Use the Library of Technical Articles

Here are some helpful articles that explain the issues and provide more information on habitat protection and restoration of lesser-prairie-chicken populations

Up In Smoke: Fire and Invasives on Western Rangelands
By: Intermountain West Joint Venture
Sagebrush rangelands once covered nearly 250 million acres in western North America. Today, this landscape has been reduced to half its original size and is rapidly shrinking.

pdf Understanding Rural Attitudes Toward the Environment and Conservation in America
By: Robert Bonnie, Emily Pechar Diamond, and Elizabeth Rowe
Rural Americans matter—a lot—to the fate of U.S. environmental policy. Not only do farmers, ranchers, and forest owners manage huge portions of American lands and watersheds, but rural voters also have an outsized impact on national policy.

Using Existing Tools to Expand Cooperative Conservation for Candidate Species Across Federal and Non-Federal Lands
By: US Fish and Wildlife Service
For many years the Service has worked with partners to help them develop Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCAs). CCAs primarily have been developed by Federal agencies to cover Federal lands, and several have resulted in conservation efforts that made listing unnecessary.

pdf Donate a conservation easement: How federal benefits put money in your pocket!
By: Tax Credit Connection, Inc.
In addition to the Colorado credit, landowners can receive an extra reward for conserving their land with a conservation easement. The current rules are not yet permanent, so please keep that in mind as you and your advisors make plans for your taxes.

pdf A step-by-step guide to donating a conservation easement
By: Tax Credit Connection, Inc.
This guide is meant to help you understand the steps that must be completed to conserve your property and the typical costs that are involved.

pdf Improving Lesser Prairie-Chicken Habitat Through Revegetation and Rangeland Management
By: USDA - NRCS
A diversity of habitats is required throughout the lifecycle of the prairie-chicken to provide food and shelter. Planting to improve lesser prairie-chicken habitat requires not only the correct species of grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs, but, also the selections which have proven success or which are locally adapted.

Better Grazing Through Burning
By: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
“The prairie has to have fire or it’s going to be gone—we’re going to lose it to the encroachment of trees.” Those are the words of rancher Ed Koger of southwest Kansas.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - Chihuahuan Deserts and Arizona–New Mexico Mountains Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Lesser Prairie-Chicken Hen and Brood Habitat Use on Sand Shinnery Oak
By: Luke A. Bell, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Michael A. Patten, Donald H. Wolfe, and Steve K. Sherrod
The structural attributes of shrubland communities may provide thermal refugia and protective cover necessary for wild animals to survive. During the summers of 2002 and 2003, we evaluated the thermal environment for lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus Ridgway) broods in southeast New Mexico across a complex landscape that included grazed sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii Rydb.) ...

pdf Fine-Scale Selection Of Habitat By The Lesser Prairie-Chicken
By: Lena C. Larsson, Christin L. Pruett, Donald H. Wolfe, and Michael A. Patten
Proper management of grasslands and shrublands requires an understanding of the factors that influence the persistence of organisms. We compare differences in vegetation between sites occupied by the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and random sites to investigate composition of grasses and forbs and the importance of cover.

pdf Reducing Conflict with Grizzly Bears, Wolves and Elk A Western Landowners’ Guide
By: Western Landowners Alliance
This guide has been produced by and for landowners and practitioners constructively engaged in one of the greatest conservation challenges of our time—how to share and manage a wild, working landscape that sustains both people and wildlife.

pdf Cooperative Conservation - Determinants of Landowner Engagement in Conserving Endangered Species
By: Megan E. Hansen
This paper analyzes surveys of private landowners to identify factors that determine landowner engagement in the conservation of endangered species.

pdf Western Governors’ Species Conservation and Endangered Species Act Initiative
By: Western Governors' Association
The Western Governors’ Species Conservation and Endangered Species Act Initiative was launched by WGA Chairman and Wyoming Gov.

pdf Best Management Practices to Prevent Noxious Weeds During Forest, Range and Residential Projects
By: Colorado Department of Agriculture
The following are best management practices for preventing noxious weed germination, establishment and spread for projects conducted in the field.

Lesser Prairie Chicken Habitat info
We also learn what types of environments are best to invite the prairie chickens to nest in.

Learn about how a Texas landowner is using a CCAA to protect the Lesser Prairie Chicken
Learn about how a Texas landowner is using a CCAA to protect Lesser Prairie Chicken by following habitat guidelines. Produced by Larry Lemmons for KVII-TV.

pdf The 2016 Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan Annual Progress Report
By: Roger L. Wolfe, Sean C. Kyle, Jim C. Pitman, Deb M. VonDeBur, Michael E. Houts
In 2014, a new era in wildlife conservation was ushered in with the implementation of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (LPC) Range-wide Conservation Plan (Van Pelt et al.

pdf Integrating Bird Conservation into Range Management
This manual is designed to assist resource professionals with integrating birds and their habitat needs into range management and monitoring, and to train landowners and land managers to do the same.& ...

pdf Sharing Your Land with Prairie Wildlife
By: Scott W. Gillihan, David J. Hanni, Scott W. Hutchings, Tony Leukering, Ted Toombs, and Tammy
This third edition of this manual (formerly entitled Sharing Your Land With Shortgrass Prairie Birds) is about how to help birds and other wildlife make a living from the land while you do the same.

pdf Best Management Practices for Shortgrass Prairie Birds
By: Scott W. Gillihan and Scott W. Hutchings
The information in this guide is designed to guide you in creating and maintaining habitat for 13 bird species of the shortgrass prairie, birds that are in need of conservation efforts.

pdf Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative Fy16-18 Conservation Strategy
By: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
This conservation strategy combines the five locally-developed state plans into a single comprehensive commitment to lesser prairie-chicken conservation.

pdf Conservation Easements - A Guide for Texas Landowners, 2013
By: Texas Land Trust Council
This guidebook is intended to help Texas landowners understand one of the most flexible and effective mechanisms available to conserve and protect private property – the conservation easement.

pdf The 2015 Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan Annual Progress Report
By: William E. Van Pelt, Sean C. Kyle, Jim C. Pitman, Deb M. VonDeBur, Michael E. Houts
This document is the 2015 Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) progress report for the comprehensive conservation plan for the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) titled The Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan (RWP).

pdf 2014 Farm Bill Field Guide to Fish and Wildlife Conservation
By: North American Bird Conservation Initiative, U.S. Committee
The 2014 Farm Bill Field Guide to Fish and Wildlife Conservation was prepared as an introduction for fish and wildlife conservation providers – the on-the-ground biologists and conservation partners who help deliver Farm Bill conservation programs to landowners.

pdf A Grassland Conservation Plan For Prairie Grouse
By: W. L. Vodehnal and J. B. Haufler, Compilers
This Grassland Conservation Plan for Prairie Grouse, coordinated by the North American Grouse Partnership, represents the collective efforts and expertise of numerous grassland and prairie grouse experts in developing habitat prioritizations that are needed to sustain grouse and other grassland species into the future.

pdf Working Lands For Wildlife
By: USDA - NRCS
Through Working Lands for Wildlife —a voluntary, incentive-based effort—the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its conservation partners will provide landowners with technical and financial assistance to: Restore populations of declining wildlife species.

pdf Order Granting Summary Judgement to PBPA and Vacating LPC Listing Decision
By: U.S. District Court - Western District of Texas
On April 10, 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published a final rule in which FWS listed the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) as a threatened species.

pdf Two Win-Win Initiatives with Common Recovery Goals Lesser Prairie-Chicken and Greater Sage-Grouse
By: Christian Hagan
Lesser prairie-chickens and greater sage-grouse depend on large prairie and steppe landscapes shared by agricultural producers, primarily ranching operations.

pdf Guide to Environmental Markets for Farmers and Ranchers
By: Don Stuart, Dennis Canty, and Katherine Killebrew
The Guide to Environmental Markets for Farmers and Ranchers, produced by the American Farmland Trust (AFT), provides an overview of available market opportunities for environmental credits and services, how farmers and ranchers can get involved in them, and ways to encourage their continued growth.

pdf Guidance for the Establishment, Use, and Operation of Conservation Banks
By: US Fish and Wildlife Service
This document provides guidance on the establishment, use, and operation of conservation banks for the purpose of providing a tool for offset mitigating adverse impacts to species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.

The Lesser Prairie Chicken and WAFWA’s Range-wide Conservation Plan
Recent studies have estimated that the Lesser Prairie Chicken’s population has declined by 50% in the last year, mostly due to changing land use and drought.

Record Enrollment in Lesser Prairie Chicken Habitat Conservation Programs
Private landowners have stepped up to the plate and enrolled an unprecedented amount of acres in conservation programs to conserve and restore Lesser Prairie Chicken habitat.

pdf The Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan
By: W.E. Van Pelt, S. Kyle, J. Pitman, D. Klute, G. Beauprez, D. Schoeling, A. Janus, and J. Haufler
This document is a comprehensive range-wide conservation plan (RWP) for the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus; hereafter LPC).

pdf Herbicides as an Alternative to Prescribed Burning for Achieving Wildlife Management Objectives
By: T. Bently Wigley, Karl V. Miller, David S. deCalesta, and Mark W. Thomas
Abstract.—Prescribed burning is used for many silvicultural and wildlife management objectives. However, the use of prescribed burning can be constrained due to difficulties in obtaining burning permits, concerns about liability, potential effects of scorch on growth and survival of crop trees, its sometimes ineffective results, limited burning days, and the costs of applying, controlling, and monitoring burns.

pdf Relationship of Lesser Prairie-Chicken Lek Presence and Density to Grassland Conservation Programs
By: Playa Lakes Joint Venture
The Playa Lakes Joint Venture conducted an assessment of the effects of landscape attributes related to land cover and USDA conservation programs on the presence and density of lesser prairie-chicken leks.

pdf Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing the Lesser Prairie- Chicken as a Threatened Species With a Special Rule
By: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Proposed rule; revision and reopening of comment period.

pdf U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species Assessment and Listing Priority Assignment Form for Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus)
By: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) ECOS profile.

pdf Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative Vegetation Monitoring Protocol
By: USDA-NRCS
The goal of the protocol is to consistently monitor trend in vegetation structure on individual properties voluntarily applying management under initiative contract.

pdf Guidelines for Managing Lesser Prairie-Chicken Populations and Their Habitats
By: Christian A. Hagen, Brent E. Jamison, Kenneth M. Giesen, and Terry Z. Riley
These guidelines provide a synopsis of our current knowledge of lesser prairie-chicken habitat requirements and suggest management strategies to monitor, maintain, and enhance lesser prairie-chicken populations.

pdf Effects of the Conservation Reserve Program on Priority Shortgrass Prairie Birds - A Conservation Effects Assessment Project
By: Megan McLachlan and Mike Carter
In 2003, a multi-agency effort initiated the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) to quantify environmental benefits of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), and Environmental Quality Improvement Program (EQIP).

pdf Special 4(d) Rule for the Lesser Prairie Chicken
By: US FWS
This is the final 4(d) rule that accompanied the listing decision for the Lesser Prairie Chicken. It outlines the exceptions to the Endangered Species Act 'take' prohibition.

Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-Wide Plan Tops 3.6 Million Acres, Industry Enrollment Provides Nearly $21 Million for Habitat Conservation
By: WAFWA
Thirty-two private companies in five states representing oil and gas, pipelines, electric transmission and wind energy have committed to enroll more than 3.6 ...

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lists Lesser Prairie-Chicken as Threatened Species and Finalizes Special Rule Endorsing Landmark State Conservation Plan
By: US FWS
This Press Release announces the listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken as a threatened species and describes the special rule that exempts landowners enrolled in certain conservation programs from the ESA provision prohibiting take of the species.

pdf RWP Executive Summary (March 2014)
By: WAFWA
This updated Executive Summary of WAFWA's Range-wide Conservation Plan for the Lesser Prairie Chicken outlines the WAFWA Mitigation System, the Plan Administration (including committee composition), and current implementation status.

pdf Lesser Prairie Chicken Oil and Gas CCAA
By: WAFWA and US FWS
This Range-Wide Oil and Gas Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for the LPC represents a collaborative effort between the FWS, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), WAFWA’s Foundation for Western Fish and Wildlife (FWFW), interested oil and gas companies, and trade associations.

pdf U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines
By: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee
These voluntary Guidelines provide a structured, scientific process for addressing wildlife conservation concerns at all stages of land-based wind energy development.

Range-wide Plan Executive Summary
By: WAFWA
The purpose of the range-wide plan (RWP) for the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) is to identify a conservation strategy that will ensure the long-term existence of the species at sustainable levels when fully implemented.

pdf Comprehensive Wildlife Management Planning Guidelines Edwards Plateau and Cross Timbers & Prairies Ecological Regions
By: Texas Parks & Wildlife
This comprehensive wildlife management planning guidelines provide detailed information on wildlife property tax deductions, habitat control, erosion control.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012-2016 - Overview
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
TPWD is the steward if the Texas Conservation Action Plan, which includes a series of 11 regionally-specific Ecoregion handbooks, Statewide/multi-region handbook, and this overview document.

pdf Texas Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for Lesser Prairie Chickens
By: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entered into this CCAA June 26, 2006. This CCAA, allows for TPWD to enroll property owners in conservation agreements with wildlife management plans in order to protect and restore LPC habitat.

pdf Conservation Needs of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken
By: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Technical White Paper (July 2012) is a synopsis of ideas for long term conservation and recovery of the LPC.

pdf Lesser Prairie-Chicken Conservation Fact Sheet
By: US Fish and Wildlife Service
This fact sheet provides a good overview of the LPC and voluntary conservation measure that can be taken to maintain or enhance LPC habitat.

pdf Ecology of the lesser prairie-chicken
By: Wood Foundation
This document describes the different habitat requiremenst of the LPC. It includes descriptions of nesting habitat, brood-rearing habitat, fall/winter habitat, LEPC diet, and predators/diseases.

pdf Fish and Wildlife Service Conference Report - Lesser Prairie-chicken Initiative
By: US Fish and Wildlife Service
This conference report by the US Fish and Wildlife Service explains the NRCS's LPCI and associated procedures, conservation practices, and conservation measures.

pdf Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative Fact Sheet
By: USDA - NRCS
This short brochure explains the Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative (LPCI), including the goals and implementation of the program.

pdf Working Together - Tools for Helping Imperiled Wildlife on Private Lands
By: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This booklet provides information for citizen stewards and landowners, who embody President Bush’s vision of cooperative conservation—a vision built upon innovation, local ideas, inspiration and incentives, and on-the-ground action.

pdf Range-wide Population Estimation and Monitoring for Lesser Prairie-chickens - Sampling Design and Pilot Implementation
By: Lyman McDonald, Jim Griswold and Troy Rintz
A range-wide sampling framework and survey method is being developed to estimate total abundance of active leks for the population of LPC. In addition, standard operating procedures are being developed for aerial surveys and ground truthing surveys.

pdf Lesser Prairie-Chicken Endangered Species Act Listing Process Information
By: US Fish and Wildlife Service
The determination of whether to list the species as threatened or endangered will depend on the full assessment of the status of the lesser prairie-chicken in light of the five ESA listing factors: 1.

pdf How to Use CHAT
This PowerPoint outlines how to use the Southern Great Plains CHAT: A decision support system for the Lesser Prairie Chicken.

Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan - Background and Life History
By: W.E. Van Pelt, S. Kyle, J. Pitman, D. Klute, G. Beauprez, D. Schoeling, A. Janus, and J. Haufler
This is an excerpt from the Western Assocation of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' LPC Range-wide Conservation Plan, which depicts the LPC background and life history.

pdf Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) - A Technical Conservation Assessment
By: Leslie A. Robb and Michael A. Schroeder
The overall distribution of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has declined an estimated 92 percent since settlement by people of European descent and an estimated 78 percent since the early 1960s.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - Western Gulf Coastal Plain Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - South Texas Plains Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - Southwest Tablelands Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - Texas Blackland Prairies Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - Edwards Plateau Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 -Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - High Plains Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - Cross Timbers Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - East Central Texas Plains Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - Central Great Plains Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Handbook contains information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, regionally important habitats, local conservation goals and projects, regional and statewide activities, contact information for conservation partners, and maps.

pdf Texas Conservation Action Plan 2012–2016 - Statewide/Multi-region Handbook
By: Wendy Connally, Editor - Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
This Statewide/Multi-region (SMR) Handbook provides insight into certain Texas rare resources, special habitats, and conservation issues that cross regional boundaries, including a few we share with other states, Mexico, Central America, and Canada.