WASHINGTON, D.C. — Resolutions in the U.S. House of Representatives overturning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Endangered Species Act determinations on the lesser prairie chicken and the northern long-eared bat ignore best available science and would jeopardize two endangered species.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has done its duty by following the science and bringing these two species into the recovery programs of the Endangered Species Act, all while leaving landowners and businesses a great deal of flexibility,” said Mike Leahy, senior director of wildlife policy for the National Wildlife Federation. “These votes set a precedent for Congress overriding wildlife professionals in order to add or remove species from the endangered and threatened species lists. We commend President Biden for indicating that he will veto these resolutions, and we suggest that Congress could better spend its time addressing habitat loss and wildlife conservation through proactive measures like the Farm Bill, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, and the North American Grasslands Conservation Act.”

More details:

• One resolution removes the lesser prairie-chicken from the Endangered Species Act, overturning a rule finalized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in November 2022. Lesser prairie chickens are prized as game birds, but existing conservation strategies are not enough — their population has declined 20 percent since 2021 and hunting seasons remain closed. Additional tools are needed to recover this popular grassland bird so it and businesses that depend on it can thrive.

• The other resolution would downgrade the extremely endangered northern long-eared bat to “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, which provides fewer protections. The species’ population has declined precipitously due largely to white-nose syndrome and loss of habitat, which threaten bat species across the country. Bats are critical to pest control and pollination efforts, saving more than $3 billion a year in pest control.