Kansas Congressman Huelskamp says he’s working with other members of Congress on proposals to cut the Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget.
The goal is to get the agency to back off its decision to list the lesser prairie chicken as threatened.
The agency listed the lesser prairie chicken as threatened because of its declining population; the listing allows federal oversight of efforts in Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas to preserve the grouse’s habitat.
Huelskamp says he's working with U.S. House members from the other states affected by the listing. He says they won’t seek to “zero out” the service’s budget but suggested that a 25 percent cut may be proposed.
Kansas officials are worried it will lead to restrictions on farming, ranching and oil and gas production and harm the state economy.
