Statement by Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter on Listing the Lesser Prairie Chicken as Threatened

AUSTIN - The following statement can be attributed to Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to list the Lesser Prairie Chicken as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

“I am extremely disappointed in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) decision to list the Lesser Prairie Chicken as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It appears the federal agency has been influenced heavily by the environmentalist agenda, which has very little to do with preservation of this species and more with the eradication of the oil and gas industry. Unfortunately, this is another prime example of how the Endangered Species Act is seldom used for its intended purposes, but is being used as a political tool in the Obama administration’s war on fossil fuels.

While the USFWS did include a special rule that will hopefully limit the regulatory impacts on oil and gas activity, I believe it still has the potential to be incredibly detrimental to energy production. As Texas Railroad Commissioner, I vow to continue to fight federal intervention in our state, the number one energy producing state in the nation."

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David Porter was elected to the Texas Railroad Commission on November 2, 2010. A Certified Public Accountant and successful small business owner, Commissioner Porter has worked with oil and gas producers for nearly three decades providing strategic financial advice and tax counsel. He has a long record of pro-business, free market, conservative credentials.