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Lesser Prairie-Chicken

Two-pronged strategy for conservation
Nesting Bird Image

Slide An iconic grouse species that occupies native grasslands and prairies of the southern Great Plains. Slide its population has declined hundreds of thousands Once numbering in the Slide WAFWA's 2022 aerial survey results estimate the 3-year average population to be 32,058 Slide The decline is due largely to habitat loss and fragmentation across the southern Great Plains Slide of the species habitat
has diminished across their historical range 90% Slide In 2012 a unique partnership began across the species range to work towards conservation of the species and its habitats in the southern Great Plains. Slide WAFWA’s Lesser Prairie Chicken
Range-wide Conservation Plan
The Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan
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Publication Details
WAFWA in partnership with New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas
Range-wide

CONSERVATION

The range-wide plan brings together the various programs and efforts working toward conservation of lesser prairie-chicken and its habitats, to provide a common and unified partnership approach.  The plan emphasizes shared resources such as conservation planning tools and encourages private landowners and others to partner with agencies and organizations in their conservation efforts.

EXPLORE – Shared Conservation Resources & Tools

Video SPECIES CONSERVATION Click Here Explore the story of the lesser prairie-chicken and the efforts to conserve this emblematic species of the Southern Great Plains. Population Lesser Prairie-Chicken
Rangewide
Population Estimates REPORTS Click Here Genetics Annotated Genome Assembly of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken SCIENCE Click Here Annotated Genome Assembly of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken 2023 CHAT Southern Great Plains CHAT Geospatial data to help prioritize conservation efforts GEOSPATIAL Click Here Monitoring Lesser Prairie-Chicken Habitat Evaluation Forms Lesser Prairie-Chicken Habitat Evaluation updated 2022 MONITORING Click Here Last Pop Report 2022 Lesser Prairie-Chicken Estimated Population Size REPORT Click Here (2012 - 2022) Plant ID Field Identification Guide for Common LPC Plants PUBLICATIONS Click Here
Range-wide

MITIGATION

The range-wide plan promotes industry to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts to the lesser prairie-chicken while maintaining operations.

AVOIDANCE

The range-wide plan promotes the location of new oil and gas developments within areas already impacted by infrastructure.

MINIMIZATION

When avoidance is not possible, the range-wide plan promotes the location of new oil & gas developments outside of high-quality habitat.

MITIGATION

When industry activities occur to LPC habitat which cannot be fully addressed through avoidance, the range-wide plan promotes mitigation.

EXPLORE – Shared Mitigation Resources & Tools
Document Name Last Updated File Size Download
2/05/2026 0 kb Download

Western Grasslands Initiative