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Biologists estimate that as many as 2 million lesser prairie chickens — a kind of bird living on stretching grasslands — once lent red to the often gray landscape of the midwestern and southwestern United States.
生物學家估計美國中西部和西南部的廣袤草原上曾生活著多達200萬只的小草原松雞，這些紅色的小草原松雞為灰蒙蒙的草原風貌增添了幾分紅艷。
But just some 22,000 birds remain today, occupying about 16% of the species' historic range.
但如今小草原松雞的現存數量只有大約22,000只，其棲息地范圍僅有過去的16%那么大。
The crash was a major reason the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS) decided to formally list the bird as threatened.
小草原松雞數量的銳減是促使美國魚類及野生動植物管理局（USFWS）決定正式將其列為“受到威脅”物種的主要原因。
"The lesser prairie chicken is in a desperate situation," said USFWS Director Daniel Ashe.
該管理局局長丹尼爾·阿什說：“小草原松雞處境十分堪憂?！?/div>
Some environmentalists, however, were disappointed.
然而，一些環保主義者卻對此感到失望。
They had pushed the agency to designate the bird as "endangered," a status that gives federal officials greater regulatory power to crack down on threats.
因為他們一直敦促該管理局將這種鳥類列為“瀕?！蔽锓N，這樣的話就能讓聯邦官員有更大的監管權來打擊威脅該物種的行為。
But Ashe and others argued that the "threatened" tag gave the federal government flexibility to try out new, potentially less confrontational conservations approaches.
但是阿什和其他人稱，“受到威脅”這一標簽讓聯邦政府能夠靈活地嘗試新的且發生沖突可能性更小的保護措施。
In particular, they called for forging closer collaborations with western state governments, which are often uneasy with federal action and with the private landowners who control an estimated 95% of the prairie chicken's habitat.
特別地，他們呼吁聯邦政府與西部各州政府進行更緊密的合作，因為這些州政府常常對聯邦政府的舉措感到不安。同時聯邦政府也要和土地所有者進行緊密合作，這些人控制著約95%的小草原松雞棲息地。
Under the plan, for example, the agency said it would not prosecute landowner or businesses that unintentionally kill, harm, or disturb the bird, as long as they had signed a range—wide management plan to restore prairie chicken habitat.
例如，根據一項計劃，該管理局稱其不會起訴那些非故意地殺死、傷害或干擾小草原松雞的土地所有者或企業，前提是他們已經簽署了一項覆蓋全部棲息地的管理計劃來修復小草原松雞的棲息地。
Negotiated by USFWS and the states, the plan requires individuals and businesses that damage habitat as part of their operations to pay into a fund to replace every acre destroyed with 2 new acres of suitable habitat.
該計劃由USFWS和西部各州協商制定，它要求因經營需要而破壞棲息地的個人和企業向一個基金支付罰款，每有一英畝棲息地遭到破壞，該基金就會購買兩英畝新的棲息地來將其替換。
The fund will also be used to compensate landowners who set aside habitat, USFWS also set an interim goal of restoring prairie chicken populations to an annual average of 67,000 birds over the next 10 years.
該基金也會被用于補償那些主動留出棲息地的土地所有者。USFWS也設定了一個中期目標，即在未來十年，將小草原松雞的數量恢復到平均每年67,000只的水平。
And it gives the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), a coalition of state agencies, the job of monitoring progress.
并且該管理局將監督目標實施進程的任務交給了西部魚類及野生動植物管理局協會，該協會是西部各州魚類及野生動植物管理局的聯合體。
Overall, the idea is to let "states" remain in the driver's seat for managing the species," Ashe said.
總之，阿什稱：“該計劃的目的是讓“各州”負責管理小草原松雞?！?/div>
Not everyone buys the win-win rhetoric.
并不是所有人都買這個鼓吹雙贏計劃的賬。
Some Congress members are trying to block the plan,
一些國會議員正試圖阻止該計劃，
and at least a dozen industry groups, four states, and three environmental groups are challenging it in federal court.
此外，至少有十二個行業集團、四個州和三個環保組織將向聯邦法院起訴來撤銷這個計劃。
Not surprisingly, industry groups and states generally argue it goes too far; environmentalists say it doesn't go far enough.
行業集團和州政府認為該計劃的措施太過火了；而環保主義者卻說該計劃做得還不夠，這一點毫不奇怪。
"The federal government is giving responsibility for managing the bird to the same industries that are pushing it to extinction," says biologist Jay Lininger.
生物學家杰伊·利寧格說：“聯邦政府這是把管理小草原松雞的責任交給那些正把它推向滅絕的行業?！?/p>
| 重點單詞 | 查看全部解釋 | |||
| species | ['spi:ʃiz] |
想一想再看 n. （單復同）物種，種類 |
||
| crack | [kræk] |
想一想再看 v. 崩潰，失去控制，壓碎，使裂開，破解，開玩笑 |
聯想記憶 | |
| overall | [əuvə'rɔ:l] |
想一想再看 adj. 全部的，全體的，一切在內的 |
||
| disturb | [dis'tə:b] |
想一想再看 v. 擾亂，妨礙，使 ... 不安 |
聯想記憶 | |
| particular | [pə'tikjulə] |
想一想再看 adj. 特殊的，特別的，特定的，挑剔的 |
聯想記憶 | |
| prosecute | ['prɔsikju:t] |
想一想再看 vt. 對 ... 提起公訴，徹底進行，追捕，經營，從事 |
聯想記憶 | |
| association | [ə.səusi'eiʃən] |
想一想再看 n. 聯合，結合，交往，協會，社團，聯想 |
聯想記憶 | |
| potentially | [pə'tenʃəli] |
想一想再看 adv. 潛在地 |
||
| range | [reindʒ] |
想一想再看 n. 范圍，行列，射程，山脈，一系列 |
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| challenging | ['tʃælindʒiŋ] |
想一想再看 adj. 大膽的(復雜的，有前途的，挑戰的) n. 復雜 |
