Lesser prairie chicken information meeting scheduled in Nara Visa

The Nara Visa Community Center will host one of two public meetings on Tuesday designed to provide information on the impact to property owners if the Lesser Prairie Chicken is listed as either threatened or endangered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Nara Visa meeting is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Its agenda is identical to one scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Clovis Carver Public Library North Annex, 701N. Main St., Clovis.

The meetings are sponsored by the Quay County Natural Resources Committee and Curry and Roosevelt counties, with donations from the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association, New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, New Mexico Oil and Gas Association and the Quay County Farm Bureau.

Speakers include Greg Nibert, Chaves County Commissioner; Steve Henke, President, New Mexico Oil & Gas Association; Margaret and Dan Byfield, American Stewards of Liberty; Lewis Derrick, rancher and former Eddy County Commissioner; Dan Girard, oil and gas producer, and Jim Lane, director, and Cal Baca, chief of the Wildlife Division, New Mexico Dept. of Game and Fish.

Discussion topics include

• an overview of the Endangered Species Act and definition of "take."
• biological comments and information.
• economic impact locally and regionally.
• what happens if the Lesser Prairie Chicken is listed, including impact on grazing, farming, energy development and production issues.
• wind energy and transmission line development.
• oil and gas restrictions.
• discussion of candidate conservation agrements.
• explanation of the Five State Range Wide Conservation Plan for the Lesser Prairie Chicken.
• take-home messages, what attendee can do and information they can use.