Lesser Prairie Chicken Hearing Draws Big Crowd
By: Monica Yantosh
Updated: February 11, 2013
Farmers and more from across the West Texas region made their way to the Lubbock Civic Center Monday night to voice their opinions on the Lesser Prairie Chicken.
"What we're worried about is the negative impact it could have to create jobs and commerce in West Texas," said Eddie McBride with Lubbock Chamber of Commerce.
McBride said farmers have been working to preserve the species.
"The conservation measures that these folks are doing can prove to the enforcement agencies and allow them the opportunity to say, 'Yes they're doing what they need to do, so no we don't need to list this as a threatened species" said McBride.
"If you just have regulation, it's a lose-lose for everybody, nobody wins," said Barry Evans. He's a farmer is Swisher County, and came on behalf of the Plains Cotton Growers.
The Lesser-Prairie Chicken has been a candidate species since 1998. Since then, many of those in attendance say people have been doing conservation efforts voluntarily to keep the population up.
Evans believes there are other ways they can work to preserve the bird. "For us as farmers and ranchers, we love wildlife, we love the land, we're stewards of the land, and we want to work to make it better," said Evans. "We don't want to be regulated, we want voluntary efforts."
"We realized its critical that we take action and do something to protect our land," said Evans. "We can work together, we can use good science, and we can enlist biologists and scientists to help develop a plan to preserve this species."
Evans, like many other farmers who attended Monday, said by working with scientists and pushing back the deadline for the listing, farmers and agencies can find other measures to increase the bird's population without putting as many restrictions on farmers.
People have until March to voice their opinions, but many at the meeting were asking for an extension on that deadline to give those who would be affected by the designation more time to understand the issue.
"What we're worried about is the negative impact it could have to create jobs and commerce in West Texas," said Eddie McBride with Lubbock Chamber of Commerce.
McBride said farmers have been working to preserve the species.
"The conservation measures that these folks are doing can prove to the enforcement agencies and allow them the opportunity to say, 'Yes they're doing what they need to do, so no we don't need to list this as a threatened species" said McBride.
"If you just have regulation, it's a lose-lose for everybody, nobody wins," said Barry Evans. He's a farmer is Swisher County, and came on behalf of the Plains Cotton Growers.
The Lesser-Prairie Chicken has been a candidate species since 1998. Since then, many of those in attendance say people have been doing conservation efforts voluntarily to keep the population up.
Evans believes there are other ways they can work to preserve the bird. "For us as farmers and ranchers, we love wildlife, we love the land, we're stewards of the land, and we want to work to make it better," said Evans. "We don't want to be regulated, we want voluntary efforts."
"We realized its critical that we take action and do something to protect our land," said Evans. "We can work together, we can use good science, and we can enlist biologists and scientists to help develop a plan to preserve this species."
Evans, like many other farmers who attended Monday, said by working with scientists and pushing back the deadline for the listing, farmers and agencies can find other measures to increase the bird's population without putting as many restrictions on farmers.
People have until March to voice their opinions, but many at the meeting were asking for an extension on that deadline to give those who would be affected by the designation more time to understand the issue.
