continue protecting this vulnerable species on the brink of extinction, and to keep politics out of science-based conservation.
