Sen. Marshall’s Statement on Farmers and Ranchers’ Strong Conservation Practices

(Washington, D.C., April 29, 2021) – U.S. Senator Marshall issued the following statement praising Kansas farmers and ranchers’ strong conservation practices to protect wildlife habitats:

“Farmers and ranchers are the original conservationists and are dedicated to leaving their land cleaner, healthier, and safer for the next generation. They take it upon themselves to adopt conservation practices to protect wildlife, especially the most vulnerable species. This proven initiative by the agricultural community verifies that the attacks by the Federal Government, through laws like the Endangered Species Act, are completely unnecessary,” said Senator Marshall. “Simply put – the folks on the ground know the best way to protect and promote wildlife habitat, not D.C. bureaucrats. Constitutionally protected property rights are the cornerstone of our republic, and the government should allow farmers and ranchers to control what happens on their land.”

Background:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the lesser prairie-chicken as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2014. The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas vacated the bird’s listing under the act because it failed to consider the impact of a voluntary conservation effort to preserve the bird. USFWS will make a decision on listing the bird by May 26, 2021. Sen Marshall has a long record of promoting working lands solutions through the Farm Bill and an appropriations directive to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to give due credit to ranchers whose wise stewardship is protecting bird habitats. The recent announcement from FWS that a new Habitat Conservation Plan will soon be approved means that ranchers can get paid through private sector investments for their work promoting prairie chicken habitats.

###