On Monday, February 11, 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will hold a public hearing at the Lubbock Civic Center from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on the proposed listing of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (LPC) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  Additionally, the FWS is holding three other separate LPC hearings in Woodward, Oklahoma, on February 5^th, Garden City, Kansas, on February 7^th, and Roswell, New Mexico, on February 12^th. 

The hearings will provide an opportunity for FWS to hear concerns from local individuals that will be affected by the listing of the LPC. 

“Although I am disappointed by the decision to try and list the LPC, coming to these hearings and telling the FWS how you or your business will be affected is an important step in trying to convince them to change their mind,” said Rep. Thornberry.  “I have and will continue to engage the FWS throughout this process, and with many of the new and ongoing initiatives to voluntarily protect the LPC, together we have a chance to show that listing the LPC as a threatened species is unnecessary,” he said.    

If you are unable to attend any of the four public hearings, the FWS is also collecting comments and information from the public electronically and by postal mail and will continue to do so through March 11, 2013.  Please visit www.fws.gov/southwest/es/LPC.html for information on how to send comments to the FWS and for more information on the LPC listing.  It is expected the FWS will make a final decision on listing the LPC by September 30, 2013.  After a similar process in 2012, the FWS chose to keep the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard off of the Endangered Species List due to the voluntary actions by the landowners, industry stakeholders, and the states.

Public Hearing Information:

 

Tuesday, February 5, 2013 
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 
High Plains Technology Center 
Seminar Center 
3921 34th Street 
Woodward, OK 73801 

Thursday, February 7, 2013 
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 
Garden City Community College 
801 N. Campus Drive 
Garden City, KS 67846-6333 

Monday, February 11, 2013 
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 
Lubbock Civic Center 
1501 Mac Davis Lane 
Lubbock, TX 79401 

Tuesday, February 12, 2013 
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 
ENMU Fine Arts Auditorium 
64 University Blvd. Roswell, NM 88203

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