wildlife conservation

The state is investing in a declining ecosystem to benefit landowners and wildlife.

State keeps calling new emergency rules that allow unlimited fish catch, as dry-up continues

Bird watchers, animal lovers and even those interested in plants and insects are taking notice: there seems to be less of almost everything on the prairie. Why are so many wild things seemingly disappearing? Commentator Rex Buchanan shares his thoughts.

The plains spotted skunk is becoming harder to find in the central U.S. states it calls home. As federal officials consider the skunk for federal protections, researchers and environmentalists are hoping to learn more about the long understudied species.

The lesser prairie chicken, known for its flamboyant courtship dances and bulging neck pouches, has lost a majority of its population in the grasslands and brush of southwestern Kansas. But Republican lawmakers have long fought against its habitat protections.

Much work remains to be done to create a system that supports preserving the grasslands.

The region has always been dry, and it’s getting drier.

The lesser prairie chicken was once a common sight in the southern Great Plains, but its numbers are dwindling. Even so, it lost federal protections earlier this year for a second time. Now states and landowners are overseeing conservation efforts

Flying mammals of the night have been under threat of white-nose syndrome in the U.S. for years. Oklahoma researchers are tracking their populations and finding positive results.

The state Department of Wildlife Conservation updates its action plan every 10 years to remain eligible for federal wildlife grants. The latest document will list creatures rarely seen but vital to the animal food web.