Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removal of Northern and Southern Distinct Population Segments of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in Compliance With Court Order

What it does

In response to a court order, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) are removing the northern and the southern distinct population segments (DPSs) of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Additionally, we are rescinding the rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act for the northern DPS. As a result of the court's orders, the regulatory protections under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) no longer apply to either DPS.

The Fish and Wildlife Service's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What changed in the regulation

1 part of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

50 CFR 17

Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).

Compared with

The Fish and Wildlife Service has published 29 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 13 in all of 2025.

Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.

Before this

No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 1018-BB27 since Jan. 1, 2025.

What happens next and when

This rule is effective February 26, 2026. However, the court's orders had legal effect upon filing on March 29, 2025, and August 12, 2025.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket FWS-R2-ES-2021-0015 on Regulations.gov
• Title 50 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register