The Lesser-Prairie Chicken Initiative (LPCI), like many successful programs, is a collaboration among government agencies and private landowners. Not only does getting the public involved in the conservation efforts raise awareness and support, but 95% of the chicken's current range is on private land. The lesser-prairie chicken is currently located in four ecoregions covering five states, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. From 2014 to 2015, the total population experienced a 25% increase; this is on top of last year's 20% increase. As most of the population decline is due to habitat loss, USDA - Natural Resource Conservation Service, through the LCPI, has invested more than $20 million to help private landowners improve habitat and ranchland sustainability on nearly 950,000 acres since 2010. By improving the habitat for the chicken, the ecosystem as a whole benefits from cleaner air, water, and soil.
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| Lesser-prairie chickens prefer grassland habitats. Image by Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service (retired), Bugwood.org |
Source Article: Survey:
Lesser Prairie-Chicken Population Continues to Climb
Lesser-Prairie Chicken Initiative
Lesser-Prairie Chicken Survey -
Aerial survey shows lesser prairie-chicken population increased 25 percent from 2014 to 2015
