Monday, April 3, 2023

Will a chicken slow down development in the panhandle and West Texas?

Well, welcome back to a beginning of a new week!  We hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Did anyone read The Houston Chronicle online over the weekend and their article, "How a legal battle over an endangered chicken could reshape the Texas oil industry.”  The current administration of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved the Lesser Prairie Chicken to the endangered species list last week.  The reasons are the Lesser Prairie Chickens numbers have decreased to about 32,000, and some its habitats which are protected have not solved the problem for decreasing populations, and they are still losing habitat and are being separated by development.   The Endangered Species title triggers strict guidelines and conservation rules which will affect all new oil and gas projects along five states where the prairie chicken has habitat and lives.  In response to this, several of the same groups who challenged it in 2014 are back at it again.  Currently everyone from the Permian Basin Petroleum Association to the Texas Attorney General, landowners, and ranchers have all filed lawsuits to stop the decision.  The current Texas Parks and Wildlife do not agree with the decision they believe the current voluntary conservation is working, and it may take decades to see real improvement.  Well, we’re going to have to see how this plays out, and if it will curtail new oil and gas development in the panhandle and West Texas. 

If you would like to check out the article in The Houston Chronicle, please click the link: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/article/texas-endangered-chicken-17864887.php

Our team of experts have experience in helping maneuver the permit terrain to get your liquid products moving, so if you would like to start a project, we’re here to help!

We hope you have a great week!

**Disclaimer – please note there may be a fee involved to see this article in The Houston Chronicle. *