Press Release

Conferees are being asked to provide a direct $500,000 appropriation to the project called the High Plains Partnership for Species at Risk, as was recommended in the administration’s budget. A letter making the request was signed by Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano, Western Governors’ Association Chairman, and Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, WGA Vice Chairman.

"The HPP is a keystone in our efforts to develop and demonstrate new ways to restore candidate and declining species to health before they need to be listed under the Endangered Species Act," the governors said. "The program brings on-the-ground conservation to private lands in a manner that has broad community support because neighbors have taken a lead in developing the strategies."

The lesser prairie chicken is a "candidate species" under the Endangered Species Act and is under consideration for listing. This year, eight landowners in New Mexico and Oklahoma signed candidate conservation agreements to improve the bird’s habitat on 80,000 acres of private range land. Another 51 landowners are on a waiting list to sign agreements, but there is not sufficient funding to implement them. The funding would be made available to landowners in portions of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. While the agreements vary in scope, they all contain incentives for landowners to make habitat improvements for this rare grouse and, in some cases, additional species.

"This program has restored habitat and developed food and water sources for the lesser prairie chicken and black-tailed prairie dog," the letter stated. "This progress could not have been made with a listing or enforcement action. The Western Governors are committed to addressing the needs of candidate and declining species and their habitats throughout the West and are convinced that such conservation efforts will only be successful if they are done in partnership with local landowners."

Earlier this year, the governors made reform of the Endangered Species Act as their number one legislative priority. They have also worked continuously with the administration to develop tools that will assist states and landowners in their proactive efforts to conserve species.

Among other things, the governors have actively sought:

• an increased role and funding for states in managing and recovering endangered species;
• increased ability to restore declining species before they need to be listed;
• greater funding, incentives and certainty for landowners, such as safe harbor agreements, that will enable them to be partners in conserving species on their lands; and
• more efficient and certain processes for de-listing species once they have been recovered.

The High Plains Partnership for Species at Risk is also a pilot project of the governors’ Enlibra initiative, a set of principles for managing the environment that supports collaborative, voluntary efforts for resolving environmental conflicts. The principles also support economic incentives and rewarding on-the-ground results as one tool to achieve environmental goals.

Additional information is available on this Web site regarding the High Plains Partnership, the governors’ position on Endangered Species Act reform and the Enlibra principles.

The Western Governors’ Association is an independent, nonprofit organization representing the governors of 18 states, two territories and one commonwealth. Through their association, the Western governors identify and address key policy and governance issues in natural resources, the environment, human services, economic development, international relations and public management.

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