Suit Filed to Save 24 Species From Trump and Bernhardt

At the end of 2018, the Trump administration missed its own agency's deadline for deciding whether to give Endangered Species Act protection to 24 species of animals and plants desperately in need of help. So the Center for Biological Diversity just sued President Trump's Interior Department — now under the leadership of former coal lobbyist David Bernhardt — over the dangerous delay.

Species left without protection include the elfin-woods warbler, tricolored blackbird and Miami tiger beetle.

"If we're going to save species from disappearing forever, we have to act quickly to give them the legal protection they need," said the Center's Noah Greenwald. "The Trump administration is completely out of step with the American public, which strongly supports protecting our vulnerable wildlife. Bernhardt needs to let the Fish and Wildlife Service do its job."

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Tune In Monday: An Evening of Wolves, Music and Activism

We have an Earth Day treat for you Monday night.

Grammy-winning artist Esperanza Spalding and the Center are cohosting a night of music, activism and inspiration focused on stopping the Trump administration's plan to strip away wolf protection from coast to coast.

The event, called Don't Shoot, will feature a solo musical performance by Spalding, a presentation by the Center's Amaroq Weiss about the situation facing wolves right now, and other special guests. You'll also have a chance to join Call of the Wild, the Center's nationwide movement to save wolves.

It starts at 6:30 p.m. Pacific on Monday, April 22. Tune in at Esperanza Spalding's Facebook page.

Following Trump's illegal "emergency declaration" bypassing Congress to fund his border wall, the Pentagon has issued nearly a billion dollars in contracts for new construction. One contract is for 46 miles of new barrier through an important movement corridor for endangered Mexican gray wolves. The Center and allies are fighting the border wall in court. Watch the video at Facebook or YouTube.

Gila Named America's Most Endangered River of 2019

Climate change and a proposed diversion project make New Mexico's Gila River the nation's most endangered river, American Rivers announced Tuesday.

The Center and allies called on New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to permanently stop the project and embrace more cost-effective, innovative water-supply solutions.

The Gila is the last free-flowing river in New Mexico and supports riparian forests, cold-water fisheries and a rich abundance of wildlife.

"A stronghold for many endangered species, the Gila's one of the last intact rivers left in North America," said Todd Schulke, a cofounder of the Center. "We have to work hard to make sure it stays that way. We urge Governor Lujan Grisham to help us protect the Gila River forever."

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Our Problem With Pesticides

A study just found that a pesticide called flupyradifurone, approved by the Environmental Protection Agency as safe for pollinators, actually disorients and kills honeybees.

In 2015 the Center and allies sued the EPA over its initial OK of flupyradifurone. That case is still in court.

Some may be tempted to blame the Trump administration for this latest EPA "fail." After all, its new Interior secretary is under investigation for blocking a federal report on pesticides' risks to hundreds of endangered species.

But the truth is, our problems with pesticides predate Trump. This recent Washington Post article does an excellent job of showing that, in fact, the U.S. pesticide regulatory system has always been broken.

Fighting for Nevada's Wildlife and Water

In Carson City, Nev., the state legislature has been in full swing for 12 weeks — as has the Center's Nevada staff, working on behalf of wildlife.

Through a Center action alert, our supporters sent a clear message to state legislators that Nevadans want to ban coyote-killing contests and restrict fur trapping. Although related bills didn't make it past the committee deadline, we're grateful to Assemblywoman Heidi Swank and Senator Melanie Scheible for being champions of the state's wildlife.

On the bright side, we've secured a win in our ongoing battle against the Las Vegas pipeline. A bill that might have enabled this water grab to go forward was gutted. The fight continues, but thanks to our supporters turning out for #WaterIsLife, a crisis has been averted.

Read more in the Reno Gazette Journal.

Wild & Weird: The Owlet That Wasn't

Earlier this year Laurie Wolf of Jupiter Farms, Fla., noticed an eastern screech owl had moved into a nesting box in her yard. It was a welcome sight: An owl chick might be on the way.

About a month later there was a commotion in the nesting box. Laurie and her husband checked and saw the mother screech owl's head, and beside her an adorable ... duckling.

Wood ducks are brood parasites, meaning they don't put all their eggs in one basket — literally. There are several documented cases of eastern screech owls inadvertently hatching wood ducklings from eggs slyly slipped into their nests.

Read more at National Geographic.