Little Apple Times

U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) has expressed support for a recent decision by the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas to reverse the listing of the lesser prairie-chicken on the endangered and threatened species list under the Endangered Species Act.

“Kansas farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers have always been and always will be the original conservationists of the land," said Rep. Mann. "The District Court of West Texas’ ruling to remove the lesser prairie-chicken from the endangered and threatened species list honors their stewardship of the land and acknowledges the facts on the ground. This ruling is a win for Kansas agricultural and energy producers and a huge loss for radical climate activists and bureaucrats who have abused the Endangered Species Act for over a decade to hurt American agriculture and energy production.”

Rep. Mann has worked in Congress to reverse protections for the lesser prairie-chicken. In April 2025, he sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum urging delisting of the bird. Earlier that year, he introduced legislation to remove it from federal protection lists and prevent future relisting efforts.

In February 2023, Mann led an effort under the Congressional Review Act to overturn its listing as a threatened species. The resolution passed in the House but was vetoed by President Biden, which Mann criticized as ignoring input from agriculture and energy sectors.

Mann also opposed actions by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in November 2022 regarding rules about LPC populations, describing them as harmful to American agriculture and energy interests. In May 2021, after criticizing its listing status, Mann pushed for extended public comment periods on proposed regulations.

Tracey Mann has represented Kansas’s 1st district in Congress since 2021 after succeeding Roger Marshall. He was born in Quinter, Kansas in 1976, currently lives in Salina, and graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2000.