OKLAHOMA CITY — Following the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to down-list the insect to “threatened” from “endangered,” OIPA-OKOGA president Chad Warmington released the following statement:

Today’s proposal to down-list the American burying beetle provides significant regulatory relief to Oklahoma job creators and is a step in the right direction for appropriate conservation of our native species and economic growth for the region. The endangered listing of the burying beetle has been under question for nearly thirty years for failing to provide the appropriate, science-based evidence that such decisions demand while placing an unnecessary burden on Oklahoma energy development.

The oil and gas industry’s implementation of significant conservation and recovery programs is a key reason the beetle has and will continue to flourish.

We applaud the federal government’s action, as it’s a reflection of the continued dedication of Oklahoma’s oil and natural gas operators to protecting species and local environments while bringing new economic opportunities to the state.

About OIPA-OKOGA: OIPA-OKOGA, the newly formed oil and natural gas trade association created by the merger of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association and the Oklahoma Oil & Gas Association, is the only trade association in Oklahoma that represents every segment of the oil and natural gas industry, allowing the industry to speak with one voice when advocating for the interests of our members, landowner partners, host communities and employees. The association’s goal is to enhance Oklahoma’s economy for future generations and make the state a destination for capital investment from the upstream, midstream and downstream segments of the energy industry.