Republicans celebrate as lesser prairie chicken loses threatened, endangered status

Republicans celebrate as lesser prairie chicken loses threatened, endangered status

The lesser prairie chicken, which has lost its endangered and threatened statuses, appears in a field in Oakley, Kansas. (Getty Images)TOPEKA — The stocky, dancing bird that populates prairies across five states lost its federal protections — not because its habitat or population have dramatically improved, but because a Texas court sided with energy and livestock groups. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday delisted the lesser prairi…