COMMISSIONER SID MILLER CELEBRATES COURT WIN AGAINST BIDEN-ERA LAND GRAB (8/18/2025)

AUSTIN – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller praised a decisive ruling from U.S. District Judge David Counts of the Western District of Texas, who issued an order reversing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) decision to list the lesser prairie chicken as endangered and threatened.

“This is a big win for Texas, and one we fought hard to get,” Commissioner Miller said. “From day one, I’ve pushed back against Biden’s federal overreach because it was wrong for our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. This court decision is more than just a legal victory. We stood our ground, and we won.”

Under the Trump administration, FWS determined that it previously failed to provide “adequate justification and analysis” to support identifying two designated population segments of lesser prairie-chicken. Judge Counts granted the motion for vacatur and remand, finding that remand alone would not correct the agency’s fundamental error in listing the species as endangered and threatened. The court denied all motions to intervene.

Commissioner Miller reaffirmed his commitment to defending Texas agriculture from federal overreach and said his office will continue to monitor any future actions by the FWS regarding the lesser prairie chicken, or any other reckless misuse of federal law that endangers the livelihood of rural Texans.

“This ruling proves when Texans stand up and fight, we win,” Miller said. “We can protect our natural resources and still make sure Texas landowners can continue working without the heavy hand of bad federal policy holding them back.”