"A court has vacated federal protections for the lesser prairie chicken, a Great Plains bird that was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act last year.

The court said the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) did not properly consider active conservation efforts for the bird when listing it last March.

Animals are granted “threatened” status when they’re in danger of becoming endangered. In the prairie chicken’s case, regulators listed the bird after determining not enough landowners and companies operating in its territory had enrolled in a voluntary protection program."

Devin Henry reports for The Hill September 2, 2015. [2]