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Secretary Buttigieg Urged to Deny $2 Billion in Tax-Free Bonds for Utah Oil Train
SALT LAKE CITY— More than 150 conservation and climate groups today joined Colorado federal, state and local lawmakers to urge Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to deny Utah officials’ $2 billion request to help them build an oil train. The tax-exempt bonds, requested earlier this month by Utah’s Seven County Infrastructure Coalition, will cost taxpayers up to $80 million a year for decades.
Read more.Judge Deals Another Blow to Tejon Ranchcorp Project
LOS ANGELES— A judge has ordered Los Angeles County to set aside its approval of Tejon Ranchcorp’s Centennial, a sprawling housing development that would bring 57,000 residents to the fire-prone outskirts of the county. The ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff directs the county to set aside the environmental review and all approvals related to the project.
Read more.California Takes Important Steps Alongside Tribes to Protect Clear Lake Hitch
CLEARLAKE, Calif.— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced a list of commitments aimed at protecting Northern California’s imperiled Clear Lake hitch.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Against Biden Administration Over Failure to Act on Petition to Prohibit Pesticides in Endangered Species Critical Habitat
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to respond to a January 2019 petition to prohibit nearly all uses of pesticides in areas designated as critical habitat for endangered species.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Protected Habitat for Endangered Corals
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the National Marine Fisheries Service today for failing to finalize protections for 12 coral species around Florida and islands in the Pacific Ocean. Pillar coral, mountainous star coral and the others were all listed under the Endangered Species Act in 2014 but have not received the critical habitat designation the law requires.
Read more.CITES Sanctions Mexico for Failing to Protect Vaquita Porpoises
GENEVA— The Secretariat to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora today announced trade sanctions against Mexico for its failure to control illegal fishing and trade that endangers the vaquita porpoise. Mexico will no longer be able to commercially export millions of dollars of wildlife products to most nations around the globe.
Read more.Lawsuit Targets Federal Deforestation Project Near Nevada National Park
RENO, Nev.— Western Watersheds Project and the Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management today to challenge a massive vegetation removal project near Great Basin National Park that violates several environmental laws.
Read more.Legal Agreement Will Bring New Protections From Logging to Oregon Coast Coho Salmon
PORTLAND, Ore.— Resolving multiyear litigation over the harms of logging to coho salmon, conservation groups reached an agreement today with the Oregon Department of Forestry to greatly expand stream buffers across more than half a million acres of the Tillamook and Clatsop state forests.
Read more.New Eastern Monarch Butterfly Count Indicates Pollinator Still Threatened
WASHINGTON— The annual count of migratory monarchs that spend the winter in Mexico is once again dismal for the iconic orange-and-black butterflies. This year’s count showed a 22% decline from 2022, leaving the butterfly highly vulnerable to extinction.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Over Denial of Endangered Species Protection to Gopher Tortoise
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Nokuse Education, Inc. filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for denying Endangered Species Act protections to the eastern population of gopher tortoises. The decision left the beleaguered reptiles without lifesaving federal safeguards in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and most of Alabama.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Targeting Grazing Destruction of Arizona’s San Pedro Conservation Area
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon Society filed a formal notice of their intent to sue the U.S. Bureau of Land Management today for failing to protect endangered species in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area from rampant trespass livestock grazing.
Read more.50 Groups Send Letter to Oregon Lawmakers Urging Passage of Senate Bill 85-1
SALEM, Ore.— The Stand Up to Factory Farms coalition sent a letter from 50 organizations to Oregon lawmakers today urging passage of Senate Bill 85-1, which would pause factory farm permitting to better address the operations’ pollution risks.
Read more.Hippos Move Step Closer to Endangered Species Act Protections
WASHINGTON— After a petition and threat to sue from animal protection and conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that the common hippopotamus may qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.California Bill to Expand Community, Wildlife Protections Against Rat Poisons
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Burbank) is spearheading a bill to expand restrictions on toxic rat poisons and increase protections for children, pets and wildlife from unintentional poisoning.
Read more.Injunction Seeks to Block Logging in Montana’s Kootenai National Forest
MISSOULA, Mont.— Conservation groups asked a federal court today to block logging and road construction for the large Knotty Pine timber sale project in the Kootenai National Forest. The project threatens a small and imperiled population of grizzly bears near the Montana-Canada border.
Read more.Rare Daisy Imperiled by Gold Mining Moves Closer to Federal Protection
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the rare Inyo rock daisy may require federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, kicking off a year-long review of threats to the plant.
Read more.UN Chief Calls for Halt to New Fossil Fuel Development Ahead of Climate Ambition Summit
NEW YORK— The United Nations Secretary General set strong conditions for joining a global climate ambition summit in September, including ceasing all licensing and funding of new oil and gas development and halting expansion of existing oil and gas reserves. This price of entry puts the United States at risk of being shut out of the meeting. The announcement from U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres came as the latest U.N. climate report declared drastic fossil fuel cuts are necessary to avert catastrophic warming.
Read more.Tiny Virginia Fish Moves Toward Endangered Species Act Protection
RICHMOND, Va.— In response to a legal petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the roughhead shiner, an olive minnow found only in the upper James River watershed in western Virginia, may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Two Southern Freshwater Mussels Proposed for Endangered Species Protection
DALLAS— In response to a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed protection for two freshwater mussels in five southern states and designated 1,860 river miles as critical habitat.
Read more.Court Voids Colorado’s OK of Increased Air Pollution From Tanker Truck Facility in Commerce City
DENVER— A state judge has voided a permit issued by the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division allowing a tanker truck repair shop to emit more asthma-causing air pollution. Polar Service Center is located in a part of Commerce City already heavily overburdened with pollution.
Read more.Events in Arizona, New Mexico to Mark Silver Anniversary of Mexican Gray Wolves in Wild
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Public events throughout the Southwest this spring will mark the 25th anniversary of the first release of Mexican gray wolves into the wild.
Read more.Protections Sought for Rare Mojave Desert Wildflower Threatened by Urban Sprawl, Energy Development
LAS VEGAS— The Center for Biological Diversity today petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect a rare desert wildflower under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Over U.S. Delay on Petition to Phase Out Oil Drilling on Public Lands
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups today filed a notice of their intent to sue the U.S. Interior Department for failing to respond to a petition to phase out oil and gas extraction on public lands.
Read more.California Regulators Urged to Delay Harmful Rooftop Solar Plan
SAN FRANCISCO— California regulators should revise a new rooftop solar plan to make solar more affordable for low-income communities, dozens of groups will tell the California Public Utilities Commission at its meeting Thursday. The commission’s plan drastically slashes the credit new solar users would get for sharing their extra solar energy with the grid.
Read more.Sunflower Sea Star Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection
SAN FRANCISCO— Responding to a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed today to protect imperiled sunflower sea stars as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.New Study Reveals Deadly Disease Spread Among African Amphibians
DAVIS, Calif.— Multiple strains of a deadly fungal pathogen are spreading among frogs across Africa, posing serious and widespread threats to amphibian populations, according to a scientific study published today in Frontiers in Conservation Science.
Read more.Expanded Habitat Protections Sought for Imperiled Desert Fish in Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal petition today urging the federal government to expand the critical habitat designation for the Sonora chub, a small desert fish facing major threats.
Read more.Court: U.S. Failure to Protect Pacific Humpbacks From Deadly Entanglements Was Unlawful
SAN FRANCISCO— A federal court ruled in favor of the Center for Biological Diversity yesterday in a lawsuit arguing that the National Marine Fisheries Service failed to protect endangered Pacific humpback whales from deadly entanglements in sablefish pot gear off California, Oregon and Washington.
Read more.Biden Administration Sued Over Willow Oil Project in Alaska’s Western Arctic
ANCHORAGE, Alaska— Earthjustice filed a lawsuit yesterday on behalf of conservation groups to stop the massive Willow oil drilling project in Alaska’s Western Arctic, which the Biden administration approved March 13. This approval of an enormous new carbon pollution source undermines President Biden’s promises to slash greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and transition the United States to clean energy.
Read more.University of Mary Washington to Host Free Screening of Childfree by Choice Film
FREDERICKSBURG, Va.— The Center for Biological Diversity and University of Mary Washington will host a free screening of My So-Called Selfish Life, directed by Therese Shechter, a documentary that examines the choice to be childfree and the importance of reproductive rights and justice. The screening will be held at University of Mary Washington and followed by a Q&A and panel discussion about the relationship between reproductive freedom and the environment.
Read more.Another Wild Wolf Killed in New York, Radio-Isotope Test Confirms
ALBANY, N.Y.— Conservation groups announced today that testing by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Museum revealed that a wolf killed in upstate New York in 2021 was eating a wild diet and was a wild wolf.
Read more.New York Moth Receives Endangered Species Protections After 30 Years
WASHINGTON— After more than 30 years of consideration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today finalized the listing of the rare bog buck moth as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. But the agency failed to designate any critical habitat for the moth, despite habitat protections being critical to the species’ survival.
Read more.U.S. Urged to Tighten Data Standards for Aquarium Fish Imports
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to require and report species-level data for all ornamental fish brought into the country for the aquarium trade. As today’s letter notes, maintaining and disclosing reliable species information from the national database would aid conservation measures for fish threatened by overexploitation.
Read more.Nevada Bill Would Let State Wildlife Agency Conserve Monarchs, Other Pollinators
RENO, Nev.— Nevada’s Assembly Natural Resources Committee will consider a bill today that would give the state’s Department of Wildlife authority to manage pollinators and other insects that need conservation.
Read more.Biden Administration Approves Major Alaskan Arctic Drilling Project
WASHINGTON— The Biden administration released the final Willow Master Development Plan today, greenlighting the oil development project in Alaska’s Western Arctic. The final version of the project would allow for drilling at three pads.
Read more.Legal Challenge Filed to Halt Caltrans’ Richardson Grove Project
EUREKA, Calif.— Conservation groups and Humboldt residents filed a legal challenge this week to a fourth attempt by Caltrans to approve the controversial Richardson Grove Project.
Read more.Glen Canyon Dam Operations Must Safeguard Grand Canyon’s Rare Fish, Conservationists Warn
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.— The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation must manage Colorado River flows to prevent non-native smallmouth bass populations from establishing, thereby jeopardizing threatened humpback chub in the Grand Canyon, conservationists warned in formal comments submitted today.
Read more.Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Hear Testimony Friday on Abuses at U.S. Factory Farms
LOS ANGELES— The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights will hear testimony on Friday about human rights abuses linked to industrial meat, egg and dairy facilities in the United States. The testimony is part of the commission's multi-day period of sessions focused on “Reimagining Rights in the Americas.”
Read more.Struggling Freshwater Mussels Protected Under Endangered Species Act
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Responding to a petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity and allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today listed the round hickorynut and longsolid freshwater mussels as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The agency also set aside 2,136 river miles of critical habitat from Pennsylvania to Mississippi.
Read more.Report: TVA Clean-Energy Transition Could Create Jobs, Save Billions
WASHINGTON— The nation’s largest public utility, the Tennessee Valley Authority, could create thousands of new jobs, improve public health, and help meet President Biden’s climate pledge if it transitions to 100% clean energy by 2035, according to a new study.
Read more.EPA Petitioned to Halt Export of U.S.-Banned Pesticides to Developing Countries Unless Approved by Their Governments
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for International Environmental Law filed a legal petition today urging the Environmental Protection Agency to forbid export of pesticides banned in the United States to any country without prior consent of that country’s relevant authorities.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed to Protect Imperiled Alligator Snapping Turtles
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to force it to ensure protections for 12 plants and animals under the Endangered Species Act, including the alligator snapping turtle and Suwannee alligator snapping turtle.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed to Protect Imperiled Fishes in Utah, Nevada
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to force it to decide whether to protect Utah’s least chub and Nevada’s Fish Lake Valley tui chub under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Congress Urged to Spend $841 Million to Fully Fund Endangered Species Protection
WASHINGTON— More than 120 conservation groups urged Congress today to significantly increase the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from $331 million to $841 million.
Read more.Petition Seeks to Protect Pygmy Rabbits Under Endangered Species Act
SALT LAKE CITY— Conservation organizations submitted a petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today requesting protection of pygmy rabbits under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Biden Decision to Open 73.3 Million Acres of Gulf of Mexico for Oil Leasing
WASHINGTON— Gulf community and environmental groups filed a legal challenge in federal court today to the Department of the Interior’s lease sale 259. The sale would offer 73.3 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing.
Read more.Global Wildlife Trade Agreement Marks 50th Anniversary
WASHINGTON— Fifty organizations from around the world are urging an ambitious response to the extinction crisis as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species turns 50 years old on Friday.
Read more.Caltrans Again Approves Richardson Grove Project
EUREKA, Calif.— Caltrans is attempting to approve the controversial Richardson Grove Project for a fourth time. The project would realign portions of Highway 101 through Richardson Grove State Park to facilitate passage of oversized commercial trucks, risking damage to a grove of ancient redwoods up to 3,000 years old. To realign the road, Caltrans proposes cutting and paving over roots of adjacent old-growth redwood trees.
Read more.Frecklebelly Madtom Receives Endangered Species Protections in Georgia, Tennessee
ATLANTA— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a final rule that protects a population of frecklebelly madtom in the Upper Coosa River of Georgia and Tennessee as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The agency also proposed to designate 134 miles of the Etowah and Conasauga rivers as protected critical habitat, but the proposal would allow logging to continue.
Read more.In Response to Lawsuit, EPA Agrees to Timeline for First Updates to Slaughterhouse Water-Pollution Standards in Nearly 20 Years
WASHINGTON— In a victory for clean water, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its intent today to publish updated water-pollution control standards for slaughterhouses and animal rendering facilities by August 2025.
Read more.Analysis: 4 Years Into Polis Administration, Coal Is Still Colorado’s Main Electricity Source as State Lags Behind on Green Energy
DENVER— Four years into Gov. Jared Polis’ administration, Colorado lags behind many other states in transitioning to a renewable energy economy, according to recently released U.S. Energy Information Administration data.
Read more.Florida Legislature Considers Use of Radioactive Phosphogypsum in Road Construction
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Legislature introduced two bills today that would pave the way for the use of radioactive phosphogypsum in road construction.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Population Grew 23% in 2022
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the number of Mexican gray wolves in the Southwest grew by 45 animals last year — from 196 in 2021, to 241 in 2022. Of those wolves, 136 were in western New Mexico and 105 in eastern Arizona.
Read more.Motion Filed to Defend Forest Service Removal of Feral Cows From Gila National Forest
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a motion today to intervene in a New Mexico Cattle Growers Association lawsuit that seeks to stop the U.S. Forest Service from removing feral cows from the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico.
Read more.'New York Times' Ad Blasts Automaker Climate Hypocrisy, Urges Biden Action
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and GreenLatinos placed a full-page ad in The New York Times today blasting automaker doublespeak on clean vehicles. The ad calls on President Biden to make the manufacturers cut carbon emissions 75% by 2030 and boost electric vehicle, or EV, access and production.
Read more.Florida Rule to Protect Diamondback Terrapins From Recreational Crab Traps to Take Effect Wednesday
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— A new rule aimed at protecting diamondback terrapin turtles from drowning in recreational blue crab traps will go into effect Wednesday, March 1.
Read more.Rare Milkweed Gains Endangered Species Protection, Critical Habitat
RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today protected the prostrate milkweed as endangered. Only 24 populations of the plant survive, in south Texas and northern Mexico, where they serve as an important food source for pollinators like bees and imperiled monarch butterflies.
Read more.House Republican Bill Would Upend Bedrock Environmental Review Law
WASHINGTON— The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on legislation introduced by Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) that would curtail environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Read more.EU Plan to Protect Marine Species Falls Short, Threatens Seafood Exports to United States
BRUSSELS— The European Commission’s EU Action Plan released this week falls short of protecting and restoring marine species and jeopardizes continued access for EU fish products to the lucrative U.S. seafood market, according to a coalition of animal welfare and conservation groups.
Read more.Center for Biological Diversity Calls for Protection of Atlanta Forest, Independent Probe of Activist Killing
ATLANTA— Standing in solidarity with local organizations, communities and forest defenders who have been safeguarding the South River Forest for years, the Center for Biological Diversity is calling for the permanent protection of Atlanta’s biologically diverse forest and an independent investigation into the killing of a 26-year-old activist fighting to protect it.
Read more.Court Backs Removal of Feral Cattle From Gila Wilderness
ALBUQUERQUE— The U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico today announced its decision to deny a request for a temporary restraining order to stop the removal of feral (unbranded and unauthorized) cattle from the Gila Wilderness.
Read more.Coloradans Strongly Support Wolf Restoration at Denver Meeting
DENVER— Scores of Coloradans today voiced their support for science-based, ecologically friendly wolf restoration throughout Colorado during a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission hearing on a draft wolf plan.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Colorado Wolves From Hunters at Wyoming Border
DENVER— The Center for Biological Diversity today notified the U.S. Forest Service of its intent to sue over the agency’s failure to protect wolves from hunters in Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. The lawsuit would seek a ban on wolf hunting and trapping in the entire forest, which straddles the Colorado-Wyoming border.
Read more.Suit Launched to Force EPA to Tackle Toxic Air Pollution From Colorado Fossil Fuel Waste Disposal Plant
PARACHUTE, Colo.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed notice today of its intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to respond to the Center’s challenge to the methods used to control toxic air pollution at a facility that disposes of liquid waste from fracking and oil and gas production.
Read more.California Spotted Owl Gets Endangered Species Act Protections After 23 Years
SAN FRANCISCO— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it will protect the California spotted owl under the Endangered Species Act. The owls have seen their numbers dwindle because of logging and climate change, among other threats.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed to Require California to Close Loophole, Regulate Pesticide-Treated Seeds
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Environmental and public health groups have filed a legal challenge seeking to close the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s loophole allowing crop seeds treated with pesticides to avoid regulation as pesticides.
Read more.Florida Commissioners Advance Rules Aimed at Curbing Bird Deaths at Skyway Pier
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.— The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted today to move forward with proposed regulations meant to address bird deaths and injuries at the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park. But commissioners directed staff to consider significantly limiting the proposal, which wildlife advocates say already fails to truly protect thousands of birds from deadly fishing gear entanglements.
Read more.Legal Agreement Forces EPA Action to Reduce Dangerous Smog Levels in Parts of California, Texas
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency agreed today to meet deadlines for reducing smog in parts of California and Texas that have some of the nation’s worst air pollution.
Read more.Legal Win Protects Minnesota’s Rare Lynx From Cruel, Indiscriminate Trapping
MINNEAPOLIS— A federal judge today ordered the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to ban most uses of strangulation snares in northeastern Minnesota.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges White House Offices for Records on Endangered Species Delays
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and its Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs today for refusing to release records on their roles in delaying protections for species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The offices had illegally delayed protection of critical habitat for shorebirds called red knots by more than seven months.
Read more.Forest Plan Fails Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— The U.S. Forest Service released the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest Plan today, quadrupling logging and reducing protections for the most visited national forest in the country.
Read more.Petition Seeks Oregon Endangered Species Protection for Southern Resident Orcas
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, and Whale and Dolphin Conservation filed a petition today to protect Southern Resident orcas under the Oregon Endangered Species Act. As of the most recent census, just 73 Southern Resident orcas remain, divided among three family groups.
Read more.Muro fronterizo de EE.UU. pone en peligro sitio del Patrimonio Mundial en México
PARÍS— El Centro para la Diversidad Biológica solicitó hoy enlistar como “en peligro” un sitio en México del Patrimonio Mundial dañado por el muro fronterizo de EE. UU. El controvertido muro de EE. UU. corta en dos el hábitat desértico protegido más grande del mundo, bloqueando la conectividad escencial.
Read more.U.S. Border Wall Endangers Mexican World Heritage Site
PARIS— The Center for Biological Diversity called for “in danger” status today for a Mexican World Heritage site harmed by the U.S. border wall. The controversial U.S. wall cuts the world’s largest swath of protected desert habitat in two, walling off critical habitat connectivity.
Read more.18,000 People Urge Federal Officials to Boost Manatee Protections
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received more than 18,000 letters today supporting a petition to increase protections for West Indian manatees. The imperiled animals have been dying in record numbers in Florida waters.
Read more.Proposed Rule Allows for Widespread Killing of Reintroduced Colorado Wolves
DENVER— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposed wolf management rule that would allow livestock operators and federal and state agents to kill wolves. The rule would let ranchers kill wolves even on public lands, without requiring the use of nonlethal conflict prevention measures first.
Read more.Vessel Strike Killed Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.— A North Atlantic right whale that washed up dead onto the shore Sunday was likely killed by a vessel collision, NOAA Fisheries announced today. The results of a necropsy determined the cause of death to be “blunt force trauma,” which indicates the animal was struck by a passing vessel.
Read more.Expertos se oponen a eliminar la protección a la boa puertorriqueña
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— Expertos puertorriqueños están denunciando la propuesta del Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre (FWS en inglés) de los Estados Unidos de quitar protecciones federales a la boa puertorriqueña. No hay información poblacional de estas serpientes tímidas y endémicas, sin embargo, las amenazas que llevaron a su designación como una especie en peligro de extinción continúan en la isla.
Read more.Experts Oppose Proposed Removal of Puerto Rican Boa Protections
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— Puerto Rican snake experts are denouncing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to remove federal protections from the Puerto Rican boa and plan to oppose the move during a Feb. 16 public hearing.
Read more.Legal Action Launched to Protect Hippos Under Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON— Animal protection and conservation groups today sent a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to respond to a legal petition to protect the common hippopotamus under the Endangered Species Act. The Service was required to respond to the March 2022 petition within 90 days, but nearly a year has passed, and the agency still has not responded.
Read more.Rechazo enérgico a la injerencia de EUA en la política agrícola y de alimentación en México
El Centro para la Diversidad Biológica y Greenpeace México rechazan enérgicamente la intervención de los Estados Unidos en la decisión de México de eliminar gradualmente el glifosato y el maíz transgénico producido utilizando prácticas agrícolas intensivas en plaguicidas.
Read more.Statement on U.S. Intervention in Mexico’s Phaseout of Genetically Engineered Corn
The Center for Biological Diversity and Greenpeace México strongly condemn the United States’ heavy-handed intervention into Mexico’s decision to phase out genetically engineered (GE) corn that’s produced using pesticide-intensive farming practices and the herbicide glyphosate.
Read more.Faith Communities to Hold Thursday News Conference to Urge Utah Legislature to Save Great Salt Lake
SALT LAKE CITY— Utah religious leaders will hold a news conference Thursday at the Utah State Capitol to urge Utah lawmakers to do everything in their power to restore the Great Salt Lake to ecological health.
Read more.Legal Intervention Supports EPA Permit Requirements for St. Croix Refinery
ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands— Community and conservation groups filed a motion to intervene yesterday in a case concerning Environmental Protection Agency air permits for a shuttered oil refinery. The Environmental Justice Clinic at Vermont Law and Graduate School filed the motion in the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of their clients, St. Croix Environmental Association, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club.
Read more.Recovery of Once Rare Wood Stork Is Latest Endangered Species Act Success
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it’s proposing to remove the wood stork from the endangered species list because the bird has recovered.
Read more.Florida’s Proposal to Curb Bird Deaths at Skyway Pier Falls Short
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced proposed regulations today to address bird deaths and injuries at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier State Park. The move comes after nonprofit rescuers, wildlife groups and academics highlighted the thousands of birds rescued from entanglement at the pier over the past two years.
Read more.Legal Action Launched Over White House Delay on Red Knot Habitat Protections
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today sent a notice of intent to sue the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for illegally delaying protection of the red knot shorebird’s critical habitat by more than seven months. Habitat loss has helped drive a drastic decline in the migrating shorebird’s population.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Nevada Gov. Lombardo’s Unconstitutional Natural Resource Agency Appointment
CARSON CITY, Nev.— The Center for Biological Diversity and a former state employee sued Gov. Joe Lombardo today to challenge his Jan. 6 appointment of former state Sen. James Settelmeyer to be director of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Read more.Imperiled Leopards One Step Closer to Increased Endangered Species Act Protection
WASHINGTON— In response to a lawsuit by animal protection and conservation groups, today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finally agreed to a June 2027 deadline to determine if leopards warrant increased protection under the Endangered Species Act. Increased safeguards would ensure closer scrutiny of African leopard trophy imports and help boost funding to counter suspected population declines.
Read more.Snake Experts to Oppose Removing Federal Protections From Puerto Rican Boa
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday about its proposed rule to remove Endangered Species Act protections from the Puerto Rican boa. The Puerto Rican boa is currently listed as an endangered species.
Read more.Legal Filing Targets North Dakota’s Latest Lawsuit to Force More Oil, Gas Lease Sales on Public Lands
BISMARCK, N.D.— Climate and conservation groups defended the Biden administration in a brief filed today responding to a federal lawsuit brought by North Dakota seeking to force the federal government to hold more oil and gas lease sales in the state.
Read more.Biden Administration’s Postponement of Oil, Gas Lease Sales to Be Defended by Conservation Groups
CASPER, Wyo.— Seventeen conservation groups represented by Earthjustice and the Western Environmental Law Center moved to intervene today to defend the Biden administration’s 2021 postponement of several oil and gas lease sales.
Read more.New Joshua Tree Bill Spurs California Commission to Delay Decision on Protecting Iconic Plants
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously today to postpone a decision on whether to permanently protect western Joshua trees under the California Endangered Species Act. The commission agreed to wait to see whether a new bill proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration becomes law.
Read more.Wildlife Agency Fails to Address Extinction in Changes to Endangered Species Regulations
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it will be revising regulations governing the process for issuing permits under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act. The changes are a huge missed opportunity because they afford no new protections to threatened and endangered plants and animals, conservationists say.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Federal Failure to Protect Rare Wildlife From South Florida Development
MIAMI— Conservation groups sued the National Park Service today for failing to protect the endangered Florida bonneted bat, Miami tiger beetle, Bartram’s scrub-hairstreak, endangered plants and globally imperiled pine rocklands from the destructive effects of the Miami Wilds water park and retail development in South Florida.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Over Delay of Endangered Species Act Protection for 15 Animals, Plants
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice today of its intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for delaying critically needed Endangered Species Act protection for 15 imperiled plants and animals. The species range from cactus ferruginous pygmy owls in the Sonoran Desert to tall western penstemons in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks to Protect U.S. Waters From Ship Pollution, Invasive Species
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth sued the Environmental Protection Agency today for failing to finalize nationwide standards that would protect U.S. waterways from harmful vessel discharges.
Read more.New Analysis: 40% of U.S. Wildlife, Ecosystems Are Imperiled
WASHINGTON— A new report on the status of U.S. wildlife conservation reveals that 40% of animals, 34% of plants and 40% of ecosystems nationwide are at risk. Released today, the analysis — Biodiversity in Focus: United States Edition — was compiled by NatureServe, a nonprofit organization that assembles conservation data from a national network of scientists and organizations.
Read more.State Efforts to Remove Federal Grizzly Protections Move Forward
BOZEMAN, Mont.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a finding stating that removing federal protections from grizzly bear populations in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems “may be warranted.” Removing Endangered Species Act safeguards could pave the way for the trophy hunting of grizzly bears in parts of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
Read more.Senate to Consider Legislation to Protect America’s Children From Toxic Pesticides
WASHINGTON— U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) reintroduced legislation today to increase protections against exposure to toxic pesticides.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Sprawl Development in Northern California Wildfire Zone
CHICO, Calif.— A coalition of environmental groups sued the city of Chico today for approving a development with nearly 2,800 housing units without properly assessing or mitigating wildfire and other environmental risks. The Valley’s Edge project would bring nearly 5,700 residents to an area that has burned repeatedly and is adjacent to the town of Paradise, which was devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire.
Read more.Celebrating 50 Years of Endangered Species Act Success
WASHINGTON— Conservation and wildlife advocacy groups are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Endangered Species Act this year, commemorating five decades of effective and crucial protection for imperiled animals and plants.
Read more.Two Ohio Waterways Nominated for Strongest Clean Water Act Protections
COLUMBUS, Ohio— The Center for Biological Diversity and its partners filed a formal request today with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency seeking protective designations for the Big and Little Darby creeks near Columbus. The Outstanding National Resource Waters designations would afford the creeks the strongest level of protection under the Clean Water Act.
Read more.Legal Petition Seeks Environmental Review Improvements Promised by Biden
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the Council on Environmental Quality today to strengthen the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act to better tackle the climate crisis, meaningfully address environmental justice and push agencies to make better, more environmentally protective decisions.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Few Remaining Streaked Horned Larks As Endangered
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity and the Audubon Society of Portland sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect streaked horned larks, once-numerous birds found in Washington and Oregon, as endangered.
Read more.Federal Officials Miss Deadline to Protect Ghost Orchid As Endangered
HOLLYWOOD, Fla.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has missed the statutory deadline to make a decision on protecting the iconic ghost orchid, leaving the species in a regulatory limbo without crucial safeguards. The deadline was Jan. 24, but currently the Service is not scheduled to make a decision until 2026.
Read more.Mosaic Mining Workshops Fail to Stem Pollution Concerns
ARCADIA, Fla.— The Mosaic Company, one of the world’s largest fertilizer manufacturers, will complete its mining workshop series today before the DeSoto County Board of Commissioners. Mosaic wants to mine 18,000 acres in DeSoto County, but the company needs the commission to rezone the land to allow mining.
Read more.Dragado a La Bahía De San Juan Provocará Un Gran Daño Social Y Ambiental
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico– Las organizaciones ambientales y comunitarias El Puente-Enlace Latino de Acción Climática, CORALations y el Centro para la Diversidad Biológica denunciaron este martes que el acuerdo reciente entre el Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército de los EE.UU. y la Autoridad de los Puertos de Puerto Rico para comenzar el dragado de la Bahía de San Juan, provocará grandes daños ambientales y sociales.
Read more.Corps Schedules Massive Dredging Project Despite Public Health, Environmental Objections
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Puerto Rico Ports Authority announced an agreement today to proceed with dredging in San Juan Bay, Puerto Rico. The project will deepen and widen shipping channels to allow massive liquefied natural gas and long-range oil tankers to import foreign fossil fuels. A lawsuit pending in federal district court challenges the Army Corps’ dredging project.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Lifesaving Protections for Montana’s Arctic Grayling
GREAT FALLS, Mont.— Conservationists sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today seeking protections for Montana’s Arctic grayling population under the Endangered Species Act. The parties — the Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project and Butte resident Pat Munday — are represented by Earthjustice.
Read more.New Mexico Butterfly Gains Endangered Species Act Protection
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— In response to multiple petitions and lawsuits from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today protected the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly as an endangered species.
Read more.Report: U.S. Utilities Shut Off Power 5.7 Million Times as Shareholders, Executives Raked in Billions
WASHINGTON— Utility companies have disconnected U.S. households more than 5.7 million times since 2020 while shelling out billions to shareholders and top executives, according to Powerless in the U.S., a new report from the Center for Biological Diversity, Energy and Policy Institute and BailoutWatch.
Read more.50 Groups Urge N.M. Governor to End Oil, Gas Extraction by 2034
SANTA FE, N.M.— More than 50 Indigenous, environmental and social justice organizations marked the start of New Mexico’s 2023 legislative session by calling on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to promote strong science-based climate legislation that phases out oil and gas production by 2034.
Read more.Federal Judge Finds BLM Imperiled Sage Grouse, Broke Environmental Laws in Approving Idaho Phosphate Mine
BOISE, Idaho— A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that in approving the Caldwell Canyon phosphate mine the Bureau of Land Management had failed to adequately assess environmental harms, including harms to vital habitat for the imperiled sage grouse.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Imperiled Southern Hognose Snakes
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to gain Endangered Species Act protection for southern hognose snakes in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
Read more.College of Charleston to Host Free Screening of Childfree by Choice Film
CHARLESTON, S.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity will host a free screening of My So-Called Selfish Life, directed by Therese Shechter, a documentary that examines the choice to be childfree and the importance of reproductive rights and justice. The screening will be held at the College of Charleston and will be followed by a Q&A and panel discussion about the relationship between reproductive freedom and the environment.
Read more.U.S. Forest Service Restores Critical Protections to Tongass National Forest
JUNEAU, Alaska (Áakʼw Ḵwáan Territory)— In a win for Southeast Alaska communities, wildlife and the climate, the U.S. Forest Service today reinstated Roadless Rule protections across the Tongass rainforest in Southeast Alaska.
Read more.Oil Industry Seeks Supreme Court Review of California Offshore Fracking Ban
WASHINGTON— The American Petroleum Institute and two oil companies filed a petition for certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court today, seeking a review of a lower court decision that halted offshore fracking in federal waters off California. A previous request by the Biden administration to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for an “en banc” review of the ruling was denied.
Read more.Biden Administration Oil, Gas Drilling Approvals Outpace Trump’s
WASHINGTON— Federal data show the Biden administration approved 6,430 permits for oil and gas drilling on public lands in its first two years, outpacing the Trump administration’s 6,172 drilling-permit approvals in its first two years.
Read more.San Clemente Island Bell’s Sparrow Flies Off Endangered Species List
LOS ANGELES— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it’s removing the Bell’s sparrow and four plants found only on San Clemente Island from the endangered species list due to recovery.
Read more.24 Groups Urge Federal Overhaul of Weak Habitat Protections for Florida Bat
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— More than twenty environmental organizations have urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide additional habitat protections for the Florida bonneted bat. The endangered native bats face devastating habitat loss from climate change and urban sprawl.
Read more.House Bill Would Sacrifice Public Lands to Draw From Strategic Petroleum Reserve
WASHINGTON— House Republicans will today likely pass H.R. 21, the Strategic Production Response Act, which would sacrifice millions of acres of public lands. The legislation by Rep. McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) would prevent the White House from using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve unless the percentage of public lands and offshore waters leased for oil and gas increases by the same percentage as any future drawdown from the reserve.
Read more.Removal of Wandering Mexican Wolf Dismays Conservationists
SANTA FE, N.M.— A female Mexican gray wolf known as Asha was captured in northern New Mexico by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Defend Climate, Clean Air From Fracking in New Mexico’s Permian Basin
SANTA FE, N.M.— Conservation groups, led by citizens from Carlsbad, N.M., filed suit today to overturn the Biden administration’s approval of nearly 6,000 acres of oil and gas leases in southeast New Mexico’s Permian Basin.
Read more.U.S. Court in Tucson to Hear Arguments on Proposed Freeway Threatening Wildlife, Public Lands
TUCSON, Ariz.— A federal judge will hear arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by conservation groups challenging the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of Interstate 11. The proposed north-south highway in Arizona would destroy pristine Sonoran Desert, harm threatened desert tortoises and other wildlife, and worsen air pollution.
Read more.Sickle Darter Receives Critical Habitat Protection in Tennessee, Virginia
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposed rule today to protect 104 miles of rivers as critical habitat in Tennessee and Virginia for a fish called the sickle darter under the Endangered Species Act. The Service designated the sickle darter as a threatened species in November.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed to Challenge EPA’s Failure to Protect Colorado From Oil, Gas Industries’ Asthma-Causing Smog
DENVER— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency today to limit pollution from drilling and hydraulic fracturing for oil and methane gas in Colorado.
Read more.Legal Intervention Defends Protections for Arctic Ringed Seals
ANCHORAGE, Alaska— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a motion today to intervene in a lawsuit regarding protections for the Arctic ringed seal. The intervention seeks to defend the federal government’s rejection of the state of Alaska’s efforts to end Endangered Species Act protections for the seal.
Read more.Legal Arguments Begin in Case Challenging EPA’s Decision to Authorize Medically Important Antibiotic as Citrus Pesticide
SAN FRANCISCO— The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral argument on Monday challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of the medically important antibiotic streptomycin as a pesticide on citrus crops.
Read more.Biden Administration Sinks Emergency Petition to Shield Right Whale Moms, Calves From Vessel Strikes
WASHINGTON— The National Marine Fisheries Service today denied an emergency petition that sought to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from being struck and killed by vessels in their calving grounds off the coast of the southeast United States. The species is down to about 70 reproductive females.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Biden EPA Failure to Cut Airplane Soot Pollution
WASHINGTON— Environmental groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency today over its rule that fails to cut aircraft particulate matter pollution, commonly known as soot and smoke.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Approval of Sea Port Oil Terminal
BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas— Environmental and community groups sued the U.S. Department of Transportation today over its approval of the Sea Port Oil Terminal, also known as SPOT, a proposed massive Gulf Coast deepwater oil-export facility off the coast of Brazoria County, Texas.
Read more.Letter Urges Agencies to Let Mexican Gray Wolf Continue Northern New Mexico Travels
SANTA FE, N.M.— Conservation advocates today sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish urging the agencies to allow a female Mexican gray wolf to continue her wandering journey in northern New Mexico.
Read more.Petition Seeks Hounding Ban in Wisconsin’s Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
MILWAUKEE— Wildlife conservation and animal protection groups petitioned the U.S. Forest Service today to ban hounding in Wisconsin’s Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Hounding is the practice of training and using dogs to hunt and chase down black bears and other wildlife.
Read more.Petition Seeks Sea Otter Reintroduction Along Broader West Coast
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity submitted a petition today asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reintroduce sea otters to a large stretch of the West Coast. Threatened southern sea otters occupy only 13% of their historic range, and a small population of the animals currently lives on California’s central coast.
Read more.Appeal Targets Environmental Justice Harms From California’s Rooftop Solar Plan
SAN FRANCISCO— The Center for Biological Diversity, Protect Our Communities Foundation and the Environmental Working Group today appealed the California Public Utilities Commission’s decision to significantly slash compensation to the state’s rooftop solar customers. The commission’s decision will harm the ability of environmental justice communities to go green.
Read more.U.S. Tags Mining Company for Trespassing in Protected Tiehm’s Buckwheat Habitat
RENO, Nev.— The U.S. Bureau of Land Management issued a trespassing notice today to Australian mining company Ioneer after the Center for Biological Diversity documented harm from drilling operations to the critical habitat of an endangered plant called Tiehm’s buckwheat.
Read more.Plan to Cut Down Potter Valley Eagle Tree on Hold for Nesting Season
POTTER VALLEY, Calif.— A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit allowing a utility company to cut down a Mendocino County tree containing a bald eagle’s nest has been put on hold for the remainder of the nesting season.
Read more.U.S. Court in Denver to Hear Challenge on Water Contract Threatening Utah’s Green River
DENVER— The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments Thursday on a challenge to a federal decision allowing Utah to take tens of thousands of additional acre-feet of water each year from the Upper Colorado River Basin at the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam. The Interior Department’s 2019 decision failed to account for drought-induced climate warming.
Read more.Sen. Schumer Wins 2022 Rubber Dodo Award
WASHINGTON— Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer won the Center for Biological Diversity’s Rubber Dodo award today for inserting a last-minute rider into the 2023 omnibus budget bill that potentially condemns the North Atlantic right whale to extinction.
Read more.Potter Valley Eagle Tree Still Stands
POTTER VALLEY, Calif.—Pacific Gas and Electric has agreed to a temporary reprieve for a bald eagle’s nest proposed for removal in Mendocino County while negotiations continue between the company, the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, and environmental groups.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Oregon Spotted Frogs in Upper Deschutes River
BEND, Ore.—The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice today of its intent to sue two federal agencies for approving a habitat conservation plan in the upper Deschutes River that fails to ensure the Wickiup Dam won’t drive the threatened Oregon spotted frog extinct.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges EPA’s Delay in Reducing Harmful Soot Pollution in California, Pennsylvania
OAKLAND, Calif.— Conservation and public health groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency today for failing to ensure that an effective plan is in place to reduce soot pollution in Los Angeles.
Read more.Tribal Nation, Environmental Groups Demand Reprieve for Bald Eagle Nest in Northern California
WILLITS, Calif.— The Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians and environmental advocates are calling on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revoke a permit that would allow Pacific Gas & Electric to cut a tree in Mendocino County that contains a historic eagles nest.
Read more.Oregon Butterfly Is Endangered Species Act Success
PORTLAND, Ore.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the Fender’s blue butterfly will be downlisted from endangered to threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. This action is based on the recovery of butterfly populations in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Read more.Oregon, Northern California Coastal Chinook Salmon Move Closer to Endangered Species Protection
PORTLAND, Ore.— In response to a petition by the Native Fish Society, Center for Biological Diversity and Umpqua Watersheds, the National Marine Fisheries Service determined today that the Oregon Coast and southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Chinook salmon may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.300 Groups Urge Biden Administration to Phase Out Federal Fossil Fuels to Keep Climate Promises, International Commitments
WASHINGTON— More than 300 community groups sent a letter to the Interior Department today outlining nine concrete steps it has authority to take to bring public lands and waters management in line with climate science and the president’s own climate promises.
Read more.Forest Service Urged to Reject Massive Idaho Gold Mine Threatening Endangered Species, Public Health
MCCALL, Idaho— A planned open-pit cyanide leach gold mine in Idaho’s Salmon River Mountains would jeopardize public health and clean water, harm endangered species, violate Indigenous treaty rights and permanently scar thousands of acres of public land in the headwaters of the South Fork Salmon River, a coalition of local and national conservation groups said.
Read more.$15,000 Reward Offered for Info on Oregon Wolf Killed Illegally in Late 2022
PORTLAND, Ore.— Wildlife conservation groups today announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the illegal killing of a collared male wolf in Klamath County late last fall.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Tiehm’s Buckwheat From Cattle Trampling
RENO, Nev.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice today of its intent to sue the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to protect the rare Nevada wildflower Tiehm’s buckwheat from destruction due to cattle grazing. The notice seeks to remove cattle from the buckwheat’s federally protected critical habitat.
Read more.Critical Habitat in California Wine Country Slated for Conservation
NAPA COUNTY, Calif.— Approximately 2,300 acres of intact wildlife habitat in Napa County is expected to be sold to a land trust for permanent protection under an agreement announced this week.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Federal Emergency Management Agency Documents on Fossil Fuel Spending
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency today for failing to release public records about the agency’s spending on energy-related projects and assistance to help communities rebuild after disasters. The records should show how much FEMA spends on fossil-fuel related projects compared to renewable energy alternatives.
Read more.U.S. Urged to Deny Huge Arizona Pump Storage Projects Targeting Black Mesa
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.— Tó Nizhóní Ání, Diné Citizens Against Ruining our Environment and the Center for Biological Diversity have filed motions urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to deny preliminary permit applications for three pump storage projects southeast of Kayenta on the Navajo Nation.
Read more.Hawai‘i’s Iconic ‘I‘iwi Receives Habitat Protections
HONOLULU— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it plans to designate more than 275,000 acres as protected critical habitat for the threatened ‘i‘iwi, the best known of Hawai‘i’s imperiled honeycreepers.
Read more.Court Forces EPA to Address Harms of Four Pesticides to Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals today ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to address the harms of four pesticides to endangered plants and animals.
Read more.Senate Democrats Pass Extinction Omnibus, Endangering Right Whale
WASHINGTON— The Democratic-controlled Senate passed its massive omnibus funding package today that includes an unprecedented right whale extinction rider. The measure will allow the U.S. lobster fishery to delay for six years essential conservation actions to prevent fishing gear from entangling and killing critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. The rider was inserted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Read more.Svitlana Romanko, Joye Braun Honored With Rose Braz Award for Bold Activism
OAKLAND, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity today awarded the 2022 “Rose Braz Award for Bold Activism” to Svitlana Romanko and posthumously to the late Joye Braun.
Read more.Legal Victory: Court Rules EPA’s Registration of Bee-Killing Insecticide Unlawful, Citing Failure to Assess Risks to Endangered Species
SAN FRANCISCO— In a major win for pollinators and other wildlife, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit today ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to protect endangered species from the bee-killing insecticide sulfoxaflor. The court held that the agency’s 2019 decision to allow new uses of sulfoxaflor across more than 200 million acres of pollinator-attractive crops violated the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Biden Administration Oil Leasing in Alaska’s Cook Inlet
ANCHORAGE, Alaska— National and community-based environmental groups filed a legal challenge today to stop the Department of the Interior’s lease sale in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Lease sale 258, scheduled for Dec. 30, would auction off nearly a million acres of federal waters in southcentral Alaska, opening the door to decades of future oil and gas drilling.
Read more.Nearly 4,200 Acres of Habitat Protected for Endangered Florida Fern
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today protected 4,195 acres of critical habitat for the endangered Florida bristle fern. The fern, found in small patches in Miami-Dade and Sumter counties, is acutely threatened by historic and ongoing habitat loss from development and sea-level rise.
Read more.Minnesota Releases Final Wolf Management Plan
MINNEAPOLIS— The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources today released its final wolf management plan, which will guide the state’s wolf conservation efforts for the next decade. It replaces a previous plan that was last updated in 2001.
Read more.Right Whale Condemned to Extinction in Senate Omnibus
WASHINGTON— With no process or accountability, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Appropriations Chair Patrick Leahy inserted an unprecedented right whale policy rider into the omnibus funding budget released today. Schumer’s measure gives the U.S. lobster fishery six years to delay necessary actions to prevent fishing gear from entangling and killing critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.
Read more.BLM Starts Permitting for Nevada Lithium Mine That Threatens Rare Wildflower
RENO, Nev.— The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced the start of environmental review today for a Nevada lithium mine that jeopardizes an endangered wildflower, kicking off a 30-day scoping comment period that spans the holidays.
Read more.Biodiversity Summit Agrees to Protect 30% of Planet by 2030
MONTREAL— A global agreement was reached today to protect 30% of terrestrial, freshwater and marine areas by 2030. The 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15, in Montreal concluded by adopting the “Kunming-Montreal Global biodiversity framework.” The framework centers the role of Indigenous Peoples in meeting the habitat goals and vastly increases financing for biodiversity.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges San Bernardino County Approval of Polluting Warehouse Near Schools, Homes
BLOOMINGTON, Calif.— Environmental justice and conservation groups sued San Bernardino County today for approving a Bloomington warehouse complex without adequately addressing the harms it will cause to air quality, public health and housing.
Read more.Southeast Freshwater Champion Receives 2022 E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Award
GAINESVILLE, Fla.— Jim Williams, Ph.D, an icon of research and advocacy for endangered species in the American Southeast, is the 2022 recipient of the Center for Biological Diversity’s annual E.O. Wilson Award for Outstanding Science in Biodiversity Conservation.
Read more.Federal Officials Urged to Save Coastal Birds at Florida State Park
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Conservation groups sent a letter today urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enforce the Migratory Bird Treaty Act if Florida doesn’t swiftly rein in threats to protected coastal birds at the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier State Park.
Read more.Colorado Judge Rules Polis Administration Broke Air Quality Law Over West Elk Coal Mine Permit
GUNNISON, Colo.— A Colorado court has ruled that Gov. Jared Polis’ administration violated state law by failing to act on an air pollution permit for the West Elk coal mine in western Colorado.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Stop Arizona Border Shipping Containers From Damming Streams, Washes
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice today of its intent to sue Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s administration and state contractor AshBritt, Inc., for violating federal law by blocking streams and washes along the U.S.-Mexico border with hundreds of shipping containers.
Read more.Whitebark Pine Protected as Threatened Under Endangered Species Act
PORTLAND, Ore.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the whitebark pine will be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The pine is the most widespread tree to receive such protection. It occurs in high-elevation areas of Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada.
Read more.Demanda empuja a EE. UU. a sancionar a México mientras la vaquita marina se acerca a la extinción
NUEVA YORK— Organizaciones ambientalistas demandaron hoy al Departamento del Interior de EE. UU. ante un tribunal federal para forzar una decisión largamente postergada de sancionar a México por permitir la pesca y el comercio ilegales que ponen en peligro a la vaquita marina.
Read more.Tiehm’s Buckwheat Protected as Endangered Species
RENO, Nev.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized Endangered Species Act protection today for the rare wildflower Tiehm’s buckwheat, responding to a petition and litigation from the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Lawsuit Pushes U.S. to Sanction Mexico as Vaquita Porpoise Nears Extinction
NEW YORK— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Department of the Interior today in federal court to force a long overdue decision to sanction Mexico for allowing illegal fishing and trade that endanger the vaquita porpoise.
Read more.International Coalition Urges Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Investigate Abuses of Industrial Meat, Egg, Dairy Facilities
WASHINGTON— Indigenous, human-rights, conservation, and public-health groups are asking the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to hold a thematic hearing on human-rights abuses caused by industrial meat, egg and dairy facilities across the American continents.
Read more.Reindeer Population Wins Endangered Species Protection in Time for Holidays
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protected the Dolphin and Union caribou today as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This specific population of barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) — also known as reindeer — inhabits the Arctic regions of Canada’s northern territories. The endangered listing restricts trade in Dolphin and Union caribou in the United States.
Read more.EPA Report: Automakers Stalling on Clean Vehicles
WASHINGTON— Major automakers are selling millions of gas guzzlers and a relative handful of electric and other clean vehicles, making little progress against pollution, according to the Automotive Trends Report released today by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Read more.Petition Seeks Jaguar Reintroduction, Habitat Protection in New Mexico, Arizona
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to reintroduce jaguars to the Southwest. The largest cat in the Americas was put on the endangered species list 50 years ago, but because of federal inaction, only a single known wild jaguar now survives in the United States.
Read more.Heavy Reliance on Wolf Killing in Colorado’s Draft Management Plan
DENVER— Colorado Parks and Wildlife today unveiled a draft restoration and management plan for wolves in the state. But the proposed plan allows for wolves to be killed frequently and would let the state remove protections before a sustainable population is established.
Read more.Rising Threats to Wildlife Reported by Red List as Global Biodiversity Negotiations Plod On in Montreal
MONTREAL— An update released today by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that 28% of plants and animals around the globe are threatened with extinction. The new IUCN Red List identifies 42,108 species as threatened out of 150,388 species for which there is enough information to determine a conservation status.
Read more.Court Orders U.S. to Examine California Shipping Lanes’ Role in Endangered Whale Deaths
OAKLAND, Calif.— A federal court ruled in favor of the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth Wednesday in their lawsuit challenging the failure of the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Coast Guard to protect endangered whales from being struck by ships using California ports.
Read more.Scientists Demand Endangered Species Act Protection for Pacific Walrus
WASHINGTON— Twelve scientists urged the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to promptly protect the Pacific walrus under the Endangered Species Act. The Center for Biological Diversity first submitted a petition to list the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) as threatened or endangered in 2008, more than a decade ago.
Read more.Uranium Mine Gears Up Near Grand Canyon National Park
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.— The Pinyon Plain Mine (formerly Canyon Mine) appears to be gearing up for uranium mining operations fewer than 10 miles from the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Hundreds more uranium mines could eventually be developed on federal public lands near Grand Canyon National Park if the Senate fails to pass Senate Bill 387, the Grand Canyon Protection Act.
Read more.Defense Bill Includes Massive Military Land Grab in Nevada
RENO, Nev.— The final version of the National Defense Authorization Act released Tuesday night by the House Rules Committee contains provisions that would enable an enormous military land grab in Nevada.
Read more.Legal Agreement Blocks Oil Drilling on 725,000 Acres of California Central Coast
MARINA, Calif.— A federal judge approved an agreement today to suspend new oil and gas leasing across more than 725,000 acres of public lands in California’s Central Coast and the Bay Area. The legal agreement was reached by conservation groups, Monterey County, Santa Cruz County and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Highly Endangered Amargosa Voles in California
LOS ANGELES— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management today to protect highly imperiled Amargosa voles from unmanaged recreational use within their federally protected critical habitat. The voles’ small range is limited to dense bulrush marshes near a popular hot spring in the Mojave Desert outside Tecopa, California.
Read more.Global Leaders at COP15 Urged to Stop Extinction Now
MONTREAL— Thousands of scientists and advocates from around the world are urging international biodiversity conference delegates to draft an ambitious framework to end the extinction crisis and safeguard biodiversity and Indigenous communities. The 15th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15, opens today in Montreal.
Read more.Tuesday Morning Rally to Urge Congress to Oppose Manchin’s Dirty Deal
WASHINGTON— Members of Congress and climate justice advocates will rally Tuesday morning outside the Cannon House Office Building to oppose Sen. Joe Manchin’s massive giveaway to the fossil fuel industry.
Read more.750 Groups Blast Manchin Ploy to Include Dirty Deal in Defense Bill
WASHINGTON— As West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin continues to promote his fossil fuel permitting scheme, more than 750 climate, environmental justice, public health, youth and progressive organizations sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressional leadership today opposing what they call a “cruel and direct attack on environmental justice communities.”
Read more.Emergency Endangered Species Act Protections Sought for Clear Lake Hitch
CLEARLAKE, Calif.— Together with the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the Center for Biological Diversity urged Interior Secretary Debra Haaland and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to provide emergency protections to the Clear Lake hitch.
Read more.Newsom Administration Sued Over New Oil, Gas Wells Near Homes, Recent Spills
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued California oil regulators today for approving more than a dozen new oil and gas wells in Los Angeles and Kern counties, some near homes and schools, without conducting a required review intended to protect public health and the environment.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges City of Bakersfield’s Diversions of Kern River
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.— Conservation groups have sued the city of Bakersfield for diverting water from the Kern River and ignoring the harms such diversions do to the community and wildlife. The lawsuit, filed in Kern County Superior Court on Wednesday, seeks greater protections for the river, which is completely dry near Bakersfield because of diversions for agricultural use.
Read more.EPA Renewable Fuels ‘Set Rule’ to Destroy Habitat, Kill Endangered Species, Degrade Water Quality
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency released its long-delayed proposal today establishing fuel volume requirements for corn ethanol and other biofuels for 2023, 2024 and 2025. The so-called “set rule” was the EPA’s first opportunity to set such volume requirements at any level, including below the congressionally mandated floors in place over the previous decade.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Seek Federal Protections for Two Turtles, Rare Flower
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice of intent today to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect the alligator snapping turtle, Pearl River map turtle and bracted twistflower under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Dixie Valley Toad Receives Final Endangered Species Protections
RENO, Nev.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it has finalized Endangered Species Act protections for the highly imperiled Dixie Valley toad. The toad was protected under a rare emergency order in April, and those emergency protections expire Dec. 2.
Read more.Florida Strengthens Manatee Protections in Boater Safety Courses
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— In response to a petition from conservation organizations, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted today to amend its boater safety course to protect imperiled manatees and other marine life.
Read more.Endangered Wildlife Win Protections From Lead on National Wildlife Refuges
WASHINGTON— A federal judge today ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take measures to protect endangered wildlife harmed by expanded hunting and fishing on national wildlife refuges. The protections include phasing out the use of poisonous lead ammunition and tackle at several refuges across the country.
Read more.Two California Plants Saved From Extinction by Endangered Species Act
LOS ANGELES— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to remove two Channel Islands plants from the endangered species list because they have successfully recovered.
Read more.$60K Awarded to Students Focused on Protecting Southern California’s Signature River
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.— The Utom Conservation Fund, a group of cultural and environmental organizations, has awarded $60,000 in scholarships and fellowships to students dedicated to the conservation of the Santa Clara River, also known as Utom.
Read more.Northern Long-Eared Bats Win Endangered Species Protection
PORTLAND, Ore.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed northern long-eared bats as endangered today, reversing a previous “threatened” listing that allowed destructive activities like clearcutting to proceed in the bats' habitat.
Read more.New Lawsuit Demands National Gray Wolf Recovery Plan
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today challenging the failure of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a national gray wolf recovery plan under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.CITES Meeting Concludes With Bids to Open Ivory, Rhino Horn Trading Defeated
PANAMA CITY— Countries at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species meeting confirmed votes Thursday rejecting resumption of the ivory and rhinoceros horn trade, sparing elephants and rhinos from increased threats.
Read more.CITES Vote Grants 21 U.S. Turtle Species International Trade Protections
PANAMA CITY— Countries from around the globe voted at the CITES conference today to restrict trade in 21 U.S. turtle species. The decision was made at the 19th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Read more.Groups Petition EPA to Require Better Measurement of Toxic Air Pollution Emitted by Colorado Plant’s Disposal of Fossil Fuel Waste
PARACHUTE, Colo.— Conservation and public health groups filed a petition today urging the Environmental Protection Agency to require adequate measurement of the toxic air pollution being emitted by a facility that disposes of liquid waste from fracking and oil and gas production.
Read more.Critical Habitat Proposed for Endangered Florida Bonneted Bat
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Following a court-ordered agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday proposed protecting nearly 1.2 million acres of critical habitat for the endangered Florida bonneted bat. The native bat faces devastating habitat loss from climate change and urban sprawl.
Read more.Conservation Groups Intervene to Protect Utah Monuments, Antiquities Act
SALT LAKE CITY— Conservation groups filed a motion today to intervene in two lawsuits challenging President Biden’s restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. The lawsuits, led by the state of Utah, also attack the Antiquities Act as unlawful.
Read more.Legal Victory: Court Orders EPA to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Toxic Pesticide
WASHINGTON— A federal appeals court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency today to fulfill its long-delayed mandatory duties to protect endangered species from the highly toxic insecticide cyantraniliprole.
Read more.EPA Requires St. Croix Refinery to Obtain New Air Permit Before Restarting
ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands— The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that the oil refinery on St. Croix cannot restart without a new comprehensive Clean Air Act permit, called the Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit.
Read more.New Washington Wildlife Commission Policy Forecloses Spring Bear Hunt
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 5-4 on Friday to adopt a policy that forecloses spring black bear hunting, effectively ending the hunt unless the commission votes to reverse its decision in the future.
Read more.Petition Urges Fish and Wildlife Service to Protect Manatee as Endangered
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity, Harvard Animal Law & Policy Clinic, Miami Waterkeeper, Save the Manatee Club and Frank S. González García today petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase protections for West Indian manatees. The petition urges the Service to reclassify the species from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.New Survey: 90% of Americans Want Less Materialistic Holidays
TUCSON, Ariz.— A new national survey by the Center for Biological Diversity found that 90% of Americans wish the holiday season was less materialistic and 87% believe the holidays should be more about family and caring for others, not giving and receiving gifts. The paid, national random online survey of over 900 people was conducted between Sept. 27 and Oct. 17, 2022.
Read more.COP27 Makes Breakthrough on Loss and Damage But Flops on Fossil Fuels
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt— The United Nations climate summit ended in Egypt today with a critical failure to include commitments to phase out all climate-heating fossil fuels as the science behind the Paris Agreement demands.
Read more.Petition Seeks California Endangered Species Protection for Sage Grouse
SAN DIEGO— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition today to protect greater sage grouse in the state under the California Endangered Species Act. The petition, filed with the California Fish and Game Commission, demonstrates that most of the greater sage grouse populations in California have declined significantly and are at imminent risk of being wiped out.
Read more.Nations Vote to Restrict Trade in 3 Imperiled Indo-Pacific Sea Cucumbers
PANAMA CITY— Parties to CITES voted today to protect the pineapple sea cucumber, the amberfish sea cucumber and the red-lined or ‘candycane’ sea cucumber. All species are threatened by trade and will be protected under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Read more.Lesser Prairie Chicken Protected Under Endangered Species Act
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— In a victory for lesser prairie chickens, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it would protect the iconic grassland bird under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.New Mexico, Arizona Advocates Rally at Forest Service to Support Urgent Climate Action
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Activists rallied at the Forest Service Region 3 headquarters in Albuquerque today to call on federal agencies and the Biden administration to enact meaningful solutions to the climate crisis, including protecting carbon-storing mature and old-growth trees from logging and ending fossil fuel extraction.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Critical Habitat for Rare South Florida Beetle
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to push the agency to protect endangered Miami tiger beetles by designating lifesaving critical habitat. The proposed critical habitat includes areas in Miami’s Richmond Pine Rocklands, which are under imminent threat from development.
Read more.Judge Allows Biden Administration to Delay Restoring Critical Endangered Species Act Protections
WASHINGTON— In a major setback for wildlife protection and conservation, a federal district court today sided with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, delaying the restoration of comprehensive Endangered Species Act protections for hundreds of species and the places they call home.
Read more.120-Plus Groups Call on EPA to Protect Black, Indigenous, People of Color From Pesticides
WASHINGTON— More than 120 groups today urged Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan to put commonsense safeguards in place to better protect Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, as well as low-wealth communities, from disproportionate harm from pesticides.
Read more.Biden Administration Announces Tighter Rules for African Elephant Imports
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed new restrictions today on U.S. imports of sport-hunted African elephant trophies and live trade. The proposal halts trophy imports from countries who cannot certify annually that their elephant populations are “stable or increasing,” have up-to-date population data, or have adequate conservation legislation. But today’s proposal stops short of a total ban on trophy and live elephant imports.
Read more.Historic Announcement Ends Net Pen Fish Farms in Washington
SEATTLE— In an announcement late Monday night, the Washington Department of Natural Resources revealed it would not be renewing any of Cooke Aquaculture’s permits for in-water fish net pens in Washington state.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Army Corps Decision Imperiling Wetlands Near Okefenokee Swamp
WASHINGTON— On behalf of four conservation groups, the Southern Environmental Law Center today challenged, in federal court, a decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to unlawfully reinstate jurisdictional determinations that removed Clean Water Act protections from almost 600 acres of wetlands on the doorstep of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Rare Nevada Fish
RENO, Nev.— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a formal notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect the Fish Lake Valley tui chub under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Utah’s Least Chub
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice today of its intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect the imperiled least chub under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.8 Billion People on Earth Crowding Out Imperiled Animals, Plants
TUCSON, Ariz.— The world population hit 8 billion people today, accelerating the global extinction crisis for animals and plants imperiled by population growth’s effects on habitat, water, air, and other natural resources.
Read more.Albuquerque Rally at Forest Service Headquarters Aims to Protect Mature Forests, Keep Fossil Fuels In the Ground
ALBUQUERQUE— Conservation groups will rally in front of the U.S. Forest Service Region 3 headquarters in Albuquerque Wednesday to urge the Biden administration to stop logging mature and old-growth forests on public lands and enact a lasting rule to protect them. The groups also will deliver petitions and letters from thousands of people who want these climate-saving carbon sinks protected.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Imperiled Southern Hognose Snake
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice today of its intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for denying Endangered Species Act protections to the southern hognose snake. The species lives in coastal plain habitat in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. It used to also be found in Alabama and Mississippi, but populations there have disappeared.
Read more.Report: U.S. Agencies Undermine Biden’s Pledge to Protect Climate-Saving Forests
WASHINGTON— As world leaders gather to address the climate crisis, U.S. land management agencies are undermining President Biden’s commitment to conserve mature and old-growth forests and trees by logging thousands of acres on public lands that serve as climate-saving carbon sinks, according to a new report released today.
Read more.Female Horseshoe Crabs Protected From Bait Harvest in Delaware Bay
LONG BRANCH, N.J.— The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted today to temporarily halt the harvest of female horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay, a crucial nesting area and stopover habitat for endangered red knots and other migratory shorebirds that feed on the crabs’ eggs.
Read more.Shortfin Mako Shark Denied Federal Protections
WASHINGTON— The highly imperiled shortfin mako shark was denied federal protection today by NOAA Fisheries, which stated that a listing under the federal Endangered Species Act is “not warranted.” In June 2022 Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity threatened to sue the agency for failing to meet its statutory deadline to make this decision.
Read more.California’s Revised Net Metering Plan Still Fails Environmental Justice Communities
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Public Utilities Commission’s proposed revised state net-metering plan, released today, abandons the hefty solar tax from last year’s proposal but still threatens to put affordable renewable energy out of reach for most communities.
Read more.Nations to Meet in Panama to Tackle Wildlife Trade
PANAMA CITY, Panama— Officials from around the globe will convene in Panama City Nov. 14 for the triennial conference of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The CITES treaty regulates trade in imperiled or potentially threatened animals and plants, and plays a critical role in combating wildlife exploitation, a key driver of the extinction crisis.
Read more.Endangered Species Condoms Sent to UN to Highlight Population Growth’s Effects on Biodiversity
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity has mailed Endangered Species Condoms to the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Environment Program, and the United Nations Secretary General to encourage the organization to talk about how continued unsustainable population growth negatively affects biodiversity. The message is exceptionally important as humanity exceeds 8 billion people on Nov. 15.
Read more.Legal Petition Urges Biden Administration to Stop New Deepwater Ports for Oil, Gas Exports
HOUSTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and 289 organizations sent a legal petition today to the Maritime Administration, or MARAD, an agency in the U.S. Department of Transportation, demanding that the Biden administration halt approvals of new deepwater port infrastructure for oil and gas exports.
Read more.15 Turtle Experts Back Florida’s Continued Ban on Breeding Diamondback Terrapins for Profit
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— A group of 15 leading turtle experts sent a letter today urging Florida wildlife commissioners to maintain rules that prohibit for-profit breeding of native diamondback terrapin turtles.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Endangered Species From Cattle Grazing in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon filed a notice today of their intent to sue the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their repeated failure to control cows illegally grazing in endangered species critical habitat, primarily along the Salt River and its tributaries.
Read more.Investigators Uncover Rampant Wildlife Trafficking in Mexico
LA PAZ, Mexico— A report from the Center for Biological Diversity released today finds that trafficking of imperiled wild animals is widespread across Mexico. Species like jaguars, sloths, howler monkeys, crocodiles, sea cucumbers and parrots are traded openly in a robust digital marketplace aided by social media.
Read more.A sólo un clic, tráfico de vida silvestre en México
LA PAZ, México— “Vendo o cambio, bonito ejemplar de cocodrilo mexicano, gente seria, no preguntones, ni chinches $$$”. Así se promueve en redes sociales Juan, joven originario de Chimalhuacán, Estado de México, que ofrece dos ejemplares de cocodrilo de pantano, sin documentación o registro a través de un grupo de Facebook.
Read more.Biden Administration Flouts Climate Goals With Inflation Reduction Act’s First Onshore Oil, Gas Lease Sales
WASHINGTON— The Biden administration is working against U.S. climate goals and failing to protect communities, water and wildlife by auctioning oil and gas leases on public lands under the Inflation Reduction Act, climate and conservation groups said in formal comments submitted today.
Read more.Sickle Darter Protected as Threatened Under Endangered Species Act
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— In response to a 2010 petition and 2015 agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a final rule to protect the sickle darter as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. But in today’s decision, the agency failed to designate critical habitat for the fish.
Read more.Fish and Wildlife Service Drops Ball on Protecting 42 Species
PORTLAND, Ore.— For the sixth fiscal year in a row, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has failed to follow its own workplan for addressing a backlog of plants and animals waiting for protection decisions under the Endangered Species Act. Among those left in the lurch are the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle, Mt. Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan and whitebark pine.
Read more.Newly Obtained EPA Documents Reveal Seresto Flea Collars Now Linked to More Than 100,000 Reports of Harm to Pets, Nearly 2,700 Deaths
WASHINGTON— Reports of harm to pets wearing Seresto flea collars have now soared to 100,592, including 2,698 deaths, according to new Environmental Protection Agency incident reports obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Bans Livestock Grazing Across 33,000 Acres in Big Win for Sage-Grouse, Other Wildlife
BRIDGEPORT, Calif.— The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest released its final decision today to deny cattle grazing on almost 33,000 acres of scenic, biodiverse public lands in the Eastern Sierra. The area harbors habitat for bi-state greater sage-grouse, rare Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep and Lahontan cutthroat trout.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Colorado’s Approval of Increased Air Pollution From Tanker Truck Facility in Commerce City
DENVER— Conservation and community groups sued the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division today for issuing a permit allowing Polar Service Center, a tanker truck repair shop, to emit increased asthma- and cancer-causing air pollution.
Read more.Pacific Fisher to Gain 41,000 Additional Acres of Protected California Habitat
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif.— Following years of efforts by the Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed increasing the amount of protected critical habitat for Pacific fishers in the southern Sierra Nevada by 41,041 acres.
Read more.California Regulators Urged to Ban Herbicide Linked to Parkinson’s Disease
OAKLAND, Calif.— Conservation and public health groups today called on the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to reevaluate approval of the herbicide paraquat and ban its use in the state.
Read more.California Court Blocks Harmful Dam Project in Stanislaus County
PATTERSON, Calif.— A judge has rejected plans to build a new dam in the Central Valley, ordering the Del Puerto Water District to vacate its approval of the project.
Read more.Appeal Challenges Plain City Wastewater Permit to Protect Ohio’s Big Darby Creek
COLUMBUS, Ohio— The Ohio Environmental Council, Center for Biological Diversity and Darby Creek Association appealed a Plain City Wastewater Treatment Plant permit Wednesday that would double the amount of polluting discharge the facility is allowed to release into Big Darby Creek.
Read more.Court Allows Environmentalists’ Request to Intervene in Exxon Trucking Case
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— A federal judge ruled today that conservation and Indigenous groups can help legally defend Santa Barbara County’s denial of ExxonMobil’s proposal to truck vast quantities of oil along dangerous California roads.
Read more.Environmentalists Seek to Join Federal Fight Against Arizona Shipping Containers Along Border
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity asked a federal judge today for permission to join the Biden administration as a defendant in Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s lawsuit challenging federal authority along the Arizona-Mexico border.
Read more.Maui Hotel, Conservation Groups Reach Agreement to Protect Endangered Hawaiian Petrel
WAILEA, Hawai‘i— In accordance with a recent settlement agreement, the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui has implemented protective measures, including reducing lighting, to help protect the endangered ‘ua‘u, or Hawaiian petrel. The agreement, which was finalized on Oct. 21, resolves an Endangered Species Act case brought by Conservation Council for Hawai‘i and the Center for Biological Diversity, which were represented by Earthjustice.
Read more.Emergency Petition Seeks to Shield Right Whale Moms, Calves From Ship Strikes
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups filed an emergency rulemaking petition with the National Marine Fisheries Service today to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from being struck and killed by vessels in their calving grounds off the coast of the southeast United States.
Read more.New Tulsa Mural Will Highlight Endangered American Burying Beetle
TULSA, Okla.— The Center for Biological Diversity will host a community event in Tulsa on Saturday, Nov. 5, to celebrate a new mural of the American burying beetle, a vibrant endangered insect.
Read more.Petition Seeks to Protect Smalltail Shark Under Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity submitted a petition today urging the National Marine Fisheries Service to protect the smalltail shark under the Endangered Species Act. The smalltail shark population has declined by more than 80% globally over the past 27 years.
Read more.California Crab Season Delayed to Protect Whales From Entanglements
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today the state will delay the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season to protect endangered humpback whales and other marine life from deadly entanglements. The department’s Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program determined that too many whales are present for crabbing to occur safely.
Read more.Legal Petition Urges California Officials to Phase Out Deadly Pesticide Linked to Climate Change
OAKLAND, Calif.— Environmental groups filed a formal legal petition today urging the California Air Resources Board to phase out the insecticide sulfuryl fluoride because of its significant contribution to global warming.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Streaked Horned Larks as Endangered
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity and the Audubon Society of Portland filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to better protect the streaked horned lark, a rare bird found in Washington and Oregon.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Humpback Whales From California Gillnet Entanglements
SAN FRANCISCO— The Center for Biological Diversity sued NOAA Fisheries today to force it to protect endangered Pacific humpback whales from entanglements in California drift gillnets. In the past two fishing seasons an estimated 12 Pacific humpbacks were caught in the California drift gillnet fishery, according to federal reports.
Read more.Maui Lighting Ordinance Victory for Seabirds, Turtles
KAHULUI, Hawai‘i— In a victory for seabirds and turtles, Maui today approved an ordinance regulating the amount of blue light that outdoor lighting fixtures can emit on the island. The ordinance, which was supported by the Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Council of Hawai‘i and Earthjustice, will help endangered sea turtles and Hawaiian petrels.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Seeking Final Endangered Species Protection for Nevada’s Rare Tiehm’s Buckwheat
RENO, Nev.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice today of its intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to force it to finalize Endangered Species Act protections for the rare Nevada wildflower Tiehm’s buckwheat.
Read more.Rare Cuckoo Bumblebees Move One Step Closer to U.S. Endangered Species Protection
TUCSON, Ariz.— In response to a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed today to a deadline of December 2024 to determine whether Suckley’s cuckoo bumblebees warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Lesser Prairie Chickens Under Endangered Species Act
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to protect lesser prairie chickens.
Read more.Emperor Penguins Win U.S. Endangered Species Act Protection
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today granted the emperor penguin protection under the Endangered Species Act because of threats from sea-ice loss driven by the climate crisis. The decision follows a petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Montana’s Arctic Grayling
GREAT FALLS, Mont.— Conservationists filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for once again denying Montana’s Arctic grayling population Endangered Species Act protections. The parties — the Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project, and Butte resident Pat Munday — are represented by Earthjustice.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Against Arizona Plan to Block Jaguar Migration With Shipping Containers
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a notice of intent to sue Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s administration to challenge plans to obstruct a critical jaguar and ocelot migration corridor with shipping containers along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read more.As U.S. Pesticide Law Turns 50, Assessment Highlights Fast-Track Approvals of Poisons Banned Across Much of World
WASHINGTON— Fifty years after Congress passed the current Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act to protect people and the environment, the law has instead fast-tracked approval of dangerous pesticides banned across much of the world.
Read more.Rare Oregon Wildflower Moves Closer to Endangered Species Act Protection
PORTLAND, Ore.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that they would consider protecting the tall western penstemon under the Endangered Species Act. The agency now has 12 months to decide whether to protect the imperiled flower.
Read more.Rare Southern Bog Turtle Moves One Step Closer to Endangered Species Protection
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it would consider protecting the southern population of the imperiled bog turtle under the Endangered Species Act. The agency now has 12 months to decide whether to protect the turtle, which lives in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.
Read more.Famed Ghost Orchid Moves One Step Closer to Endangered Species Act Protection
HOLLYWOOD, Fla.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it will consider granting Endangered Species Act protection to the ghost orchid, a critically endangered flower. Under federal law, the agency now has until January 2023 to make a decision.
Read more.Daemen University to Host Free Screening of Childfree by Choice Film
BUFFALO, N.Y.— The Center for Biological Diversity will host a free screening of My So-Called Selfish Life, directed by Therese Shechter, a documentary that examines the choice to be childfree and the importance of reproductive rights and justice. The screening will be held at Daemen University and will be followed by a Q&A and panel discussion about the relationship between reproductive freedom and the environment.
Read more.Two California Salamanders Proposed for Endangered Species Protections
CARLSBAD, Calif.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed protecting two species of salamander in Southern California under the Endangered Species Act, while denying protections to a third. The Kern Canyon slender salamander will be protected as threatened and the relictual slender salamander as endangered. The agency declined to protect the Kern Plateau salamander.
Read more.Aquatic Critical Habitat Proposed for Threatened Nassau Grouper
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed to protect more than 900 square miles in the western North Atlantic Ocean for the threatened Nassau grouper. The fish’s nearshore ocean habitat faces threats from pollution and climate change harms like ocean warming and acidification.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Risky Project in San Diego County’s Wildfire Zone
SANTEE, Calif.— Conservation organizations have filed another lawsuit over the city of Santee’s approval of the Fanita Ranch project. The suit is part of an ongoing effort to ensure that the large-scale development project does not proceed in a wildfire-prone area without the necessary review of wildfire risk.
Read more.Eight South Florida Plants Get Proposal for Critical Habitat Protection
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— In response to litigation filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to protect more than 570,000 acres of habitat for eight imperiled Florida plants. All eight plants can be found in the few remaining pockets of pine rockland habitats, which have been reduced by at least 98%.
Read more.Two South Florida Snakes Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protections
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— In response to a petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to list the Key ringneck snake and Rim Rock crowned snake as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Service also proposed to protect 2,604 acres and 5,972 acres of critical habitat for the ringneck and crowned snake, respectively.
Read more.Legal Agreement Requires EPA to Set New Limits on Soot, Sulfur, Nitrogen Air Pollution
OAKLAND, Calif.— A federal judge approved a legal agreement today requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to update measures protecting the environment from soot, sulfur and nitrogen air pollution by Dec. 10, 2024.
Read more.Gopher Tortoise Denied Lifesaving Endangered Species Act Protection
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Following a petition and lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today denied Endangered Species Act protections to the eastern population of gopher tortoise. The eastern population of animals are found in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and most of Alabama.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks TVA Documents on Energy Plans, Fossil Fuel Industry Communications
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Tennessee Valley Authority today for failing to release thousands of pages of public records concerning the agency’s plans to build new gas plants, obstructing the transition to more affordable and resilient renewable energy.
Read more.$51,400 Reward Offered for Info on Washington Wolf Poisonings
SEATTLE— Conservation and animal-protection groups announced today an increased reward of $51,400 for information leading to a conviction in the illegal poisoning deaths of six wolves in northeastern Washington earlier this year.
Read more.La Junta de Puerto Rico rechaza la petición de la EPA de verter residuos de dragado en el océano
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— La Junta de Planificación de Puerto Rico se ha opuesto formalmente al plan del gobierno federal de verter millones de metros cúbicos de residuos de dragado en cinco lugares en el mar alrededor de Puerto Rico.
Read more.Puerto Rico Board Denies EPA Request to Dump Dredge Waste in Ocean
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— The Puerto Rico Planning Board has formally objected to the federal government’s plan to dispose of millions of cubic yards of dredge waste in five ocean sites around Puerto Rico without further environmental studies.
Read more.Legal Victory Speeds Habitat Protection for Endangered Florida Bonneted Bat
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed today to propose critical habitat for the endangered Florida bonneted bat by Nov. 15, 2022, marking a legal victory for the Center for Biological Diversity, Miami Blue Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association and Tropical Audubon Society. The indigenous bat faces devastating habitat loss from sea-level rise and urban sprawl.
Read more.Biden Begins Massive Inflation Reduction Act Oil Leasing on Public Lands
WASHINGTON— The Bureau of Land Management announced plans this morning to begin auctioning off oil and gas leases to satisfy Inflation Reduction Act provisions that condition renewable energy rights-of-way on new oil and gas leasing.
Read more.Imperiled San Francisco Bay Fish One Step Closer to Protection
SAN FRANCISCO— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed protecting the San Francisco Bay population of longfin smelt as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The formerly abundant native fish has seen its population plummet in recent decades.
Read more.USDA’s $2.8 Billion Climate-Smart Corporate Handout Raises Questions About Industry Influence
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records from communications between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and large corporate meat and dairy industry trade groups about massive funding increases for the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities projects.
Read more.Federal Officials Release Final Revised Mexican Gray Wolf Plan
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its final revised Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan with court-ordered measures to lower deaths, including those caused by illegal killings. Mexican gray wolves are one of the most endangered canids in the world, with only 196 counted in Arizona and New Mexico earlier this year.
Read more.Critical Habitat Proposed for Louisiana Pinesnake in Louisiana, Texas
NEW ORLEANS— In response to litigation by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to protect 209,520 acres of critical habitat for the Louisiana pinesnake in central Louisiana and east Texas.
Read more.Alpine Flower in Northern California Proposed for Endangered Species Protection
EUREKA, Calif.— In response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to protect the Lassics lupine under the Endangered Species Act with 512 acres of critical habitat in California’s Humboldt and Trinity counties.
Read more.Snail Darter Swims Off Endangered List
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today removed the snail darter from the endangered species list because the fish has recovered. Thanks to collaborative conservation efforts since it was protected in 1975, the little fish is no longer in danger of extinction.
Read more.Hurricane Ian Reveals Dangers of Proposal to Use Toxic Phosphogypsum in Road Construction
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Following Hurricane Ian’s path of destruction across Florida, demolished roads and collapsed bridges highlight the danger of proposals to use toxic, radioactive phosphogypsum waste in road construction. For years, lawmakers have attempted to allow this dangerous practice.
Read more.California Oil Group Pays Fees to Advocacy Groups It Harassed, But Dodges Multimillion Dollar Judgment
LOS ANGELES— The California Independent Petroleum Association, an oil industry trade association, paid the city of Los Angeles, Youth for Environmental Justice, South Central Youth Leadership Coalition, and the Center for Biological Diversity nearly $650,000 as part of a bankruptcy reorganization plan today, after years of litigation.
Read more.Forest Service to Hold Public Hearing on Controversial Holland Lake Lodge Expansion
MISSOULA, Mont.— The U.S. Forest Service is holding a public hearing Tuesday in Condon, Montana, to take public comment on a controversial proposal by ski industry giant POWDR Corp. to triple the size of the historic Holland Lake Lodge and expand its use to include winter recreation. Originally built in 1925, and then rebuilt in 1947 following a fire, the Holland Lake Lodge currently accommodates 50 people for small summer events.
Read more.Biden Administration Greenlights Work on California Pipeline Linked to 2021 Huntington Beach Oil Spill
LONG BEACH, Calif.— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a key permit on Friday for underwater repairs that will allow the restart of the 42-year-old pipeline that ruptured off Orange County in October 2021. The rupture spilled tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean.
Read more.Wildlife Connectivity Bill Becomes Law in California
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection Act into law today, paving the way for more wildlife crossings and road improvements across the state.
Read more.New Red Wolf Recovery Plan Needs Public Input
RALEIGH, N.C.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a revised draft recovery plan for the red wolf, the world’s most endangered canid, following a 2020 legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity. The plan proposes several beneficial actions the federal government should take, including the establishment of new populations and ways to reduce human-caused wolf deaths.
Read more.10 Biden Administration Actions for Sustainable Food
WASHINGTON— Today’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health is jumpstarting a critical conversation about food and nutrition security. The Biden administration acknowledges the connection between climate change and food security, but its proposal lacks the urgency to address the existential threat the climate emergency poses to agriculture and the availability of nutritious food.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Outdated Offshore Oil Plans in California
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today for failing to review decades-old plans for offshore oil platforms near Huntington Beach. The lawsuit comes a year after a major oil spill linked to Platform Elly in the region caused significant damage to wildlife and beaches.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Protection for Central Tennessee’s Imperiled Barrens Darter
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today over the agency’s denial of Endangered Species Act protections to the Barrens darter. Named for its home on the Barrens Plateau of central Tennessee, the darter is one of the rarest fish in North America.
Read more.Rare Florida Keys Lizard Proposed for Endangered Species Protection
MIAMI— Following a 2020 legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed protecting the Florida Keys mole skink as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The agency also proposed designating 7,068 acres of protected critical habitat.
Read more.Army Corps to Revoke Permit for Lake Pend Oreille Marina, Housing Development in Idaho
SANDPOINT, Idaho— In response to litigation from the Center for Biological Diversity and Idaho Conservation League, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to revoke its permit for the Idaho Club’s marina and lakeside housing development at the mouth of Trestle Creek on Lake Pend Oreille. The creek accounts for more than half of the annual bull trout spawning sites in the Pend Oreille Basin, a species protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Manchin Pushes Most Significant Environmental Rollback in Decades
WASHINGTON— After weeks of keeping the public and virtually all members of Congress in the dark, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin today released the details of their secret deal that Manchin demanded as payment for voting to pass the Inflation Reduction Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Threatened Coral Species
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a notice of intent to sue the federal government for failing to protect 20 coral species in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific. The corals all received Endangered Species Act listings in 2014 but not the protective regulations the law requires, including prohibitions on collection and sale.
Read more.Dozens of Groups Urge Interior Department to Greenlight Okefenokee World Heritage Bid
ATLANTA— More than 30 national, state and local organizations urged Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland and the U.S. Department of the Interior today to formally authorize the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge’s bid for World Heritage listing.
Read more.Appeal Challenges Arizona Fort’s Fake Groundwater Pumping Credits That Threaten San Pedro River
TUCSON, Ariz.— Conservation groups have appealed a federal court ruling to challenge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s granting groundwater credits to the U.S. Army’s Fort Huachuca that fail to return water to the imperiled San Pedro River.
Read more.Legal Agreement Spurs EPA to Take Stronger Steps to Reduce Smog Pollution in Areas of Five States With Some of Nation’s Worst Air Quality
OAKLAND, Calif.— As a result of a legal agreement with environmental groups, the Environmental Protection Agency has downgraded the smog pollution rating in portions of five states from “serious” to “severe.” The downgrade will trigger more protective measures to reduce the dangerous levels of smog pollution.
Read more.Victory: Court Nixes Air Permits for Formosa’s Huge Petrochemical Complex in Cancer Alley
ST. JAMES, La.— Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court has reversed the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s decision to issue air permits that Formosa Plastics needed to build its proposed petrochemical complex in St. James Parish.
Read more.Dozens of Conservation Groups, Scientists Call on New York to Protect Wolves
ALBANY, N.Y.— Nearly 40 regional and national conservation groups and leading independent scientists sent a letter today urging the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to take concrete steps to protect wolves returning to the state.
Read more.Judge Vacates Approval of Cadiz’s California Desert Water Grab
LOS ANGELES— A federal judge has vacated a U.S. Bureau of Land Management decision that would have allowed Cadiz Inc. to repurpose a mothballed oil-and-gas pipeline to drain a large aquifer in the Mojave Desert.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Force Biden Administration to Protect Red Squirrel, Nation’s Most Endangered Mammal, From Extinction
TUCSON, Ariz.— Conservation groups have sued the Biden administration to force two federal agencies to comply with the Endangered Species Act and protect imperiled Mount Graham red squirrels in southeastern Arizona from extinction.
Read more.California Should Reject Solar Tax, Boost Solar in Environmental Justice Communities
SACRAMENTO— More than 125 California and national climate and equity groups, representing millions of people, called on the governor’s office today to reject the California Public Utility Commission’s proposed solar tax and maintain the state’s solar credit to grow rooftop solar in environmental justice communities.
Read more.With Offshore Drilling Set to Surge, EPA Urged to Halt Fracking Waste Discharges Into Gulf of Mexico
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity urged the Environmental Protection Agency today to prohibit discharges of fracking chemicals into the Gulf of Mexico.
Read more.Tricolored Bats Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— In response to a petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to protect tricolored bats as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. But the agency failed to designate critical habitat for the imperiled bats.
Read more.Mining Ship Departs Mexico’s Manzanillo After Shock Decision to Greenlight Deep-Sea Mining Test
MEXICO CITY— The Hidden Gem, the world’s largest vessel dedicated specifically to mining the seafloor for minerals, is staging its first mining operation. It will depart Wednesday from the Mexican Pacific port of Manzanillo.
Read more.New Wolf Family Seen in Northern Oregon’s Cascades
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported Monday evening that a new family of wolves was photographed by biologists from the Confederated Tribe of the Warm Springs using a trail camera in August. The wolf family consists of two adults and two pups.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect West Coast Fisher
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity and allies sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for denying endangered species protection to West Coast fishers. Fishers are relatives of mink, otters and wolverines and live in old-growth forests.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Push EPA to Enforce Clean Air Act Protections for UNC-Chapel Hill’s Coal-Fired Power Plant
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and the town of Carrboro, North Carolina, filed a formal notice of intent today to sue the Environmental Protection Agency to force it to act on a petition challenging the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s inadequate air-pollution permit.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect U.S. Waters From Ship Pollution, Invasive Species
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth filed a notice of intent today to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to finalize nationwide standards to protect U.S. waterways from harmful vessel discharges. These discharges carry invasive species, pathogens and other pollutants that pose serious threats to the nation’s waters, ecosystems, economy and public health.
Read more.Agreement Reached to Protect Endangered Species From Livestock in National Conservation Area in Arizona
PHOENIX— A federal judge approved an agreement today to protect critical habitat for threatened and endangered species from cattle grazing in southeastern Arizona’s Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Grizzlies from Expanded Grazing in Montana’s Paradise Valley
MISSOULA, Mont.— Nine conservation organizations filed a lawsuit today to challenge the U.S. Forest Service’s 2021 decision to authorize expanded livestock grazing on six allotments on the east side of Montana’s Paradise Valley. The allotments lie just north of Yellowstone National Park in occupied grizzly bear habitat.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges EPA’s Delay in Smog Reduction in Five States
OAKLAND, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Center for Environmental Health filed an updated lawsuit today to sue the Environmental Protection Agency to force it to ensure that effective smog-reduction plans are in place in five states.
Read more.Virtual Film Festival Highlights Link Between Food Justice, Sovereignty, Sustainability
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity will host its third annual virtual Food Justice Film Festival from Sept.15-18, featuring award-winning films and interviews with filmmakers and activists. This year’s featured films are Poisoning Paradise; Fruits of Labor; RETURN: Native American Women Reclaim Foodways for Health and Spirit; From Gangs to Gardens; The Seed Saver; and I’m Just a Layman in Pursuit of Justice: Black Farmers Fight Against the USDA. The film festival is free and open to the public.
Read more.Court Upholds Federal Action to Protect Right Whales From Deadly Entanglements in Lobster Gear
WASHINGTON— A federal court has rejected a lobster industry attack on the science supporting recent federal efforts to protect critically endangered right whales from deadly entanglements in lobster gear. The industry sued the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation and Defenders of Wildlife intervened to defend the science.
Read more.Federal Lawsuit Challenges Forest Service OK of Oil Railway Right-of-Way
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service today to challenge the agency’s approval of construction of an oil railway through a protected roadless area of the Ashley National Forest in Utah.
Read more.Documents: Army Corps Decided to Resume Border Wall Construction 10 Days Into Biden Term
WASHINGTON— Public records show the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided to resume border wall construction just 10 days into the 60-day pause President Biden imposed when he took office last year. The records, obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity under the Freedom of Information Act, make clear that the Army Corps’ career staff was committed to continuing construction of Trump’s border wall.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Critical Habitat for Rare South Florida Beetle
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Conservation groups notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that they intend to sue over the agency’s failure to make a timely designation of lifesaving critical habitat for the endangered Miami tiger beetle.
Read more.Legal Agreement Blocks Drilling on 58,000 Acres in Montana, Dakotas Pending New Analysis
GREAT FALLS, Mont.— Conservation groups and the Bureau of Land Management have reached an agreement that will prevent new oil and gas drilling on 58,000 acres of public lands in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota pending a new analysis of its potential harm to groundwater and the climate.
Read more.New Report Explores Link Between Environmental Harms of Capitalism, Reproductive Health
TUCSON, Ariz.— A new report from the Center for Biological Diversity explores the harms caused by environmental threats like pollution and climate chaos to fertility, pregnant people, fetuses, infants and children.
Read more.More Than 80 Conservation Groups Urge Congress to Reject Mountain Valley Pipeline in Manchin Side Deal
WASHINGTON— More than 80 conservation groups sent a letter today urging congressional leadership to reject Sen. Joe Manchin’s proposal to fast-track the approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline as part of any “permitting reform” deal struck between Manchin and Democratic leaders.
Read more.Court Rejects Wyoming, Industry Challenge to Biden Administration Postponement of Oil, Gas Lease Sales
WASHINGTON— A federal judge in Wyoming has affirmed the Biden administration’s decisions to postpone oil and gas lease sales in early 2021, holding that the federal government has broad authority to postpone sales to address environmental concerns.
Read more.Rigorous New Study Finds Significant Water Pollution From Cattle Ranching at Point Reyes National Seashore
POINT REYES, Calif.— The most rigorous independent water quality report ever conducted in Point Reyes National Seashore has just been released by Turtle Island Restoration Network. It reveals that water pollution dangerous to public health and the environment persists at the seashore. The report, produced by geoenvironmental engineer Douglas Lovell, documents consistent and significant water quality pollution in this national park unit caused by subsidized private ranching.
Read more.Endangered Species Act Protection Sought for West Coast’s Bull Kelp
OAKLAND, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned NOAA Fisheries today to grant Endangered Species Act protection to bull kelp, which faces grave threats from climate change and coastal development. The range of these underwater forests extends along the western coast of the United States.
Read more.California Lawmakers OK Climate Package With Buffer Zones, Carbon Capture
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California legislature approved a suite of climate measures today, including historic health-and-safety setbacks that protect communities from oil and gas drilling, in its closing 2022 session.
Read more.Biden Administration Backs Offshore Fracking in California
LOS ANGELES— The Biden administration filed a request today asking the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower court decision that halted offshore fracking in federal waters off California. Today’s filing asks for an “en banc” review of the key ruling.
Read more.Federal Agencies Urged to Update Mining Rules, Halt Industry Handouts
WASHINGTON— Tribal, conservation and community groups representing millions of people filed formal comments with federal agencies today calling for more protective hardrock mining rules and legislation, including requiring mineral recycling to protect people and the environment.
Read more.144,000 Call for Protecting Mature, Old-Growth Federal Forests, Trees From Logging
WASHINGTON— Environmental groups delivered 144,000 public comments today urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Interior Department to protect mature and old-growth forests and trees on federal public lands from logging.
Read more.Court Sends Two Unlawful Oil Lease Sales in Gulf of Mexico Back for Reconsideration
WASHINGTON— The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that the Trump administration unlawfully auctioned off millions of acres to oil companies in two 2018 Gulf of Mexico lease sales.
Read more.California Senate Passes Safe Roads Bill, Putting Statewide Wildlife Connectivity Within Reach
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Senate passed the Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection Act on Monday in a 35-0 vote, paving the way for more wildlife crossings across the state’s roadway system. Assembly Bill 2344 now awaits approval from the governor after a concurrence vote in the Assembly, which it passed in May.
Read more.Legal Agreement Moves Dunes Sagebrush Lizard One Step Closer to Protection
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed yesterday to decide by June 29, 2023, whether to protect the imperiled dunes sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act. The lizard has been waiting for protection for four decades.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Marina, Housing Development on Idaho’s Lake Pend Oreille
SANDPOINT, Idaho— The Center for Biological Diversity and Idaho Conservation League, or ICL, filed suit today against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps of Engineers for approving the Idaho Club’s lakeside marina and housing development along Lake Pend Oreille near Trestle Creek. The creek is one of the most important spawning streams for federally protected bull trout in the Pacific Northwest.
Read more.California Clean Car Rule Fails to Match Climate Urgency
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— California’s Air Resources Board is set to finalize an auto emissions rule today that falls short of needed progress and jeopardizes the state’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2045.
Read more.Video: California Wolf Who Journeyed to Oregon Likely a Father
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a report today announcing video footage of the den site of what could be a relatively new wolf family in southwestern Oregon. This is the first known modern-day instance of a California wolf dispersing to Oregon and likely starting a family.
Read more.Legal Agreement Requires U.S. to Re-Examine Harms to Whales From Pacific Offshore Oil Drilling
LOS ANGELES— The Center for Biological Diversity, Department of the Interior and National Marine Fisheries Service reached an agreement today that requires the agencies to re-examine the risks and harms to whales and other endangered species from continued oil and gas drilling in federal waters off California.
Read more.Over 650 Groups Call on Congressional Leaders to Reject Manchin’s Dirty Pipeline Deal
WASHINGTON— More than 650 climate, environmental justice, public health, youth, and progressive organizations sent a letter to congressional leadership today to oppose the fossil fuel expansion deal proposed by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin to Democratic leadership in exchange for his support of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Read more.Federal Protection Sought for Rare Salamander in Coal Country
CHARLESTON, W.Va.— The Center for Biological Diversity and 10 partner organizations petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect the yellow-spotted woodland salamander under the Endangered Species Act. Only a few hundred of these salamanders likely remain.
Read more.Biden’s ‘Sustainable Aviation Fuel’ Goals Mired in Myth: Report
WASHINGTON— Sustainability and supply issues will make it impossible to reach the Biden administration’s goal to meet 100% of U.S. jet fuel demand with aviation biofuels by 2050, according to a new report by the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Federal Safeguards Urged For Colorado Wolves in 2023 Reintroduction
DENVER— The Center for Biological Diversity has urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to limit the killing of wolves that will be reintroduced in Colorado in 2023. The federal protections — requested in a Center letter sent this week — would override a Colorado Parks and Wildlife plan, which could allow for the widespread killing of wolves.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Seeking National Gray Wolf Recovery Plan
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that it intends to sue over the agency’s failure to develop a national wolf recovery plan as required by the Endangered Species Act. The planned lawsuit would seek to require the Service to draft a recovery plan that includes all populations of wolves in the contiguous United States.
Read more.Nevada Legislative Committee Advances Bill Request for Managing Butterflies, Other Invertebrates
CARSON CITY, Nev.— The Nevada Legislative Joint Interim Standing Committee on Natural Resources today advanced a recommendation for a bill draft request to give the Nevada Department of Wildlife authority to manage and protect terrestrial invertebrates, including monarch butterflies and bees.
Read more.Rare Nevada Fish Advances Toward Endangered Species Protection
RENO, Nev.— In response to a Center for Biological Diversity petition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the Fish Lake Valley tui chub may qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The Service has one year to complete a full status review and decide whether to protect the fish.
Read more.Cancer-Linked Pesticide 1,3-D Moves Closer to Reapproval
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency proposed today to reapprove the cancer-linked fumigant 1,3-Dichloropropene with a less-protective classification that will increase exposure levels considered to be safe by 90-fold.
Read more.State Votes to Protect Imperiled Wildflower Threatened by California Gold Mining
LOS ANGELES— The California Fish and Game Commission agreed today to temporarily protect Inyo rock daisies under the California Endangered Species Act while the state studies whether to safeguard them permanently.
Read more.Magnificent News for Endangered North Carolina Snail
WILMINGTON, N.C.— In response to a petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed protecting North Carolina’s magnificent ramshorn snail as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The agency also designated two ponds in the Cape Fear River watershed as critical habitat for the snail.
Read more.UN Urged to Protect Pantanal As Fires Threaten World Heritage Site
PARIS— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned today for “in danger” status for the Pantanal World Heritage site in Brazil, which has been ravaged by severe, human-caused fires in recent years. As this year’s fire season escalates, fire outbreaks are jeopardizing the Pantanal — the world’s largest tropical wetland — and its imperiled wildlife.
Read more.Agencies Warned for Failing to Protect Endangered Species From South Florida Water Park Development
MIAMI— Conservation groups notified the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that they intend to sue the agencies for failing to protect the federally endangered Florida bonneted bat, Miami tiger beetle, Bartram’s scrub-hairstreak and other imperiled species from the destructive effects of the Miami Wilds water park and retail development in south Florida.
Read more.Una demanda impugna proyecto de ampliación para el envío de gas natural licuado a Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— Grupos ambientales y comunitarios presentaron hoy una demanda en el tribunal federal de distrito contra el Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército de los Estados Unidos por sus planes de ampliar el canal de navegación de la Bahía de San Juan para buques de gran tamaño. Esta ampliación del puerto implica el dragado y la disposición de más de dos millones de yardas cúbicas de sedimentos para profundizar y ampliar los canales de navegación, lo que causaría graves daños ambientales.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Project Expanding Liquified Natural Gas Shipping to Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— Conservation and climate groups filed a lawsuit in federal district court today against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over its plans to expand the San Juan Bay shipping channel for massive vessels. This port expansion involves the dredging and disposal of more than two million cubic yards of sediment to deepen and widen shipping channels.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Habitat for Tennessee’s Endangered Barrens Topminnow
MANCHESTER, Tenn.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice today of its intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the agency’s failure to designate critical habitat for the highly endangered Barrens topminnow, found in only a handful of streams on the Barrens Plateau in middle Tennessee.
Read more.Legal Agreement to Permanently Close Oil Wells, Restore Habitat in California’s Carrizo Plain National Monument
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif.― Conservation groups today announced a legal agreement securing the permanent closure and restoration of 11 long-dormant oil wells inside the Carrizo Plain National Monument, a unique landscape in central California famous for its vibrant springtime wildflower displays and rare wildlife.
Read more.Climate Bill Heads to Biden for Signature, Forecasts Fall Fossil Fuel Fight
WASHINGTON— The House of Representatives passed the Democrats’ climate and healthcare spending bill today, sending the biggest-ever U.S. government climate investment package to the president for his signature.
Read more.Judge Reinstates Obama-Era Coal Leasing Moratorium on Federal Lands
GREAT FALLS, Mont.— A federal judge in Montana District Court ruled today to reinstate a moratorium on new coal leasing on public lands, halting all coal leasing on federal lands until the Bureau of Land Management completes a more sufficient environmental analysis.
Read more.Legal Agreement Blocks Oil, Gas Leasing on 2.2 Million Acres in Colorado
DENVER— Conservation groups and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management have finalized a legal agreement that will prevent new oil and gas leasing across 2.2 million acres of southwestern Colorado until the agency supplements its environmental analysis and releases an amended plan for lands in the area.
Read more.Report: Southern California’s Signature River Under Threat
LOS ANGELES— A new report published today called on decision-makers in Ventura and Los Angeles counties to apply sustainable water-management practices to the Santa Clara River, known as Utom to the Chumash people.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Protected Habitat for 49 Endangered Hawaiian Species
HONOLULU— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to protect critical habitat for 49 endangered Hawaiian Islands species.
Read more.Florida Petitioned to Protect Manatees by Improving Boater Safety
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Conservation organizations petitioned the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission today to amend its boater-safety course to protect the state’s imperiled manatees, other marine mammals, sea turtles and coastal birds. Watercraft collisions killed at least 1,153 Florida manatees from 2010 to 2021, according to state officials.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Lesser Prairie Chicken From Extinction
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Center for Biological Diversity notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that it would sue the agency for failing to protect lesser prairie chickens under the Endangered Species Act if it did not do so within 60 days.
Read more.Federal Officials Commit to Feral Cow Removal Throughout San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon Society have reached a legal agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management guaranteeing that the agency will remove all trespass cows from the entire San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. The BLM has also agreed to inspect, repair and maintain the conservation area’s boundary fencing to keep the trespass cows out.
Read more.Pressure Mounts on Agriculture Secretary to Reject Hazardous Utah Oil Trains
SALT LAKE CITY— More than 100 environmental, climate and frontline Gulf Coast groups, representing millions of supporters across the country, today urged Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to stop the Uinta Basin Railway. The proposed railway would create 53 million tons of new carbon pollution every year by opening Utah’s remote Uinta Basin to more oil extraction.
Read more.New Report Outlines Blueprint for Rewilding American West
SAN FRANCISCO— A first-of-its-kind analysis by 20 leading scientists has identified a network of 11 federally owned reserves where wolves and beavers could be restored across the western United States. Restoring these keystone species could also improve degraded habitat relied on by 92 threatened and endangered species, including the Gunnison sage-grouse and the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Seeking EPA Pollution Limits for Arizona Creek Threatened by Copper Mine
SUPERIOR, Ariz.— Conservation groups filed a formal notice of intent to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today in response to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s decades-long failure to limit pollution in Queen Creek.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks to Restore Federal Protection to Northern Rockies Wolves After Government Misses Deadline
VICTOR, Idaho— Wildlife conservation organizations sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for missing its deadline to decide whether gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Endangered Species Protections Sought for Rare Nevada Butterfly
RENO, Nev.— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to grant Endangered Species Act protection to an extremely rare butterfly called the bleached sandhill skipper.
Read more.U.S. to Finally Decide Protection for Foreign Birds, Butterflies
WASHINGTON— In a legal agreement finalized today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to finally decide whether seven foreign wildlife species should be granted U.S. Endangered Species Act protections.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Washington’s Failure to Enact Wolf Management Rules
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Five conservation groups filed a lawsuit today asking a state court to enforce Gov. Jay Inslee’s order directing state wildlife officials to enact wolf management rules. The rules should have outlined what steps must be taken before wolves can be killed for conflict with livestock.
Read more.‘Emergency’ Loophole Used to OK Highly Toxic Pesticide for 10th Straight Year
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency reported this week that it issued so-called “emergency” approvals to spray various neonicotinoids and pyrethroids — insecticides the agency itself recognizes as “very highly toxic” to bees and aquatic insects — on more than 370,000 acres of crops across the U.S.
Read more.Viva El Jefe! Arizona’s Famous Jaguar Lives, But What’s His Future?
TUCSON, Ariz.— News that the beloved jaguar El Jefe has been spotted alive and well in Sonora, Mexico, is tempered by concerns that his potential pathway back to the United States could be blocked by the border wall and his last known territory in Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains is threatened by the construction of a copper mine.
Read more.Petition Seeks to Withhold Federal Funding From Montana, Idaho Over Wolf-Killing Legislation
BOZEMAN, Mont.— A petition filed today by 27 conservation groups calls on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to disqualify Montana and Idaho from receiving millions of dollars in federal conservation funds because of the aggressive anti-wolf legislation the states enacted in 2021.
Read more.Federal Court Cites Human Health, Climate Costs in Rejecting Massive Wyoming, Montana Coal Mining Plan
GREAT FALLS, Mont.— A federal judge late Wednesday struck down two U.S. Bureau of Land Management resource management plans that failed to address the public health consequences of allowing massive amounts of coal, oil and gas production from public lands and minerals in the Powder River Basin, including approximately 6 billion tons of low-grade, highly polluting coal over 20 years.
Read more.Pups Confirmed in Two California Wolf Packs
SAN FRANCISCO— Two of California’s three existing wolf families, the Lassen pack and the Whaleback pack, have again produced pups this year, according to a quarterly report published late Tuesday by the California Department of Fish and Game.
Read more.Legal Agreements Block Drilling, Fracking Across 1 Million Acres in Central California
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.— Community and conservation groups and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management reached an agreement today to suspend new oil and gas leasing across more than 1 million acres of public lands in California’s Central Valley and Central Coast.
Read more.Legal Agreement Halts Construction at Nevada Geothermal Project to Weigh Harm to Rare Toad
RENO, Nev.— The Center for Biological Diversity and geothermal developer Ormat reached a legal agreement today to halt construction of the Dixie Meadows Geothermal Project until the risks to the endangered Dixie Valley toad can be fully evaluated. The Center’s co-plaintiffs, the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, and the Department of the Interior were also parties to the agreement.
Read more.Center for Biological Diversity Names Elise Bennett Florida Director
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity announced today that Elise Bennett has been promoted to the position of Florida director.
Read more.Federal Proposal Aims to Protect Endangered Right Whales From Ship Strikes
WASHINGTON— The National Marine Fisheries Service proposed a rule today to better protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from being run over and killed by vessels in U.S. waters.
Read more.Hundreds of Climate, Community Groups Tell Biden, Congress: No Fossil Fuel Expansion in Reconciliation Bill
WASHINGTON— More than 350 conservation and community groups, representing millions of people, called on President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer today to reject fossil fuel expansion during negotiations over a reconciliation package.
Read more.States Push National Greenhouse Gas Pollution Cap
WASHINGTON— Seven states and the territory of Guam called on President Biden and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today to set a nationwide greenhouse gas pollution cap under the Clean Air Act.
Read more.Manchin Poison Pills Buried in Inflation Reduction Act Will Destroy Livable Climate
WASHINGTON— A proposed climate and energy package would require massive oil and gas leasing in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, reinstate an illegal 2021 Gulf lease sale and mandate that millions more acres of public lands be offered for leasing before any new solar or wind energy projects could be built on public lands or waters.
Read more.Endangered Species Act Protection Sought for Southern Plains Bumblebee
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to grant Endangered Species Act protection to the highly imperiled Southern Plains bumblebee.
Read more.Tribunal de Colorado accede a considerar un desafío legal ante la falta del estado de proteger las vías fluviales y la vida silvestre de la contaminación de las granjas industriales
DENVER— La Oficina de Tribunales Administrativos de Colorado accedió a considerar un desafío legal por parte del Centro para la Diversidad Biológica y Food & Water Watch a un permiso estatal general de contaminación del agua para las Operaciones Concentradas de Alimentación Animal.
Read more.Colorado Court Agrees to Hear Legal Challenge to State’s Failure to Protect Waterways, Wildlife From Factory Farm Pollution
DENVER— The Colorado Office of Administrative Courts has agreed to hear a challenge by the Center for Biological Diversity and Food & Water Watch to a statewide general water-pollution permit for concentrated animal feeding operations.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Western Colorado’s Air From Arch Coal’s West Elk Mine
GUNNISON, Colo.— Conservation groups sued Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’s administration today over its failure to ensure the West Elk coal mine in western Colorado complies with state and federal clean-air laws.
Read more.Asheville Rally Aims to Protect Country’s Most Popular National Forest
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— At a pivotal moment, the Center for Biological Diversity is organizing a rally on Monday, Aug.1, to protect the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest from logging. The Pisgah is the country’s most-visited national forest.
Read more.DNA Test Confirms Another Wolf Killed in New York
ALBANY, N.Y.— A recent DNA analysis of an 85-pound canid shot by a hunter in central New York in December shows that the animal was a gray wolf. According to the Maine Wolf Coalition, at least 10 other wolves have been killed south of the St. Lawrence River, once thought to be too great a barrier for wolves to cross.
Read more.New Wolf Pack Confirmed in Western Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported today that a new wolf pack has established itself in the Upper Deschutes wildlife management unit in Klamath and Deschutes counties. Not yet named, the wolf family gave birth to at least five pups this year, which were photographed on July 4 by a department trail camera.
Read more.Biden Stops Short of Declaring National Climate Emergency
WASHINGTON— President Biden announced a series of executive actions targeting the climate crisis today, and while he described the crisis as “an emergency,” he stopped short of the national climate emergency declaration called for by the Center for Biological Diversity and more than 1,200 other groups.
Read more.Sens. Manchin, Daines Attack Climate Protections for Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will consider and mark up a number of bills on Thursday, including S. 2561, which would alter the requirements for the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management regarding when they must update their land-management plans to protect endangered species.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Energy Department Documents on Overdue Grid Study
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Department of Energy today for failing to release public records about the agency’s long-overdue study on energy transmission bottlenecks across the country.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges EPA’s Damaging Renewable Fuels Standard
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals today challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s fuel volume requirements for corn ethanol and other biofuels for 2020, 2021 and 2022. Earlier this month the EPA set the 2022 required minimum volume for transportation sector use at roughly 15 billion gallons of corn ethanol and 5.63 billion gallons of advanced biofuels.
Read more.Biden Administration Repeals Second Trump Rule Limiting Habitat Protections for Imperiled Species
WASHINGTON— The Biden administration today repealed a second Trump-era regulation that significantly weakened habitat protections for threatened and endangered species.
Read more.Marin County Adopts Long-Overdue Protections for Endangered Coho Salmon
MARIN COUNTY, Calif.— The Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a conservation ordinance on Tuesday that would protect coho salmon habitat and end a 15-year legal battle over California’s most important watershed for the endangered species.
Read more.EPA Finds New Insecticide Is Putting Over 100 Species in Jeopardy of Extinction
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency released a draft biological evaluation today showing that the bee-killing insecticide sulfoxaflor is potentially putting 24 species of insects in jeopardy of extinction, including Karner blue butterflies and American burying beetles.
Read more.Biden Administration Rejects Legal Petition to Phase Out Use of Toxic Agricultural Pesticides on National Wildlife Refuges
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today denied requests by conservationists and members of Congress to phase out the use of agricultural pesticides on national wildlife refuges.
Read more.Legal Victory: Court Orders New Endangered Species Review for Toxic Fungicide
SAN FRANCISCO— In a major win for conservationists and wildlife, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ordered the Environmental Protection Agency today to review the potential harm a toxic new fungicide poses to endangered species by June 2023.
Read more.Conservationists, Wildlife Advocates Propose Colorado Wolf Restoration Plan
DENVER— A group of 14 conservation and wildlife organizations, led by WildEarth Guardians, today put forward their “Colorado Wolf Restoration Plan” as a science-based proposal to guide wolf reintroduction and recovery in Colorado following the passage of Proposition 114 in 2020. The plan focuses on bringing about the immensely positive ecological, economic, and social opportunities for Coloradans and the Colorado landscapes that have been missing wolves for so long by ensuring a self-sustaining, robust population of wolves throughout the Western Slope.
Read more.Biden’s Top Five Climate Executive Actions
WASHINGTON— With climate provisions stripped from Democrats’ economic package by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), President Biden’s executive powers are front and center in protecting U.S. international commitments and preserving a livable planet.
Read more.LA County Sued Over Faulty Environmental Review Process for Los Angeles River Master Plan
LOS ANGELES— Conservation groups LA Waterkeeper and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Los Angeles County over the recently updated LA River Master Plan, adopted on June 14, which is intended to guide development along the Los Angeles River for the next 25 years.
Read more.Victory for Nevada Lands, Wildlife: House Committee Rebuffs Proposed Military Land Grab
RENO, Nev.— Late on Tuesday the House Rules Committee declined to advance an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act from Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) that would have transferred hundreds of thousands of acres of public land to the military and private developers.
Read more.Congress Urged to Boost Appropriations for Biden’s Clean Energy Orders
WASHINGTON— Dozens of environmental and labor groups urged House and Senate leaders to increase funding for President Biden’s historic executive orders to spur domestic renewable energy production under the Defense Production Act.
Read more.Federal Appeals Court Reinstates Right Whales’ Seasonal Protection
BOSTON— In a victory for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals today reinstated a seasonal prohibition on lobster fishing using vertical lines in federal waters off the Maine coast.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Fish and Wildlife Service’s Inadequate Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Efforts
TUCSON, Ariz.— Conservation groups filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court challenging a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service management rule that fails to provide for the recovery of the Mexican gray wolf, among the most endangered mammals in the United States.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Over EPA’s Authorization for Limitless Smog From Fracking in Denver, North Front Range Areas
DENVER— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Environmental Protection Agency today to force it to require Colorado to limit pollution from drilling and hydraulic fracturing for oil and methane gas in the Metro Denver area and the Denver Julesburg basin.
Read more.Report: Federal Logging Projects Put 10 Climate-Saving Forests on Chopping Block
PORTLAND, Ore.— Federal agencies are targeting mature and old-growth forests for logging, according to a new report, despite these trees’ extraordinary ability to curb climate change and President Biden’s directive to preserve them.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Fight EPA’s Delay in Reducing Harmful Soot Air Pollution
OAKLAND, Calif.— Environmental and public-health groups filed notice today of their intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to ensure that effective plans are in place to reduce dangerous soot air pollution in Los Angeles and Imperial County, California.
Read more.World’s Most Endangered Whales Move Closer to Expanded Habitat Protections off Alaskan Coast
ANCHORAGE, Alaska— NOAA Fisheries announced today that expanding critical habitat protections in Alaska for North Pacific right whales — the most endangered whale population in the world — may be warranted.
Read more.Court Victory: Federal Failure to Protect Right Whales from Deadly Entanglements Violates Law
WASHINGTON— A federal court ruled in favor of the Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation, and Defenders of Wildlife in a long-running case challenging NOAA Fisheries’ failure to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from deadly entanglements in American lobster fishing gear.
Read more.Appeal Challenges Federal Plan Authorizing Killing of 72 Grizzlies Near Yellowstone
PINEDALE, Wyo.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club filed an appeal today challenging a federal plan authorizing the killing of up to 72 grizzly bears to accommodate livestock grazing in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest, near Yellowstone National Park.
Read more.Biden Administration Paves Way for Railway That Will Quadruple Oil Production in Utah’s Uinta Basin
SALT LAKE CITY— The U.S. Forest Service has rejected challenges to the Uinta Basin Railway, saying the project is in the public interest even as it predicts the oil railway could increase climate pollution in the U.S. by nearly 1%.
Read more.Biden Administration Moves to Curb Single-Use Plastic in Federal Purchasing
WASHINGTON— In response to a legal petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and 180 other community and conservation groups, the U.S. government announced today that it will evaluate ways to reduce its purchases of unnecessary single-use plastic.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Critical Habitat for Endangered Florida Bonneted Bats
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to push the agency to protect endangered Florida bonneted bats by designating lifesaving critical habitat. The bats face devastating habitat loss from sea-level rise and urban sprawl.
Read more.Supreme Court Leaves Open Powerful Climate Pathway for Biden, EPA
WASHINGTON— The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision last week curtailing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate power plant pollution left untouched one of the strongest tools to reduce greenhouse gas pollution under the Clean Air Act — a nationwide greenhouse gas pollution cap.
Read more.Federal Court Restores Critical Endangered Species Act Protections
WASHINGTON— In a win for wildlife protection and conservation, a federal district court today restored comprehensive Endangered Species Act regulatory protections to hundreds of species and the places they call home.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Fight EPA’s Delay in Smog Reduction in San Diego, Placer County, Ventura County, Colorado, North Dakota, Pennsylvania
OAKLAND, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Center for Environmental Health filed a notice today of their intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to ensure that effective smog-reduction plans are in place in four states.
Read more.Alabama Mussel Gains Endangered Species Protection, 36 River Miles of Protected Habitat
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.— In response to a decade-long campaign by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protected the Canoe Creek clubshell today under the Endangered Species Act. The agency also protected 36 river miles of the Alabama mussel’s critical habitat in St. Clair and Etowah counties.
Read more.Legal Warning Challenges Plan to Log Thousands of Acres of Oregon’s Old-Growth Forest Reserves
MEDFORD, Ore.— A coalition of Oregon conservation organizations notified the Bureau of Land Management today it intends to sue the agency to protect marbled murrelets and coastal martens from a plan by the agency to log thousands of acres of old-growth forest in areas designated as late-successional reserves. The reserves were designated as part of the Northwest Forest Plan to protect the two threatened species, as well as hundreds of others.
Read more.Gulf of Mexico, Alaska Targeted for Offshore Oil, Gas Leasing in Biden Plan
WASHINGTON— President Biden’s Interior Department proposed today to conduct up to 11 lease sales of offshore waters to oil and gas companies for drilling and fracking. The draft proposal could offer 10 lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and potentially one in Cook Inlet, Alaska. All sales would take place between 2023 and 2028.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Rule Finalized to Eliminate Population Cap
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Meeting a July 1 court-ordered deadline in litigation brought by conservationists, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today finalized a rule that ends its 2015 regulatory commitment to remove from the wild all endangered Mexican gray wolves above a population cap of 325.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Crucial Grizzly Habitat in Montana’s Oldest Forests
MISSOULA, Mont.— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service today to challenge its approval of a massive logging project that would clearcut thousands of acres and log mature and old-growth forest in the Kootenai National Forest in northwestern Montana.
Read more.Fisheries Service Finalizes Protections Against Three Pesticides Harming Salmon, Orcas
WASHINGTON— The National Marine Fisheries Service released a final biological opinion today establishing critical protections for salmon and Puget Sound orcas from exposure to three widely used insecticides — chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Critical Habitat for Eastern Black Rail
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and Healthy Gulf sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to designate critical habitat for the eastern black rail. The rail needs healthy and intact wetland habitat to survive.
Read more.Supreme Court Limits Climate Action Under Clean Air Act
WASHINGTON— The Supreme Court today limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate power plant emissions under the Clean Air Act. The decision in West Virginia v. EPA is a blow to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from coal and gas fired power plants. It spotlights the need for the Biden administration to use its broad range of executive powers to combat the climate emergency.
Read more.EPA Urged to Reject Carbon Capture Projects in Central California
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.— Citing threats to the environment and public health, more than 80 environmental justice and conservation groups urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today to stop an influx of carbon capture, use and storage, or CCUS, project applications in California’s Central Valley.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Biden’s Resumption of Oil, Gas Leasing on Public Lands
WASHINGTON— Climate and conservation groups filed a lawsuit late Tuesday challenging the Biden administration’s resumption of oil and gas leasing on public lands today — the first auctions since the president paused leasing shortly after taking office.
Read more.Rural New Mexico County Votes to Stop Funding Federal Wildlife-Killing
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Grant County commissioners voted 2-1 against renewing a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program last Thursday because the federal agency, which kills carnivores on behalf of the livestock industry, ignored requirements within its last contract.
Read more.Court Halts Logging of Elliott State Forest Tract Sold to Private Timber Company
EUGENE, Ore.— A U.S. District Court judge issued a ruling today preventing Scott Timber from clearcutting old-growth forest that was previously part of the Elliott State Forest. The court found that the proposed logging of the Benson Ridge parcel by the subsidiary of Roseburg Forest Products would harm and harass threatened marbled murrelets, in violation of the federal Endangered Species Act. The court’s ruling permanently enjoins logging of the occupied murrelet habitat.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Over Federal Failure to Protect Shortfin Mako Shark
WASHINGTON— Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity sent a notice today of their intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service for failing to protect the shortfin mako shark under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Demandan por la falta de protección federal del tiburón mako de aleta corta como especie amenazada o en peligro de extinción
WASHINGTON— Defenders of Wildlife y el Centro para la Diversidad Biológica enviaron hoy una notificación sobre su intención de demandar a NOAA Fisheries por no haber resuelto en torno a la protección del tiburón mako de aleta corta bajo la Ley de Especies en Peligro (ESA, por sus siglas en inglés). La ley exige que NOAA Fisheries determine si se justifica la inclusión del tiburón mako de aleta corta en la ESA a más tardar 12 meses después de recibir una petición de inclusión en la que haya llegado a un “dictamen positivo de los 90 días”.
Read more.Center for Biological Diversity Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade
Statement from Kierán Suckling, executive director, Center for Biological Diversity:
Read more.New Vilsack Guidance to Forest Service Falls Short of Protecting Old, Mature Forests
WASHINGTON— Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack signed a memorandum today clarifying the U.S. Forest Service’s direction on climate policy. The memo follows a recent White House executive order highlighting the importance of conserving mature and old-growth forests on federal lands as a climate solution.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Endangered Species Protections for Colorful Arizona Snake
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for denying Endangered Species Act protections to the Tucson shovel-nosed snake for a second time. The snakes live only in a small area of southern Arizona.
Read more.Biden Administration Rescinds Trump Rule Limiting Habitat Protections for Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— The Biden administration finalized a rule today rescinding a Trump-era regulation that severely limited the government’s ability to protect habitat that imperiled animals and plants like wolverines and golden-winged warblers need to survive and recover.
Read more.Imperiled Southeast Flower Proposed for Endangered Species Protection
ATLANTA— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to protect the Ocmulgee skullcap as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Only 19 populations of this rare flower remain in Georgia and South Carolina, with many of these having fewer than 20 individual plants.
Read more.House Democrats Provide Long-Overdue Funding for Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON— The House Appropriations Committee will vote on a funding bill today for the U.S. Department of the Interior that would provide $355 million for endangered species conservation — an increase of $77 million above last year’s budget.
Read more.Oregon Commission Votes to Better Protect Wildlife From Trapping
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted new rules today that reduce some of the state’s trap check times, making it less likely that animals will suffer for extended periods of time and more likely that non-target wildlife can be safely released.
Read more.California Commission Deadlocks on Protecting Western Joshua Trees as Threatened Species
LOS ANGELES— The California Fish and Game Commission deadlocked today on whether to give western Joshua trees permanent protection under the state’s Endangered Species Act, delaying a final decision until at least October.
Read more.EPA Confirms Three Widely Used Neonicotinoid Pesticides Likely Harm Vast Majority of Endangered Plants, Animals
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency released final biological evaluations today confirming that three widely used neonicotinoid insecticides likely harm roughly three-fourths of all endangered plants and animals, including all 39 species of amphibians protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Report: TVA’s New Board Members Can Fast-Track Transition to 100% Renewable, Just Energy Future
WASHINGTON— The Tennessee Valley Authority’s new board members will have the legal authority to transform the nation’s largest public power provider from a fossil-fuel utility to a renewable energy pioneer, according to a report released today by the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Agencies Warned for Ignoring Florida Nuclear Plant’s Harm to American Crocodiles
MIAMI— The Center for Biological Diversity warned the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that they’re violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to lawfully consult over the Turkey Point Nuclear Plant’s current harm to imperiled American crocodiles and their habitat. The violations relate to the federal approval of a 20-year operational extension for nuclear units 3 and 4 at Turkey Point.
Read more.Petition Aims to Protect Great Hammerhead Sharks Under Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity submitted a petition today urging the National Marine Fisheries Service to protect the great hammerhead shark under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.100 Groups Urge Global Leaders to Stop Extinction
WASHINGTON— More than 100 organizations from five continents today urged negotiators headed to a world biodiversity meeting to commit to stopping human-caused extinctions of species. The groups’ letter comes as negotiations over the global framework to combat biodiversity loss are set to resume June 21 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Read more.Virgin Islands Flower Finally Gets Endangered Species Protections After 47 Years
BOQUERÓN, Puerto Rico— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today protected the marrón bacora as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and designated 2,548 acres as critical habitat. Marrón bacora is a 10-foot-tall flowering shrub that has been reduced to just seven fragmented populations on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, and one population on Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Read more.Temblor Legless Lizard Wins California Endangered Species Act Protections
LOS ANGELES— In response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the California Fish and Game Commission unanimously agreed today to protect the Temblor legless lizard under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The move grants legal protection to the rare lizards for at least a year.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Habitat for 12 Endangered Coral Species
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a notice of intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service for failing to finalize protections for 12 coral species around Florida and islands in the Pacific Ocean. The corals all received Endangered Species Act listings in 2014 but not the critical habitat designation the law requires.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Biden-Approved Oil Drilling Permits for Failing to Protect Climate-Imperiled Wildlife, Public Lands
WASHINGTON— Environmental organizations sued the Bureau of Land Management today for issuing more than 3,500 oil and gas drilling permits in New Mexico and Wyoming during the first 16 months of the Biden administration in violation of the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The lawsuit was filed in the federal District Court of Washington, D.C.
Read more.House Passes Historic Legislation Securing Billions for Imperiled Wildlife
WASHINGTON— The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, H.R. 2773, by a 231 to 190 vote today. If approved by the Senate, the legislation will provide unprecedented levels of funding to states, Tribal Nations and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve and recover imperiled wildlife and plant species, including those listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.9th Circuit Court to Hear Arguments Wednesday Challenging Geothermal Plant Endangering Sacred Site, Rare Toad
SAN FRANCISCO— Attorneys for conservation advocates and the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe will present oral arguments Wednesday to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco challenging the government’s approval of a geothermal power plant. The plant threatens to destroy a Nevada sacred site and drive the rare Dixie Valley toad to extinction.
Read more.Commission Votes Wednesday on Protecting California’s Joshua Trees as Threatened Species
LOS ANGELES― The California Fish and Game Commission will vote Wednesday on whether to permanently protect western Joshua trees under the state’s Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Delayed Protection Imperils Oregon Beetle, Virgin Islands Plant, Two Southeast Mussels
SALEM, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to determine if the Siuslaw hairy-necked tiger beetle warrants Endangered Species Act protection, and for failing to finalize protection for three other species, a plant called the marrón bacora and the longsolid and Canoe Creek clubshell mussels.
Read more.Lawmakers, Organizations Warn Biden Against Rushed Pipeline Restart Off California Coast
LONG BEACH, Calif.— A coalition of groups today joined eight Southern California members of Congress in urging the Biden administration not to issue fast-track authorization for the repair and restart of Amplify Energy’s offshore oil pipeline, which ruptured off the California coast in October.
Read more.El Cuerpo de Ingenieros Enfrentará Demanda por Proyecto de Transporte de GNL en Puerto Rico por Impactos a la Vida Silvestre y a las Comunidades
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— El Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército recibió hoy una notificación advirtiendo que su proyecto de dragado para ampliar el canal de navegación de la Bahía de San Juan viola la Ley de Especies en Peligro de Extinción. El proyecto permitiría el paso de mega buques que transporten gas natural licuado (GNL).
Read more.SpaceX’s Texas Site Needs Full Environmental Review, Conservationists Say
BROWNSVILLE, Texas— The Federal Aviation Administration today declined to conduct a full environmental review of the proposed expansion of SpaceX’s launch site at Boca Chica, Texas, despite calls from conservation organizations to take a closer look at the environmental impacts of the rocket launches.
Read more.Congress to Hold Wednesday Hearing on Seresto Flea Collars Linked to Deaths of Over 2,500 Pets
WASHINGTON— The House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy will hold a hearing on Wednesday to investigate the Seresto flea collar, which has been linked to thousands of pet deaths.
Read more.Army Corps to Face Lawsuit for Puerto Rico LNG Shipping Project’s Threats to Wildlife, Communities
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— The Army Corps of Engineers received a notice letter today warning that its dredging project to expand the San Juan Bay shipping channel violates the Endangered Species Act. The project would permit the passage of mega vessels carrying liquified natural gas, or LNG.
Read more.Endangered Species Protection Sought for North Carolina’s Hickory Nut Gorge Green Salamanders
BAT CAVE, N.C.— Conservation groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect Hickory Nut Gorge green salamanders under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Mobile Billboard Calls Out Biden’s Broken Climate Promises During Santa Fe Visit
SANTA FE, N.M.— Friends of the Earth, the Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians will display a mobile billboard Saturday during President Biden’s visit to Santa Fe, criticizing the administration for its broken promises to end oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters. Biden will receive an update on the historic wildfires that have burned nearly 500 square miles of New Mexico.
Read more.Rare Southwest Wildflower Protected Under Endangered Species Act
TUCSON, Ariz.— In response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today protected the Arizona eryngo under the Endangered Species Act. Only four populations of the critically imperiled wetland plant survive in Arizona and Mexico.
Read more.Conservationists Urge Halt to Mexico’s Maya Train Project, Call For Sanctions
MEXICO CITY— Conservation groups filed comments today with Semarnat, Mexico’s environmental ministry, identifying a large number of omissions and inaccuracies in a government assessment of the environmental impacts of the section five south of the Maya train project.
Read more.Lawsuits Challenge Two Massive Bay Area Biofuel Refinery Projects
OAKLAND, Calif.— Communities for a Better Environment and the Center for Biological Diversity sued Contra Costa County on Tuesday over its rushed approval of two proposed biofuel refineries in the Bay Area using incomplete and misleading environmental reviews.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Wetland-Dependent Midwestern Snake
CHICAGO— The Center for Biological Diversity and Hoosier Environmental Council sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for denying Endangered Species Act protections to the imperiled Kirtland’s snake.
Read more.Legal Petition Aims to Phase Out Toxic Lead Ammo, Fishing Tackle on National Wildlife Refuges
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity, Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Sierra Club filed a formal legal petition today calling on the U.S. Department of the Interior to phase out the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on national wildlife refuges. Numerous scientific studies have linked lead ammunition to poisonings of wildlife and people.
Read more.Senate Committee Considers Grand Canyon Protection Act
PHOENIX— A U.S. Senate subcommittee held a hearing today for the Grand Canyon Protection Act, an important step toward passage of legislation to protect about 1 million acres of public lands near Grand Canyon National Park from toxic uranium mining. The Act would make permanent a ban on mining that was enacted administratively in 2012.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed to Compel EPA to Enforce Smog-Reduction Measures in Los Angeles, Sacramento, New Hampshire
OAKLAND, Calif.— Environmental and public-health groups filed a lawsuit today against the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to ensure that Los Angeles, Sacramento and New Hampshire have effective plans to reduce dangerous smog pollution.
Read more.Selkirk’s Piping Plover Mural Highlights Endangered Species
SELKIRK, Manitoba— The Center for Biological Diversity and Interlake Art Board will host a community event on June 15 to celebrate a new mural of the piping plover, an endangered shorebird that summers in Canada and the northern United States before flying south for the winter.
Read more.Biden Use of Defense Production Act Signals Pivot on Climate, Renewables
WASHINGTON— President Biden signaled a major shift in climate strategy today, announcing executive actions that use the Defense Production Act to manufacture solar panel components, heat pumps, insulation, and grid transformers needed to speed the country toward renewable energy.
Read more.California Drift Gillnets Entangled About 12 Humpback Whales in 2021
SAN FRANCISCO— After new federal reports estimated that the California drift gillnet fishery caught about 12 Pacific humpbacks in 2021, the Center for Biological Diversity warned the National Marine Fisheries Service today to expect to be sued for failing to protect these endangered whales from entanglements in drift nets.
Read more.New Right Whale Endangered Species Condom Distributed for World Ocean Day, Marine Mammal Protection Act Anniversary
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity will head to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 8 to distribute Endangered Species Condoms in honor of World Ocean Day and mark the 50th anniversary of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Read more.9th Circuit Affirms Moratorium on Offshore Fracking Off California, Orders More Review
LOS ANGELES— A federal appeals court today affirmed a lower court decision that prohibits offshore fracking in federal waters off the California coast.
Read more.EPA Finalizes Damaging Renewable Fuels Standard
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to finalize its renewable fuel standards for corn ethanol and other biofuels for 2020, 2021 and 2022 today, setting the 2022 required minimum volume for transportation sector use at roughly 15 billion gallons of corn ethanol and 5.63 billion gallons of advanced biofuels.
Read more.Conservationists Back Havasupai Tribe’s Opposition to Grand Canyon Uranium Mine
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK― Conservation groups joined the Havasupai Tribe today to denounce the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s approval of a key permit for a uranium mine near Grand Canyon’s South Rim. On Friday the Tribe sent a letter to Arizona officials reasserting its opposition to the mine and calling for new hydrological studies, regular meetings and monitoring data for the Pinyon Plain Mine.
Read more.Legal Agreement Will Protect Critical Habitat for Threatened Florida Manatees
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— In a legal agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and Save the Manatee Club, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service committed today to revise critical habitat for the Florida manatee by September 2024. The manatee’s critical habitat has not been updated since its original designation in 1976.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Federal Pesticide-Spraying Program Affecting Millions of Acres of Western Rangelands
WASHINGTON— The Xerces Society and Center for Biological Diversity sued the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service today over its program allowing insecticide spraying on millions of acres in 17 western states.
Read more.Southern California Fish Move Closer to Endangered Species Act Protection
LOS ANGELES— In response to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed today to dates by which it will make decisions on whether Santa Ana speckled dace and Long Valley speckled dace warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Giraffes One Step Closer to U.S. Endangered Species Protections
WASHINGTON— In response to a lawsuit by conservation and animal protection groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed today to a deadline of November 2024 for deciding if giraffes warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.$30,000 Reward Offered for Info on Washington Wolf Killings
SEATTLE— Conservation and animal-protection groups announced a combined $30,000 reward today for information leading to a conviction in the illegal killing of four wolves in northeastern Washington earlier this year.
Read more.Court Restores Wolverine Protections While Agency Reconsiders Endangered Species Decision
MISSOULA, Mont.— In a victory for wolverines, a Montana District Court decided late Thursday to restore the species as a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The court agreed with conservation groups that wolverines need additional protections while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reconsiders its 2020 decision not to protect the species as threatened or endangered.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Stop Extinction of Guam’s Endangered Animals, Plants
HAGÅTÑA, Guam— The Center for Biological Diversity, Blue Ocean Law and Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian notified the U.S. Navy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that they intend to sue to stop the ongoing construction of a machine gun range and the relocation of 5,000 U.S. Marines to Guam.
Read more.California Assembly Passes Bill to Improve Wildlife Connectivity, Public Safety
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Assembly passed legislation on Wednesday that would improve wildlife connectivity and make California roads safer. The Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection Act would prioritize wildlife crossings and other infrastructure projects that improve wildlife connectivity and reduce wildlife-vehicle collision risk.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Seek Habitat Protection for 49 Endangered Hawaiian Species
HONOLULU— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a formal notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect critical habitat for 49 endangered Hawaiian Islands species. These species include the ‘Akē‘akē, also known as the band-rumped storm-petrel, and the Nalo Meli Maoli, also called the Hawaiian yellow-faced bee.
Read more.Legal Petition Urges EPA to Require Commonsense Safeguards on Pesticide Labels to Protect Farmworkers, Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity submitted a petition for rulemaking to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Pesticide Programs today to require new safeguards on pesticide labels. The new measures would be aimed at protecting people and endangered species. Pesticide labels and instructions must be followed properly for the use of a pesticide to be considered lawful.
Read more.Eastern Monarch Butterfly Population Up Slightly, Still Below Extinction Threshold
WASHINGTON— The yearly count released today of monarch butterflies that overwintered in Mexico continues to show imperilment for the migratory butterfly. This year’s count of 2.84 hectares (7 acres) of occupied winter habitat is up slightly from last year but still below the 6 hectare threshold scientists say is necessary for the iconic pollinator to be out of the extinction danger zone in North America.
Read more.Utah Judge to Hear Arguments Wednesday on Misuse of Public Money for Oil Train
SALT LAKE CITY― A Utah district court judge will hear arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by conservation groups challenging the misuse of public funds on fossil fuel projects, including the proposed Uinta Basin Railway.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Challenging USDA’s Failure to Protect Endangered Species From Insecticide Sprays Over Millions of Acres in U.S. West
WASHINGTON— The Xerces Society and Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent today to sue the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s secretive Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for failing to properly consider harms to endangered species caused by insecticide spraying across millions of acres of western grasslands.
Read more.Oregon’s North Coast Red Tree Voles Get New Shot at Crucial Protections
PORTLAND, Ore.— In a legal victory, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed today to reconsider whether red tree voles on Oregon’s North Coast need protection under the Endangered Species Act. The Service has until January 31, 2024, to make a decision.
Read more.Federal Judge Stops 35,000-Acre Fracking Plan in Western Colorado
DENVER― A U.S. District Court judge today vacated a federal plan that allowed fracking across 35,000 acres of Colorado’s Western Slope.
Read more.Federal Watchdog to Investigate EPA’s Inaction on Seresto Flea Collars
WASHINGTON— The Office of Inspector General for the Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is investigating whether the agency violated federal law by failing to take action on the Seresto flea collar linked to thousands of pet deaths.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Dunes Sagebrush Lizard From Extinction
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for again stalling in making a decision on whether to grant Endangered Species Act protections to the dunes sagebrush lizard. The agency has delayed protecting the lizard for four decades.
Read more.Legal Protests Target Biden’s Plans To Resume Oil, Gas Leasing on Public Lands
WASHINGTON— Climate, conservation and community groups from across the country filed administrative protests today challenging the Biden administration’s plans to resume oil and gas leasing in June, saying the president should end new leasing to heed his own climate goals while protecting communities, water and wildlife.
Read more.Legal Petition Seeks Federal Trade Commission Investigation of Energy Utility Abuses
WASHINGTON— More than 230 consumer, environmental and public interest groups urged the Federal Trade Commission today to investigate the electric utility industry for widespread abuses. These include bribery, fake dark-money campaigns and denying customers access to renewable energy.
Read more.Court Rules Federal Agency Wrongly Withdrew Bi-State Sage Grouse Protections
SAN FRANCISCO― A federal court has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service illegally withdrew its proposal to list the bi-state sage grouse as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Massive Kootenai National Forest Timber Sale Challenged by Conservation Groups
MISSOULA, Mont.— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service today to stop a large timber sale in the Kootenai National Forest that threatens a small and imperiled population of grizzly bears near the Montana-Canada border. The groups notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of their intent to sue it, as well.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges California Biofuel Refinery Expansion
LOS ANGELES— Environmental justice and conservation groups sued the city of Paramount, California today over its approval of a biofuel refinery expansion without adequate environmental review.
Read more.Legal Agreement Requires Federal Government to Update Marine Mammal Assessments
WASHINGTON— In response to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and Turtle Island Restoration Network, the Biden administration today agreed to release long-overdue population reports for manatees in Florida and Puerto Rico and sea otters and walruses in Alaska, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Rule Eliminates Cap on Population, Restricts Killing
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed today that it will eliminate its current population cap of 325 Mexican gray wolves that are allowed to live in the wild in the Southwest. Today’s announcement follows a 2018 legal victory by conservation organizations. In the same decision, the agency rejected science-based reforms that would increase genetic diversity at a faster rate.
Read more.Rare Florida Lizard Back on Course for Endangered Species Protection
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— In response to a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to reconsider its denial of Endangered Species Act protections to the Cedar Key mole skink, a highly imperiled lizard found only on a few islands off Florida’s Nature Coast. The Service must make a new decision by July 31, 2024.
Read more.Federal Appeals Court Upholds Decision to Halt Rosemont Mine in Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz.— A federal appeals court today upheld the invalidation of the U.S. Forest Service’s approval of a controversial open-pit copper mine in southern Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Over Delay of Endangered Species Protections for 11 Species
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity announced its intent today to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for delaying critically needed Endangered Species Act protections for 11 imperiled plants and animals. The species range from the Puerto Rico harlequin butterfly and the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle to a rare wetlands wildflower found only in Arizona and Mexico.
Read more.Lawsuit Expands Challenge to Damaging Grazing in Agua Fria National Monument in Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon Society initiated new legal proceedings against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management today to stop cattle in four grazing allotments from further damaging streams and riparian areas of the Agua Fria National Monument in central Arizona.
Read more.Legal Appeal Aims to Defend Wyoming’s Path of the Pronghorn From Massive Fracking Project
DENVER— Conservation groups today appealed a federal court’s decision upholding a Trump-era plan to allow 3,500 new gas wells in southwestern Wyoming.
Read more.Lawsuit: EPA Must Protect Manatees From Water Pollution
ORLANDO, Fla.— Three conservation groups sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today for failing to protect manatees and sea turtles from water pollution in Florida.
Read more.Legal Agreement Forces EPA to Assess Toxicity of Plastics
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency will analyze the toxic effects of polyvinyl chloride, commonly referred to as “PVC” or “vinyl”, as the result of a legal agreement reached today with the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Documents on Biden Administration Plans to Weaken Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s failure to release documents detailing discussions between political officials, other agency staff, and members of Congress over potential legislation that would further weaken the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Report: Electric Utilities Shut Off Power 3.6 Million Times While Increasing Payouts to Shareholders, Executives
WASHINGTON— Electric utilities have disconnected U.S. households more than 3.5 million times since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, while shareholder returns and executive compensation have skyrocketed, according to Powerless in the Pandemic 2.0, a new report from the Center for Biological Diversity and BailoutWatch.
Read more.Arizona OKs Uranium Mining Permit That Puts Grand Canyon’s Groundwater, Springs at Risk
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.— The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality approved an aquifer protection permit late Thursday for a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges U.S. Postal Service Plan to Buy 150,000 Gas-Guzzling Trucks
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity, CleanAirNow, Sierra Club, and 16 states filed lawsuits in California federal court today challenging the U.S. Postal Service’s decision to replace its aging fleet with close to 150,000 gas-burning delivery trucks.
Read more.Tope Sharks Take Step Toward Endangered Species Protection
PORTLAND, Ore.— Following a petition, the National Marine Fisheries Service has announced that the tope shark — also known as the “soupfin shark” — may warrant protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Legal Actions Challenge Huge Logging Project in Los Padres National Forest
VENTURA, Calif.— A coalition of environmental, business and recreational organizations — joined by the county of Ventura and the city of Ojai — filed suit in federal court today to challenge a commercial logging and vegetation removal project atop Pine Mountain and Reyes Peak in the Los Padres National Forest.
Read more.Proposed Montana Gypsum Mine Scrapped in Victory for Rare Plant
BILLINGS, Mont.— The mining company Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua has withdrawn its plan for gypsum mining exploration in southern Montana’s Pryor Desert. The plan would have disturbed Jurassic Period fossils, Crow and Northern Cheyenne archaeological sites, the imperiled greater sage grouse and many sensitive plant species, including the thick-leaf bladderpod.
Read more.500 Global Groups Urge Biden to End Fossil Fuel Era in Response to Russia-Ukraine War
WASHINGTON— More than 500 organizations from six continents sent a letter to President Biden and other world leaders today, urging them to speed the end of the fossil fuel era and spur a just and equitable transition to 100% renewable energy.
Read more.Lawsuit Demands Halt to Mexico’s Maya Train
CANCUN, Mexico— Conservation groups have sued the Mexican government over its plan to build a “Maya train” through one of Mexico’s most biodiverse forests. This controversial tourist train — one of President López Obrador’s flagship infrastructure projects — will connect holiday destinations across the Yucatán peninsula. The lawsuit challenges the government’s failure to issue an environmental assessment before approving the train’s fifth and most-controversial section.
Read more.Rare Southern Nevada Wildflower, Bee One Step Closer to Endangered Species Protections
LAS VEGAS— In response to litigation from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed today to dates for decisions on endangered species protections for the Las Vegas bearpoppy and the Mojave poppy bee, as well as 25 other species across the United States.
Read more.Monarch Butterflies, Dozens of Other Species One Step Closer to Endangered Species Protections
WASHINGTON— In response to three lawsuits brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed today to dates for decisions on whether 18 plants and animals from across the country warrant protection as endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The Service will also consider identifying and protecting critical habitat for another nine species.
Read more.Federal Officials Forced to Reexamine Kentucky Pipeline’s Threats to Endangered Bats
CEDAR GROVE, Ky.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it will return to the drawing board to ensure that a proposed methane gas pipeline will not jeopardize the survival of three imperiled bat species.
Read more.First Red Wolf Pups Born in Wild Since 2018, Raising Hope for Brighter Future for Species
ALBERMARLE, N.C.— For the first time in four years, a litter of pups has been born into eastern North Carolina’s struggling population of wild red wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program staff confirmed this week that six pups were born to a wild red wolf pair in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The Service announced late Thursday night that the new litter includes four females and two male pups.
Read more.Cultural, Environmental Groups Launch Utom Conservation Fund Scholarship, Fellowship
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.— An alliance of cultural and environmental organizations launched fellowships and scholarships today worth $100,000 for students committed to the protection of Southern California’s signature river. The Utom Conservation Fund Scholarship and Fellowship, announced on Earth Day, will be awarded to high school seniors, undergraduate and graduate school students committed to researching and preserving the cultural values and ecological function of the Utom watershed.
Read more.Biden Launches Process for Protecting Mature, Old-Growth Forests on Federal Lands
SEATTLE— President Joe Biden will issue an executive order today that directs federal agencies to conduct an inventory of mature and old-growth forests on America’s federal lands so that policies can be adopted to protect them. The administration framed the move as a key strategy to store carbon and address climate change.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Federal OK of Arizona Freeway That Will Harm Climate, Wildlife, Public Lands
TUCSON, Ariz.— Conservation groups sued the Federal Highway Administration today to challenge its approval of Interstate 11, a proposed north-south highway in Arizona that would destroy pristine Sonoran Desert, harm threatened desert tortoises and other wildlife, and worsen air pollution.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Rare Parasitic Bumblebees That Play Critical Role in Keeping Other Bee Populations Diverse, Robust
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether Suckley’s cuckoo bumblebees warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.For Earth Day, ‘Frostpaw the Polar Bear’ to Urge Rep. DeLauro, Sen. Leahy to Fully Fund Endangered Species Act
NEWTOWN, Conn.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Frostpaw, the Center’s polar bear mascot, will be tending a booth at Newtown Earth Day on Saturday, April 23 to hand out endangered species postcards that urge Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to increase funding for endangered species and help stem the global extinction crisis.
Read more.Group Celebrates Earth Day by Expanding Nature Preserve System Throughout West
BEND, Ore.— The Wildlands Conservancy, owner of California’s largest nonprofit nature preserve system, announced today the group’s expansion into additional Western states. The Conservancy’s first out-of-state acquisition is the purchase of the 30,000-acre Cherry Creek Ranch in central Oregon, newly named Enchanted Rocks Preserve after the landscape’s fascinating geology.
Read more.Top Scientists: California Must End Neighborhood Oil Drilling, Phase Out Fossil Fuels
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Nearly 200 scientists marked Earth Week by sending a letter today calling on the Newsom administration to immediately end neighborhood oil drilling and rapidly phase out fossil fuel production in California.
Read more.Oregon’s Wolf Population Increases by Only Two After Year of Poaching Deaths
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon’s wolf population increased by two confirmed animals in 2021 — from 173 to 175 wolves — according to a report released today by the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. There were 21 reported packs in 2021, while the number of breeding pairs decreased by one for a total of 16.
Read more.Legal Action Defends Endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher
WASHINGTON— Longtime conservation partners the Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon Society took to the courts today to fight once more to protect the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher. This tiny, highly endangered songbird depends on the increasingly rare and threatened streamside forests of the arid southwestern United States.
Read more.15,000 Endangered Species Condoms to Be Given Away for Earth Day
TUCSON, Ariz.— More than 140 volunteers will give away 15,000 free Endangered Species Condoms from the Center for Biological Diversity in time for Earth Day on Friday. The condoms will be given away at Earth Day events and on college campuses across the country.
Read more.New Study Shows People of Color in U.S. Are More Likely to Be Harmed by Pesticides Due to Weak Regulations, Lax Enforcement
WASHINGTON— A peer-reviewed study published today in the academic journal BMC Public Health finds that Black, Indigenous and people of color, along with low-income communities, shoulder an outsized burden of the harms caused by pesticides in the United States.
Read more.Legal Victory Secures Habitat Protection for 23 Imperiled Micronesian Species
HAGÅTÑA, Guam— Following a successful legal challenge by the Center for Biological Diversity and Blue Ocean Law, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must now identify and protect critical habitat for 23 endangered and threatened species located throughout greater Micronesia. The Service now has to act on critical habitat for these nine rare animals and 14 plants by June 26, 2025.
Read more.Appeals Court Upholds Habitat Protections for New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse
DENVER, Colo.— The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a challenge brought by two cattlemen’s associations seeking to overturn the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse’s critical habitat designation. This decision gives this remarkable mouse a fighting chance of survival.
Read more.Biden Administration to Restart Oil, Gas Leasing on Public Lands
WASHINGTON— The Bureau of Land Management announced today that it will resume oil and gas leasing on public lands, violating President Biden’s campaign promise to end new oil and gas leasing and locking in new extraction that thwarts his pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Read more.‘Los Angeles Times’ Ad Urges California to Ramp Up Clean Car Rules
LOS ANGELES— Environmental, equity and health groups placed a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times today warning that California’s weak draft auto emissions rule falls short of needed progress and jeopardizes the state’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2045.
Read more.California’s Clear Lake Hitch Back on Track for Endangered Species Protections
CLEAR LAKE, Calif.— In a legal victory for the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed today to again consider Endangered Species Act protections for the Clear Lake hitch. This large minnow is found only in Northern California’s Clear Lake.
Read more.Mining Company Told to Stop Illegal Dumping in Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains
TUCSON, Ariz.— Conservation groups filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue an international mining company to protect critical desert streams and washes in southern Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains.
Read more.Temblor Legless Lizard Gets Closer to California Endangered Species Protection
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife today recommended that the Temblor legless lizard move toward protection under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The action came in response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Independent Scientific Review Panel: EPA’s Weakening of Groundwater Protections From Pesticides Is Not Justified
WASHINGTON— In a peer-review report released this week, an independent panel of scientists gave a scathing critique of recent changes made by the Environmental Protection Agency to weaken its estimates of pesticide pollution in U.S. groundwater.
Read more.California Issues Weak Clean Cars Rule, Fails to Lead Aggressive Electric Push
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— California proposed a new clean car rule today that jeopardizes the state’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2045. The Advanced Clean Cars II Rule charts inadequate progress toward 100% zero-emission vehicle, or ZEV, sales and ignores tailpipe pollution from millions of gas-powered cars sold until that transition is complete.
Read more.State Wildlife Agency Recommends Ending Protection for California’s Climate-Threatened Western Joshua Trees
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— In a report released today, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommended ending interim protections for imperiled western Joshua trees, opening the door for widespread destruction of one of California’s most iconic species.
Read more.Federal Officials Revise Plan to Recover Endangered Mexican Gray Wolves
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Responding to a legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it will release a draft revision to its 2017 Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan. The new draft, which will be released Thursday, is intended to provide measures to reduce human-caused mortality that the 2017 plan lacked.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Seek Federal Protection for Thick-Leaf Bladderpod
BILLINGS, Mont.— Three conservation groups today announced their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect the thick-leaf bladderpod, a rare plant found only at the base of the Pryor Mountains in southern Montana and northern Wyoming. The plant is under imminent threat from gypsum mining.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Push EPA to Set New Limits on Soot, Sulfur, Nitrogen Pollution
OAKLAND, Calif.— Environmental groups filed a lawsuit today to force the Environmental Protection Agency to update limits on harmful soot, sulfur and nitrogen air pollution.
Read more.Endangered Species Act Protection Sought for Nevada’s Railroad Valley Toad
RENO, Nev.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition today with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the critically imperiled Railroad Valley toad, which is threatened by a proposed lithium production project and oil drilling.
Read more.New Report: Gender Equity Solutions Missing From Municipal Climate Plans
TUCSON, Ariz.— A newly released report by the Center for Biological Diversity that analyzed municipal climate plans found that, although women and gender-diverse people are disproportionately affected by climate change, none of the reviewed plans mentioned family planning, contraception, or reproductive health solutions. Only one mentioned gender equity.
Read more.Autoridad ambiental del T-MEC recomienda investigación formal por fallas en la protección de la vaquita marina en México
MONTRÉAL— Un organismo clave del acuerdo comercial entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá (T-MEC) recomendó hoy una investigación formal sobre el incumplimiento de México de sus leyes de pesca y de vida silvestre, lo que está causando la casi extinción de la vaquita marina. Redes de pesca ilegales colocadas para atrapar camarones y totoabas, un pez en peligro y codiciado en China por su vejiga natatoria, enredan y matan a la vaquita. Es probable que queden diez o menos vaquitas.
Read more.International Environmental Authority Recommends Full Investigation of Mexico’s Vaquita Failures
MONTRéAL— A key U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement body recommended a formal investigation today into Mexico’s failure to comply with its fishing and wildlife trade laws, which is causing the near-extinction of the vaquita porpoise. Illegal fishing nets set to catch shrimp and totoaba, an imperiled fish coveted in China for its swim bladder, entangle and kill vaquita. Ten or fewer vaquita likely remain.
Read more.More Than 200 Wolves Reported in Washington in 2021
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The official Washington wolf population numbers released today show a statewide total of 206 wolves in 33 packs, with 19 successful breeding pairs. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife documented 30 wolves killed by people in 2021, up from 16 last year.
Read more.New Dungeons & Dragons Book to Support Endangered Species Protection
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity is partnering with Mage Hand Press and creator Lucas Zellers to resurrect the histories of extinct animals in a surprising new way: through the popular role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
Read more.Documents: Biden Administration Misled Public Over Secret Plan to Weaken Whooping Crane Protections
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been planning to weaken whooping crane protections since early 2021, according to federal documents obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Developer Ditches Plan to Dam Arizona’s San Francisco River
PHOENIX— A developer notified federal regulators today that it has abandoned plans for a 200-foot-tall dam along a remote, biodiverse stretch of the San Francisco River at the Arizona-New Mexico border.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Stop Power Plant Construction, Save Nevada Toad After Endangered Species Listing
RENO, Nev.— The Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice of intent today to sue the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to halt construction of the Dixie Meadows geothermal power plant. Federal wildlife managers say the plant poses a significant risk of extinction to the Dixie Valley toad.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed to Protect Redwood Forest in California From Logging
MENDOCINO, Calif.― Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to stop the Mendocino Redwood Company from logging nearly 1,000 acres of redwood forest in a California watershed that provides habitat for threatened northern spotted owls and fish.
Read more.140 Groups Call for Major Reforms at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Restore Scientific Integrity
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and 139 other organizations sent a letter today urging U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams to take immediate action to reform the agency’s process for listing imperiled species as threatened or endangered.
Read more.Bill Calls for Turbocharging Renewable Energy Manufacturing Under Defense Production Act to Ensure True Energy Security, End Fossil Fuels
WASHINGTON— U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) introduced legislation today that would require President Biden to use the Defense Production Act to build a renewable energy industrial base to protect communities and achieve energy independence from fossil fuels.
Read more.Los Angeles County Moves to Limit New Sprawl in Fire-Prone Areas
LOS ANGELES— The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an update to the county’s general plan today that limits new development in wildfire hazard zones, reducing regional risk as California braces for what could be another intense fire season.
Read more.Federal Court Rejects Fort Huachuca’s Groundwater Pumping Plan for Fourth Time
TUCSON, Ariz.— A federal judge has rejected the latest plan by the U.S. Army and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aimed at preventing damage to the San Pedro River and its endangered species from groundwater pumping to serve Fort Huachuca and the Fort’s population in surrounding areas.
Read more.Congress Introduces Legislation to Ban Wildlife Killing Contests on Public Lands
WASHINGTON— More than a dozen members of Congress introduced legislation today that would prohibit organizing, sponsoring, conducting or participating in wildlife killing contests on more than 500 million acres of U.S. public lands.
Read more.New Coalition Pressures Tennessee Valley Authority to Cut Fossil-Fuel Emissions, Ramp Up Renewable Energy
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— Dozens of organizations in the Tennessee Valley came together today to launch the Clean Up TVA Coalition, demanding immediate action from the Tennessee Valley Authority to cut carbon emissions and transition to a fossil-fuel-free and just energy future by 2030.
Read more.California Oil Company Warned for Cutting Corners in Repairing Leaky Pipeline
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity warned DCOR, LLC in a letter today that the company failed to comply with a California law requiring a Coastal Development Permit for its repair of an offshore oil pipeline that leaked in December.
Read more.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Gives Rare Nevada Toad Emergency Endangered Species Protection
RENO, Nev.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it would immediately protect the rare Dixie Valley toad under the Endangered Species Act on an emergency basis. The toads face an acute threat of extinction from the construction of a geothermal power plant adjacent to their only home at Dixie Meadows, a hot spring-fed wetland in Churchill County, Nevada.
Read more.100 Groups Demand EPA Set Protective Airplane-Pollution Limits
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and more than 100 allies submitted comments today opposing the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed particulate matter pollution standards for aircraft.
Read more.Arizona Game and Fish Fails to Ban Spring Bear Hunting With New Guidelines
PHOENIX, Ariz.— The Arizona Game and Fish Commission finalized new five-year hunting guidelines today that offer slightly better protections for mountain lions and bears but still fail to give the animals a fair chance, allowing hound hunting and a spring bear hunt to proceed.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Stop Destruction of Endangered California Tiger Salamander Habitat
SANTA MARIA, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity notified the Santa Maria Airport District this week of its intent to sue over the destruction of hundreds of acres of critical habitat for endangered California tiger salamanders.
Read more.Alaska’s Ice Seals Gain Critical Habitat Protection
WASHINGTON— Following a legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced two final rules today to protect critical habitat for bearded seals and ringed seals, two types of Arctic ice seals in Alaska.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Numbers Rose to Just Under 200 Last Year
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The population of endangered Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico grew by 10 animals last year, from 186 animals in 2020 to 196 in 2021. While this represents an overall increase, the pace of recovery is being hampered by illegal killings, disease, and genetic mismanagement.
Read more.Coastal California Sunflower Is Latest Endangered Species Act Success
EUREKA, Calif.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today changed the Endangered Species Act status of beach layia, a small sunflower that grows only in California’s coastal dunes, reclassifying it from endangered to threatened. The change is due to reduced impacts from offroad vehicles, grazing, and development throughout much of the species’ range.
Read more.Groups Call for Oil Industry to Fund California’s Costly Oil Well Cleanup
OAKLAND, Calif.— California climate, health and community groups sent a letter to the U.S. Interior Department today urging it to force polluters to pay for the cleanup of tens of thousands of dangerous abandoned oil and gas wells in the state.
Read more.Biden Budget Shortchanges Key Programs to Protect, Recover Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— Despite an overall increase of $86.4 million for endangered species conservation, President Biden’s fiscal year 2023 budget request, released today, still falls short of what’s needed to stem the loss of our nation’s biodiversity and halt the global extinction crisis.
Read more.Endangered Species Protection Sought for Tiny Virginia Fish
RICHMOND, Va.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a legal petition today seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the roughhead shiner, an olive-colored minnow found only in the upper James River watershed in western Virginia.
Read more.Agreement Prohibits Military Spending on Border Wall, Requires Restoration, Damage Study
WASHINGTON— Several federal agencies and the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and Animal Legal Defense Fund reached an agreement today that prohibits military spending on border walls.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed to Fight EPA Delay in Reducing Asthma-Causing Smog
WASHINGTON— Four environmental groups filed a lawsuit today to force the Environmental Protection Agency to downgrade the smog rating in eight areas from serious to severe. The downgrade in the ratings will trigger more protective measures to reduce pollution emissions
Read more.New Documents: EPA Managers Reportedly Instructed Staff Not to Document in Emails Concerns About Flea Collars Linked to Thousands of Pet Deaths
WASHINGTON— Scientists in the Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide office were instructed to refrain from emailing about their growing concerns about the safety of flea collars linked to thousands of pet deaths, according to statements in emails released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Read more.U.S. Endangered Species Act Protection Sought for Hippos
WASHINGTON— Wildlife protection groups today petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect hippos under the Endangered Species Act. The legal petition was filed by the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, Humane Society Legislative Fund and Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.14,000 Objections Filed Against Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— More than 14,000 objections have been filed in opposition to the federal plan for the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, marking the highest number ever received by the U.S. Forest Service over such a plan.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect California’s Temblor Legless Lizard
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to decide whether the temblor legless lizard in California warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Northern Long-Eared Bats Proposed for Endangered Species Protection
PORTLAND, Ore.— In a reversal of a previous “threatened” listing that exempted destruction of the northern long-eared bat’s habitat from protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a proposal to list the bat as endangered. This change in legal status will afford the species far greater protection under the Endangered Species Act as it struggles to survive in the face of devastating white-nose syndrome and human development.
Read more.400,000 Native Animals Killed by Federal Program Last Year, New Data Shows
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services reported killing 404,538 native animals in 2021, according to new data released by the program today. The federal wildlife-killing program targets wolves, coyotes, cougars, birds and other wild animals, primarily to benefit the agriculture industry in states like Texas, Colorado and Idaho.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed Against EPA to Protect Endangered Species From Cadmium Pollution
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today against the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to assess harms to endangered species before nearly tripling the levels of dangerous cadmium pollution that are allowed in U.S. waters.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Interior Department Documents Behind Oil, Gas Leasing Report
GREAT FALLS, Mont.— Climate and conservation groups sued the U.S. Interior Department on Friday for failing to release public records, including documents behind the development of a federal oil and gas leasing report, related to President Biden’s 2021 executive order to address climate change.
Read more.Rare Sand Dune-Dwelling Plant in Oregon, California Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection
PORTLAND, Ore.— Following a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to protect the sand dune phacelia as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Just 26 populations of this rare plant remain in the coastal dunes of southern Oregon and northern California.
Read more.Washington Wildlife Commission Again Votes Down Spring Bear Hunt
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 5-4 today against a proposed 2022 spring bear-hunting season. The vote by the commission, which oversees the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, is the second related to this year’s season. It follows an attempt by hunting groups to reverse the original November 2021 suspension of the hunt.
Read more.U.S. Company Seeks to Extend License for Deep-Sea Mining in Pacific
WASHINGTON— Federal officials today published an application by Lockheed Martin to extend two licenses to mine the deep ocean. These licenses propose exploratory deep-sea mining work in the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone, halfway between Mexico and Hawaii.
Read more.Mining Company Nixes California Gold Exploration That Threatened Rare Daisy
LOS ANGELES— A Canadian mining company has announced it’s suspending a proposal to expand gold mining exploration and road building on California’s Conglomerate Mesa after the U.S. Bureau of Land Management required an environmental impact statement for the project.
Read more.Oregon Department of Forestry Moves Flawed Endangered Species Plan Forward
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Forestry and the National Marine Fisheries Service issued a draft environmental impact statement today for a habitat conservation plan that regulates logging on more than 600,000 acres of state forest in western Oregon.
Read more.Progressive Caucus Urges Biden to Declare Climate Emergency, Stop New Fossil Fuel Extraction, Turbocharge Renewables
WASHINGTON— The Congressional Progressive Caucus called on President Biden today to declare a climate emergency, ban federal fossil fuel leasing and extraction, and build distributed renewable energy systems under the Defense Production Act.
Read more.Five Years After ‘Cyanide Bomb’ Injures Idaho Teen, Efforts Continue to Ban Deadly Devices
WASHINGTON— This week marks the fifth anniversary of an Idaho teen nearly being fatally poisoned by an M-44, commonly known as a “cyanide bomb.” The incident received worldwide media coverage and spurred federal and state efforts to ban these wildlife-killing devices.
Read more.Federal Court Rejects Weld County’s Request to Delay Reductions of Dangerous Smog Pollution From Oil, Gas Operations
DENVER— A federal appeals court has rejected Weld County’s attempt to delay steps to reduce pollution from the Colorado county’s oil and gas operations that contributes to asthma-causing smog in the Metro-Denver and Front Range region.
Read more.Two Appalachian Crayfish Gain 446 Miles of Lifesaving Critical Habitat
CHARLESTON, W.Va.— Following a petition and lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today designated 446 stream miles of critical habitat for the Big Sandy and Guyandotte River crayfish in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.
Read more.New Wildlife Data Reveals Disturbing U.S. Trophy Trade Trends
WASHINGTON— U.S. hunters imported more than 700,000 trophies taken from giraffes, rhinos and many other species around the globe from 2016 to 2020, according to data newly obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The data shows a steady and sizeable annual increase in U.S. trade in hunting trophies — including mounts, skulls, skins, teeth and other parts — throughout the Trump administration. The trophy trade declined only after the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
Read more.California Court Rules Against Big Bear Development Over Wildfire Concerns, Harms to Rare Plant
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif.— A judge ruled against a controversial development proposed on the north shore of Big Bear Lake over concerns about wildfire evacuation risks and threats to a plant unique to the area.
Read more.CITES Approves Totoaba Trade in Major Blow to Imperiled Vaquita Porpoise
LYON, France— The Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora voted 9-6 Thursday to permit Earth Ocean Farms, an aquaculture facility in Mexico, to engage in trade of captive-bred totoaba fish. This decision may seal the fate of the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, which becomes entangled in fishing nets used to catch totoaba for the totoaba bladder (or maw) trade.
Read more.CITES aprueba el comercio de totoaba en un gran golpe para la vaquita marina
LYON, Francia— El Comité Permanente de la Convención sobre el Comercio Internacional de Especies Amenazadas de Fauna y Flora Silvestres (CITES) votó el jueves 9 a 5 para permitir que Earth Ocean Farms (EOF), una instalación de acuacultura en México, participe en el comercio internacional de peces totoaba criados en cautiverio. Esta decisión puede sellar el destino de la vaquita marina que está en peligro crítico de extinción, la cual queda atrapada en las redes de pesca que capturan totoaba para comercializar su vejiga (o buches).
Read more.Congress Urged to Increase Spending to $700 Million for Endangered Species Conservation
WASHINGTON— Citing the global extinction crisis, more than 150 groups urged Congress today to significantly increase the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from $300 million to $704 million — an increase of more than $400 million over the fiscal year 2022 budget.
Read more.Expanded Alaska Habitat Protections Sought for World’s Most Endangered Whale
ANCHORAGE, Alaska— Conservationists filed a formal petition today urging the federal government to expand the critical habitat designation in Alaska for North Pacific right whales — the most endangered whale population in the world.
Read more.Report Card: North Carolina’s Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan Flunks
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— A report card issued by the Center for Biological Diversity and endorsed by 100 organizations and businesses gives failing grades to the newly released Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan. The Forest Service plan would dramatically increase logging in the country’s most popular national forest while reducing protections for its most important recreation and conservation areas.
Read more.California Court Rejects Sprawl Development Near San Diego
SAN DIEGO— Citing wildfire concerns, a judge ruled against a 3,000-home development proposed for the city of Santee. The Fanita Ranch project would be built on more than 2,600 acres of fire-prone hillsides north of the city that serve as habitat for the coastal California gnatcatcher, western spadefoot toad and other rare species.
Read more.Biden Urged to Invoke Defense Protection Act, Resist Shortsighted Domestic Fossil Fuel Policies
WASHINGTON— Following President Biden’s announcement Tuesday that the United States will ban all Russian oil imports, more than 200 climate, Indigenous, social justice, religious, and progressive groups sent a letter to the White House today urging the president to invoke the Defense Production Act in order to ramp up the deployment of renewable energy to transition the world off the fossil fuels that are leading to global instability.
Read more.Omnibus Budget Ignores Climate Emergency, Extinction Crisis
WASHINGTON— The Democratic-controlled Congress today released the final appropriations bill to fund fiscal year 2022, which began five months earlier.
Read more.Santa Barbara County Rejects ExxonMobil Oil-Trucking Plan
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted today to reject ExxonMobil’s proposal to transport oil by tanker trucks along hazardous California highways. The plan would have helped the company restart three 1980s-era drilling platforms off the Santa Barbara coast that have been shut down since the Refugio oil spill disaster seven years ago.
Read more.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Reverses Course, Asserts That Neurotoxic Pesticide Malathion Will Not Put a Single Protected Species At Risk of Extinction
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the widely used insecticide malathion does not pose an extinction risk to a single protected animal or plant and refused to implement any immediate, enforceable measures to protect species from the chemical poison.
Read more.Petition Urges Biden Administration to Strengthen Endangered Species Act to Save Life on Earth
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a comprehensive legal petition today urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to take bold, unprecedented action to stem the global wildlife extinction crisis by strengthening the Endangered Species Act’s implementing regulations.
Read more.Eighty Groups Demand Gov. Newsom Set Nation-Leading Clean Car Standard
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— More than 80 environmental and justice organizations delivered a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom today urging him to strengthen the state’s clean car regulations. The letter comes ahead of Newsom’s State of the State address Tuesday, in which he’s expected to outline his top priorities.
Read more.Legal Petition Demands Biden Administration Halt Imports of Russian Fossil Fuels
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce today to review and ban all fossil fuel imports from Russia — including oil, coal, petroleum gas products and petcoke — under the U.S. Trade Act because of the national security threat those imports pose to the United States.
Read more.Oregon Passes Law to Prevent Spread of Diseases Linked to Wildlife Trafficking
PORTLAND, Ore.— Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill into law today to help Oregon prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases linked to the import, trade and handling of wildlife. H.B. 4128 passed with bipartisan support in the Oregon legislature.
Read more.National Marine Fisheries Service Analysis: Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, Malathion Jeopardize Dozens of Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— The National Marine Fisheries Service released a revised draft biological opinion today finding that three widely used insecticides — chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion — jeopardize the continued existence of dozens of endangered marine species, including salmon and Puget Sound orcas.
Read more.Two Freshwater Mussels Proposed for Federal Protections in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana
ST. LOUIS— In response to a 2010 petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to protect the western and Ouachita fanshell mussels under the Endangered Species Act. The Service also plans to designate 654 miles of protected critical habitat in Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri for the two species.
Read more.State of the Union: Amid Global Crisis, Biden Must Move to End Fossil Fuel Era
WASHINGTON— Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, released the following statement after President Biden’s State of the Union address.
Read more.Seabird Protection From Federal Fisheries On Horizon
WASHINGTON— In response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said this week that it intends to regulate commercial fisheries’ incidental killing of seabirds. In an email sent Monday to the Center, the Service said it will publish a proposed bird-bycatch rule this summer.
Read more.U.S. Officials Urged to Deny Elephant Trophy Imports by March 16 Deadline
WASHINGTON— Conservation and animal welfare groups urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to deny permits to hunters seeking to import elephant trophies into the United States from Zimbabwe and Namibia. Under a settlement with the Dallas Safari Club, the agency must decide on eight pending permit applications by mid-March following a multi-year permitting hiatus for elephant trophy imports into the country.
Read more.Biden Climate Leadership Needed in Wake of Supreme Court Argument
WASHINGTON— The Supreme Court heard oral argument today in West Virginia v. EPA, a case that could shape the contours of the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate power plant emissions under the Clean Air Act. The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental respondent in the case, urged the court to either uphold the EPA’s authority to set appropriate standards for coal and gas fired power plants or dismiss the case for lack of appellate standing.
Read more.Last Rattlesnake Roundup in Georgia Replaced by Humane Wildlife Festival
ATLANTA— Following advocacy by the Center for Biological Diversity and conservation allies, the Whigham Rattlesnake Roundup will hold its first ever wildlife-friendly event this Saturday, March 5. The revamped roundup in Whigham, Georgia, will celebrate snakes instead of collecting and butchering them for their meat and skins.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Endangered Bats From Methane Gas Pipeline
CEDAR GROVE, Ky.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Kentucky Resources Council filed a formal notice of intent to sue two federal agencies for failing to protect imperiled bats from harm threatened by the construction of the proposed Bullitt County Transmission Line in Kentucky.
Read more.Grupos exhortan a juzgado mexicano fallar a favor de jóvenes indígenas mayas en amparo constitucional ante mega granja porcícola en Yucatán
CDMX, México— Grupos ambientalistas, científicos, médicos y expertos en salud pública presentaron hoy un informe legal que respalda las demandas constitucionales presentadas por jóvenes mayas, quienes se oponen a la aprobación y operación de una instalación industrial masiva de cerdos en tierras ecológicamente sensibles y culturalmente importantes en la península de Yucatán.
Read more.Mexican Court Urged to Rule for Indigenous Mayan Youth in Constitutional Challenge to Massive Industrial Hog Operation on Yucatán Peninsula
MEXICO CITY, Mexico— Conservation groups, scientists, doctors and public-health experts filed a legal brief today supporting constitutional claims raised by Mayan children who oppose approval and operation of a massive industrial hog farm on ecologically sensitive and culturally important lands in the Yucatán Peninsula.
Read more.Peppered Chub Placed on Endangered List
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added a fish called the peppered chub to the endangered species list today. The agency also designated 872 river miles of critical habitat in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma for the chub, a 3-inch-long, torpedo-shaped fish of the Great Plains.
Read more.Supreme Court Argument Highlights Need for Biden Climate Action
WASHINGTON— A high-stakes argument before the Supreme Court on Monday will spotlight the urgent need for President Biden to take bold executive action to fight climate change, but the best outcome could be for the court to decline to decide the case at all.
Read more.Lawsuit Targets EPA’s Failure to Protect Washington’s Endangered Salmon, Orcas, Trout From Cyanide Pollution
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and Western Environmental Law Center sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today over its failure to protect Chinook and coho salmon, Southern Resident killer whales, steelhead trout and bull trout from the effects of toxic cyanide in Washington’s waters.
Read more.Legal Petition Urges Biden Administration to Ban Toxic Agricultural Pesticides on National Wildlife Refuges
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and Center for Food Safety filed a legal petition today calling for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to end the use of dangerous agricultural pesticides on national wildlife refuges.
Read more.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sued for Refusing to Stop Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon From Killing Endangered Animals, Plants
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to push it to take action to stop endangered species from being harmed by the pesticides chlorpyrifos and diazinon, as required by the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.BASF to Stop Selling Pesticide Trifludimoxazin Rather Than Continue Litigation
SAN FRANCISCO— In response to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Food Safety and Center for Biological Diversity, chemical giant BASF has agreed to stop the manufacture and sale of the pesticide trifludimoxazin, according a court filing today.
Read more.$22,500 Reward Offered for Info on Illegal Killing of Wolf in Northeast Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation and animal-protection groups announced a combined $22,500 reward today for information leading to a conviction in the killing of a collared wolf outside the town of Cove in Northeast Oregon.
Read more.Report Details Key Powers Biden Can Unlock With National Climate Emergency, Echoes Congressional Calls for Declaration
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity released a groundbreaking report today outlining the suite of specific powers that President Biden could unlock to fight the climate crisis by declaring a national climate emergency.
Read more.Agreement Sets Swift Deadline for Decision on Dixie Valley Toad Protections
RENO, Nev.— The Center for Biological Diversity and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reached an agreement today requiring the agency to decide by April 4 whether Nevada’s rare Dixie Valley toad warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Federal Regulators Urged to End Utility Practice of Funneling Ratepayer Money to Anti-Environment Trade Groups
WASHINGTON— More than 300 energy justice, environmental and community groups urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today to address utility company behavior that forces millions of customers to finance anti-environment trade groups.
Read more.New Report: More Than 200 Million Pounds of Pesticides in U.S. Are Applied to Crops Grown to Feed Animals on Factory Farms
NEW YORK— Hundreds of millions of pounds of toxic pesticides used in the United States are applied to corn and soy crops that are grown to feed factory farmed animals, according to a new report, Collateral Damage, released today by World Animal Protection, US and the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Nevada Geothermal Project Breaks Ground While Court Battles Rage
RENO, Nev.— Bulldozers broke ground this week at geothermal developer Ormat’s Dixie Meadows Geothermal Project in Churchill County, Nevada, while court battles over the project’s fate continue.
Read more.California Officials Urged to Decommission Leaky Offshore Oil Pipeline
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.— Eight conservation groups asked California officials today to reject plans to repair and restart a broken pipeline that caused a December oil spill in coastal waters off Orange County.
Read more.California Bill Aims to Improve Wildlife Connectivity, Public Safety
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Assemblymembers Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) and Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would prioritize crossings and other infrastructure projects that improve wildlife connectivity and make California roads safer.
Read more.Legal Intervention Backs California’s Authority to Protect Oceano Dunes From Off-Road Vehicles
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.— Conservation, Native American and community groups filed a motion this week to intervene in a lawsuit to defend the California Coastal Commission’s March 2021 decision phasing out off-highway vehicle use at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.
Read more.Court Upholds Protections for California’s Western Joshua Trees
FRESNO, Calif.— A Fresno County Superior Court judge today rejected an effort by construction and real estate interests, along with the city of Hesperia, to strip away legal protections for the imperiled western Joshua tree.
Read more.Petition Aims to Protect Tope Shark Under Endangered Species Act
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation organizations submitted a petition to the National Marine Fisheries Service today requesting protection of the tope shark under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Missing Link in Biden’s Climate Agenda: Letting Older Trees Grow
WASHINGTON— A coalition of more than 70 groups launched a new campaign today called the Climate Forests Campaign and called on the Biden administration to take executive action to protect mature trees and forests on federal lands, which are critical in the fight against climate change.
Read more.Rare Plant in South Texas, Mexico Proposed for Endangered Species Protection
RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas— Following a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to protect the prostrate milkweed as endangered. Just 24 populations of the plant survive in South Texas and northern Mexico, where they serve up large quantities of nectar to bees and tarantula hawks.
Read more.Lawsuit Targets Federal OK of Railway That Would Quadruple Oil Production in Utah’s Uinta Basin
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Surface Transportation Board today to challenge its approval of a new rail line designed to quadruple oil production in Utah’s Uinta Basin and send most of the crude to Gulf Coast refineries.
Read more.EE.UU. presenta demanda comercial en contra de México por la falta de protección a la vaquita marina
WASHINGTON— La Representante de Comercio de Estados Unidos, Katherine Tai, solicitó formalmente consultas medioambientales con México por su pesca ilegal con el objetivo de proteger a la vaquita marina, en peligro crítico de extinción. La solicitud es el primer paso en el marco del mecanismo de implementación y disputa del Acuerdo México-Estados Unidos-Canadá, que podría dar lugar a sanciones comerciales contra México.
Read more.U.S. Launches Trade Complaint Over Mexico’s Failure to Protect Vaquita
WASHINGTON— U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai formally requested environmental consultations with Mexico today over its illegal fishing. Aimed at protecting the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, the request is the first step under the enforcement and dispute mechanism of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which could lead to trade sanctions against Mexico.
Read more.Federal Court Restores Gray Wolf’s Endangered Species Act Protection
OAKLAND, Calif.— A federal judge today restored protection to gray wolves, reversing a Trump-era rule that removed Endangered Species Act protection from the animals across most of the country. Today’s ruling prohibits wolf hunting and trapping in states outside of the northern Rocky Mountains.
Read more.Endangered Species Condoms to Be Handed Out at El Paso Zoo for Valentine’s Day
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity will give away free Endangered Species Condoms ahead of Valentine’s Day at the El Paso Zoo Society’s Wild at Heart event, an adults-only Valentine’s Day event featuring food, games, live music and education about some of the interesting mating courtships found in nature. The colorful condom packages include species threatened by human population growth and slogans like “Wrap with care, save the polar bear” and “When you’re feeling tender, think about the hellbender.”
Read more.30,000 Endangered Species Condoms to Be Distributed for Valentine’s Day
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity will give away 30,000 free Endangered Species Condoms across the country ahead of Valentine’s Day to help couples understand population growth’s threat to wildlife and the planet. Distributions will occur at adult-only events, including the Virginia Zoo’s Kiss and Tail, the Tallahassee Museum’s Frolics of Florida, Zoo Idaho’s Date Night, and Safari West’s Wild Jungle Love in Santa Rosa, California.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Secure Endangered Status for Secretive Eastern Black Rail
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and Healthy Gulf filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over a Trump administration decision that the eastern black rail should have threatened rather than endangered status under the Endangered Species Act. The Service predicts that the critically imperiled marsh bird will likely be extinct by 2068.
Read more.Court Upholds Ventura County Ordinances to Safeguard Wildlife Connectivity
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.— A pair of Ventura County ordinances that increases protections for wildlife corridors has prevailed after a judge ruled on the side of county leaders and conservationists.
Read more.California Senate Bill Would Eliminate Dirty, Dangerous Offshore Drilling
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Legislation introduced today in the California Senate would phase out offshore drilling for oil and gas in the state’s coastal waters. The bill follows October’s big oil spill off Orange County and other recent oil industry spills and legal violations.
Read more.Army Corps Urged to Block Louisiana Methanol Facility Over Potential Groundwater Harms
NEW ORLEANS— Groups opposing a South Louisiana Methanol project sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today calling attention to the agency’s failure to obtain critical information about the facility’s possible threats to the freshwater Gramercy Aquifer. The $2.2 billion complex, planned for a 1,500-acre site in St. James Parish, would be one of the world’s largest methanol plants.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Suckley’s Cuckoo Bumblebees
OAKLAND, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice today of its intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect imperiled Suckley’s cuckoo bumblebees under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Legal Petition Demands Biden Administration Stop Unlawful Gulf of Mexico Oil Drilling
WASHINGTON— More than 300 environmental, public health, Indigenous, faith-based and community groups sent a legal petition today demanding that the Biden administration immediately stop authorizing new exploration plans, development plans and drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico until it properly examines the climate damage from more offshore drilling.
Read more.Rare Montana Plant Moves Closer to Endangered Species Protection
BILLINGS, Mont.— In response to a 2021 petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the thick-leaf bladderpod may qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The Service will now begin a full status review of the species.
Read more.Maui Grand Wailea Resort Sued for Lights That Harm Endangered Seabirds
HONOLULU— Conservation groups in Hawai‘i, represented by Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit today against Maui’s Grand Wailea Resort for its bright lights that attract Hawaiian petrels, frequently leading to their grounding and death.
Read more.Variable Cuckoo Bumblebee Moves One Step Closer to Endangered Species Act Protection
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the variable cuckoo bumblebee, a critically imperiled species that has not been observed since 1999, may warrant Endangered Species Act protection. The announcement kicks off a one-year status assessment of the species.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Critical Habitat for Florida Bonneted Bat, Again
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity, Tropical Audubon Society and the Miami Blue Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to designate lifesaving critical habitat for Florida’s largest bat.
Read more.Federal Appeals Court Axes Commercial Logging in Los Padres National Forest Roadless Area in California
LOS ANGELES― A federal appeals court blocked a commercial logging project in a roadless area of the Los Padres National Forest today, siding with three conservation groups to protect 1,100 acres of old-growth forest actively used by endangered California condors.
Read more.America COMPETES Act Includes Big Wins for Wildlife, Pandemic Prevention
WASHINGTON— The America COMPETES Act passed today by the U.S. House of Representatives contains several provisions that would help prevent future pandemics.
Read more.Federal Court Invalidates Another Key Permit in Endangered Species Act Case, Casting Serious Doubt on Future of Mountain Valley Pipeline
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit today invalidated the biological opinion and incidental take statement issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act for the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
Read more.Legal Petition Urges Biden Administration to Stop Buying Single-Use Plastic
WASHINGTON— More than 180 community and conservation organizations filed a legal petition today demanding that the U.S. government stop buying plastic bags and other single-use plastic products. Supporting organizations include the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club, Oceana, Surfrider and Greenpeace.
Read more.Congressional Oversight Urged for Tennessee Valley Authority
WASHINGTON— Clean energy groups urged a congressional committee today to call Tennessee Valley Authority CEO Jeffrey Lyash before an oversight hearing to answer questions about the massive public utility’s business practices, including its financing of anti-environment trade groups.
Read more.Red Wolf Recovery Program to Resume in Earnest, Raising Ray of Hope for Survival
RALEIGH, N.C.— After years of litigation and advocacy by the Center for Biological Diversity and its allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday night that it is revitalizing the effort to save the red wolf from extinction. In an online meeting, the Service announced that it is redoubling its efforts to ensure that the red wolf not only survives in the wild but makes a full recovery.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Challenging EPA’s Failure to Update Air Pollution Emission Standards for Soot, Sulfur, Nitrogen
OAKLAND, Calif.— Environmental groups filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency to force it to update limits on soot, sulfur and nitrogen air pollution.
Read more.Critical Habitat Protections Proposed for Tiehm’s Buckwheat
RENO, Nev.— As a result of successful litigation by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed protecting 910 acres of critical habitat for Nevada’s Tiehm’s buckwheat, including the areas where all the flower’s populations live and a 500-meter protective buffer.
Read more.In Another Endangered Species Act Success, Central California Coast Snail On Road to Recovery
MORRO BAY, Calif.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today formally changed the status of the Morro shoulderband snail from endangered to threatened, citing Endangered Species Act protections that have helped spur its recovery.
Read more.Federal, California Protections Sought for Rare Daisy Imperiled by Gold Mining
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity, California Native Plant Society and a botanist who studies the rare Inyo rock daisy formally petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect the rare daisy under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Read more.In-Danger Designation Requested for Pantanal Wetlands in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay
GLAND, Switzerland— Conservation groups sent an urgent letter to the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention today requesting a full assessment of damage caused by recent fires to in the Pantanal — the largest tropical wetland in the world — in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed to Protect Health of Gadsden, Alabama Residents, Coosa River Wildlife From Chronic Sewage Overflows
GADSDEN, Ala.— Conservation and community groups sued the Water Works and Sewer Board of the city of Gadsden, Alabama today for neglecting its duty to maintain public sewers and not properly reporting on sewage pollution that it discharges, in violation of the Clean Water Act.
Read more.EPA to Consider ‘Emergency’ Use of Bee-Killing Pesticide Clothianidin on Florida Oranges for Ninth Straight Year
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is considering granting “emergency” approval of a bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticide for use on as many as 125,000 acres of Florida citrus crops, including oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, lemons and limes.
Read more.As Deaths Soar, Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Critical Habitat for Florida Manatees
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Conservation organizations today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to revise outdated critical habitat for Florida manatees. A record number of manatees — more than 1,100 — died in 2021, with many of these deaths attributable primarily to pollution of manatee habitat.
Read more.Utah BLM Urged to Cease Destruction of Dinosaur Tracksite
SALT LAKE CITY— The Center for Biological Diversity sent a cease-and-desist letter to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Utah office today urging the agency to immediately halt the destruction of irreplaceable paleontological resources at the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite near Moab.
Read more.Mr. Goodbar, Famed Wandering Wolf of Borderlands, Shot in New Mexico But Survives
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The endangered Mexican gray wolf who spent five days pacing along the border wall in New Mexico before turning back was found shot but alive Wednesday.
Read more.Court: Massive Offshore Oil Lease Sale in Gulf Based on Faulty Legal Analysis
WASHINGTON— The D.C. District Court today invalidated the Department of the Interior's decision to offer 80 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing, marking a pivotal victory in the fight to defend Gulf communities and the planet from the worsening climate crisis.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Documents on Biden Administration’s Border Levee Wall Construction in Texas
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today for failing to release public records about construction of new border walls on levees along the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
Read more.Under Pressure From EPA, North Carolina Moves to Comply With Clean Air Act Requirement for Deciding on Permits in 18 Months
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— The North Carolina Division of Air Quality has proposed a rule requiring state regulators to issue decisions on air-pollution permits within 18 months, as required by the federal Clean Air Act.
Read more.California Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Measure Z Oil, Gas Protections Case
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Supreme Court announced today that it will take up the years-long legal fight over Measure Z, a ballot initiative that would block oil and gas development in Monterey County.
Read more.100-Plus Environmental Groups Urge Agriculture Secretary to Block Oil Train Railway Through Utah, Colorado
WASHINGTON— More than 100 environmental organizations, representing millions of supporters across the country, urged Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack today to block a proposed right-of-way through a Utah national forest that would enable construction of the Uinta Basin Railway.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Denial of Endangered Species Protection for Florida Lizard
MIAMI— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for a Trump Administration decision to deny protection to the Cedar Key mole skink under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Whales, Other Endangered Animals From Pacific Offshore Oil Drilling
LOS ANGELES— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Biden administration today for failing to protect endangered whales, sea turtles and other species from continued oil and gas drilling off California’s coast.
Read more.Agreement Reached to Ensure New Protections for Rare Mount Charleston Blue Butterfly as Nevada Ski Resort Expands
LAS VEGAS— The Center for Biological Diversity and Lee Canyon reached an agreement today to allow the proposed expansion of the Lee Canyon Ski Area to move forward with significant new protections in place for the endangered Mount Charleston blue butterfly.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Rare Oregon Wildflower
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice today of its intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to force it to respond to a petition to protect a plant called the tall western penstemon under the Endangered Species Act. The species is one of the rarest vascular plants in the Pacific Northwest and is threatened by development, habitat degradation, climate change and competition from non-native species.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Threatened Lynx, Bats From Massive Copper Mine in Superior National Forest in Minnesota
DULUTH, Minn.— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today, saying their approval of the PolyMet open-pit copper mine and land exchange in the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota violates the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Gov. Inslee Makes Three New Appointments to Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Gov. Jay Inslee appointed three new members to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today. These new commissioners — Tim Ragen, John Lehmkhul and Melanie Rowland — will complete the nine-member body that makes decisions regarding management of the state’s fish, wildlife and other resources.
Read more.Denied Protection for Two Decades, New Mexico Butterfly Finally Proposed for ‘Endangered’ Status
WASHINGTON— In response to a third legal petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed protection for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. The orange-and-black checkered butterfly is found only in high-elevation meadows around the village of Cloudcroft in the Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico. Only eight butterflies and no larval tents could be found in the latest survey.
Read more.Petition Aims to Protect Famed Ghost Orchids Under Endangered Species Act
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Conservation organizations submitted a petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today requesting protection of the ghost orchid under the Endangered Species Act. The ghost orchid, one of the most famous and imperiled flowers in Florida, has declined by more than 90% globally.
Read more.Forest Service Proposes Quadrupling Timber Harvests in Country’s Most Popular National Forest
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— The long-awaited Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest Plan released today proposes a massive increase in timber harvests while weakening protections for old-growth forests and rare species.
Read more.New Data: Biden’s First Year Drilling Permitting Stomps Trump’s By 34%
WASHINGTON— New federal data shows the Biden administration approved 3,557 permits for oil and gas drilling on public lands in its first year, far outpacing the Trump administration’s first-year total of 2,658.
Read more.Legal Petition Seeks to Halt Federally Authorized Harm to Last of Alaska’s Cook Inlet Beluga Whales
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity, Environmental Investigation Agency, Alaska Wildlife Alliance, and Cook Inletkeeper submitted a legal petition today demanding that the Secretary of Commerce and the National Marine Fisheries Service stop issuing “take” authorizations to oil companies and others to harm and harass Cook Inlet beluga whales in Alaska.
Read more.Legal Petition Calls On Biden to Phase Out Federal Oil, Gas by 2035
WASHINGTON— More than 360 climate, tribal, religious and conservation groups petitioned the Biden administration today to use its executive authority to phase out oil and gas production on public lands and oceans.
Read more.Agreement Reached Securing Clean Air Act Compliance for Colorado Coal Mine
DENVER— A federal judge approved a consent agreement today that requires Mountain Coal Co., a subsidiary of Arch Coal, to operate pollution-control equipment and obtain and comply with a Clean Air Act permit for its West Elk coal mine.
Read more.California Judge Revives Lawsuit Against Controversial Tejon Ranchcorp Development
LOS ANGELES— In a ruling that puts the fate of a destructive development outside Los Angeles once again in question, a judge declared today that two conservation groups are prevailing parties in a successful lawsuit, continuing the legal battle over the Centennial project.
Read more.$16,500 Reward Offered for Info on Wolf Killed Illegally in Oregon’s Wallowa County
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation groups announced today a $16,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the illegal shooting death of a two-year-old collared female wolf in Wallowa County in early January. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Turn in Poachers (TIP) division also offers a potential $300 reward for information regarding illegal wolf killings.
Read more.Petition Seeks to Protect Southern Bog Turtle Under Endangered Species Act
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition today urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the southern population of the bog turtle as a federal endangered species in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Destructive Grazing in Agua Fria National Monument
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon Society sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management today to challenge widespread, destructive cattle grazing in streams and riparian areas of the Agua Fria National Monument in central Arizona.
Read more.EPA Reapproves Enlist One, Enlist Duo Pesticides With New Protections for Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency today issued seven-year reapprovals for both Enlist Duo and Enlist One for use on conventional and genetically engineered corn, cotton and soybeans.
Read more.Press Conference to Introduce New Utah 30x30 Coalition, Survey Results on Protecting Land, Water
SALT LAKE CITY— The new Utah 30x30 Coalition will hold a virtual press conference Thursday to announce its goals, invite Utahns to join the effort and release results of a survey showing what lands and waters Utahns want to see protected.
Read more.EPA Proposes Reforms to Assess New Pesticides’ Harms to Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide office announced new policies today designed to address the agency’s multi-decade failure to assess harms to endangered species before approving new pesticides.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Point Reyes Ranching, Elk-Killing Plan
POINT REYES, Calif.— Three conservation groups today filed a federal lawsuit challenging the National Park Service’s controversial management plan for expanding private agriculture at California’s Point Reyes National Seashore, one of a handful of national parks that permits cattle grazing.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Pacific Humpbacks From Deadly Fishing Gear
SAN FRANCISCO— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the National Marine Fisheries Service today for failing to protect endangered Pacific humpback whales from deadly entanglements in sablefish pot gear off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington.
Read more.California Court Orders Lake County to Set Aside Approval of Mega-Resort
LAKE COUNTY, Calif.— A judge has ruled that Lake County must set aside its approval of an ultra-luxury development in Northern California’s Guenoc Valley because it failed to consider the effect on community safety and wildfire evacuation from bringing thousands of new residents and visitors to the highly fire-prone area.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Imperiled Kirtland’s Snake
CHICAGO— Conservation groups formally notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today of their intent to sue over a 2017 decision to deny the Kirtland’s snake protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Challenging EPA’s Failure to Protect Endangered Species From Hundreds of Harmful Pyrethroid Pesticides
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice today of its intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for approving more than 300 pyrethroid insecticide products without considering their harm to endangered plants and animals.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed to Fight EPA Delay in Reducing Smog in 6 States With Some of Nation’s Worst Air Quality
WASHINGTON— Two environmental groups filed a lawsuit today to force the Environmental Protection Agency to require areas in six states to clean up harmful smog pollution.
Read more.Judge Halts Nevada Geothermal Energy Project Days Before Bulldozers Set to Start Destroying Sacred Springs
RENO, Nev.— A federal judge today halted the start of construction on the Dixie Meadows geothermal energy project in central Nevada. The judge found that the project posed significant risk of harm to the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe and the ecosystems there.
Read more.Florida’s Panama City Crayfish Protected Under Endangered Species Act
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today protected the Panama City crayfish as a threatened species with 4,138 acres of critical habitat.
Read more.Following California Oil Spill, Amplify Energy Is Warned That Pipeline Activities Are Unlawful Without Permit
LONG BEACH, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity sent a letter today to Amplify Energy — operator of the offshore oil pipeline that ruptured off the California coast in October — warning that its proposed activities to restart the pipeline are unlawful without a permit to disturb marine mammals. Amplify Energy has proposed to cut out portions of the broken pipeline, weld in new parts, sand blast the seafloor, and drop concrete mats in San Pedro Bay.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Tucson Shovel-Nosed Snakes Under Endangered Species Act
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice today of its intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for once again denying protection to Tucson shovel-nosed snakes under the Endangered Species Act. In response to a September 2020 petition from the Center, the Service denied protection to the species for the second time in September 2021.
Read more.Four California Frog Populations Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection
SACRAMENTO— In response to a Center for Biological Diversity petition and lawsuit, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed Endangered Species Act protection for four populations of foothill yellow-legged frogs in the Sierra Nevada and central and Southern California. This stream-dwelling frog species has disappeared from more than 50% of its historic habitat in the state.
Read more.Sunflower Sea Star One Step Closer to Endangered Species Act Protection
SAN FRANCISCO— Following a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced today that imperiled sunflower sea stars may warrant protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Read more.California Court Rules Lawsuit Against State Oil Regulator Can Proceed
OAKLAND, Calif— A judge has ruled decisively in favor of the Center for Biological Diversity’s ability to proceed with a suit over California’s oil and gas regulator committing widespread violations of environmental laws. The regulator and an oil-industry lobbying group had tried to dismiss the Center’s case, but on Wednesday the court rejected their arguments.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Polar Bears From Arctic Oil Exploration
ANCHORAGE, Alaska— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice of intent today to sue the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management for failing to protect imperiled polar bears from an oil exploration project in the Western Arctic.
Read more.Tecolote bajeño propuesto de nuevo para ser protegido bajo la Ley de Especies en Peligro de Extinción
TUCSON, Ariz.— Tras múltiples peticiones y demandas del Centro para la Diversidad Biológica y Defenders of Wildlife, el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE.UU. propuso proteger al tecolote bajeño una vez más conforme la Ley de Especies en Peligro de Extinción, esta vez como una especie amenazada.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Washington’s Endangered Salmon, Orcas, Trout From Cyanide Pollution
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation organizations filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue multiple federal agencies and Washington’s Department of Ecology for their failure to protect multiple populations of chinook and coho salmon, Southern Resident killer whales, steelhead trout and bull trout from the effects of cyanide in Washington’s waters.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges EPA’s Failure to Obey Court Order to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Toxic Pesticide
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency today for failing, over the past four years, to comply with a court order requiring it to protect endangered species from the toxic insecticide cyantraniliprole.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Against Biden Administration’s Texas Border Levee Wall Construction
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice of intent today to sue the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for failing to protect endangered ocelots during construction of border levees along the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
Read more.Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy Owls Proposed for Renewed Endangered Species Act Protection
TUCSON, Ariz.— Following multiple petitions and lawsuits by the Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to protect cactus ferruginous pygmy owls once again under the Endangered Species Act — this time as a threatened species.
Read more.Rare Southern California Butterfly Protected as Threatened Under Endangered Species Act
SAN DIEGO, Calif.— After nearly 30 years of petitions and lawsuits by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today protected one of Southern California’s rarest butterflies, the Hermes copper butterfly, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Biden Administration Finalizes Weak Auto Emission Standards
WASHINGTON— The Biden administration finalized new auto emission rules today that improve on those proposed in August but still fail to cut climate pollution fast enough to confront the climate emergency.
Read more.EPA to Be Sued for Failure to Protect Manatees From Water Pollution
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Three conservation groups issued a formal notice today of their intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to protect manatees from water pollution in Florida.
Read more.Biden Administration Rushes Forward on Likely Illegal Plan to Repair Pipeline Behind California Oil Spill
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is fast-tracking a likely illegal permit to repair a pipeline that recently spilled tens of thousands of gallons of oil off the Southern California coast, according to leaked documents obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Lawsuit Filed to Stop Geothermal Project From Destroying Nevada Springs
RENO, Nev.— The Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe and Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Wednesday over its approval of the Dixie Meadows geothermal energy project, which could dry up nearby springs and harm an extremely rare amphibian, the Dixie Valley toad.
Read more.Court Urged to Overturn EPA Approval of Toxic New Pesticide Known to Harm Endangered Salmon, Sturgeon
SAN FRANCISCO— The Center for Food Safety and Center for Biological Diversity filed legal papers today seeking to strike down the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2021 approval of the pesticide trifludimoxazin, a potent herbicide approved nationwide for use in corn, soy and many other crops.
Read more.Florida Approves Rule to Protect Diamondback Terrapin Turtles From Collection, Drowning in Recreational Crab Traps
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Following nearly two years of advocacy and a petition filed by conservationists and turtle experts, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved a final rule today to protect diamondback terrapins from wild collection and drowning in recreational blue crab traps.
Read more.Wandering Mexican Gray Wolf in New Mexico Blocked by Border Wall
SILVER CITY, N.M.— In the first documented instance of the U.S.-Mexico border wall separating two endangered wolf populations, a Mexican gray wolf — likely in search of a new home and mate — was blocked at the border in New Mexico last month. The wolf’s GPS collar periodically beamed his locations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which last week released them to the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Napa Supervisors to Make Final Call on Walt Ranch Vineyard’s Climate Plan
NAPA, Calif.— The Napa County Board of Supervisors will consider on Tuesday an appeal of an approved climate mitigation plan for the Walt Ranch vineyard project. Local residents and Center for Biological Diversity staff will attend the meeting to urge the board to require science-based measures to offset the 14,000 carbon-sequestering trees that will be destroyed by this huge vineyard development.
Read more.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Plans to Gut Protections for Whooping Crane, Florida Panther, Key Deer
WASHINGTON— Buried in the Biden administration’s unified regulatory agenda released last week is a plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to weaken or end protections for several iconic species, including the whooping crane, key deer and Florida panther.
Read more.Law Requires Biden to Cancel February Oil Lease Sale to Prevent Climate Harm
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups submitted formal comments today urging cancelation of February’s federal oil and gas lease auctions, saying the Biden administration is legally required to prevent harm from the leasing program’s greenhouse gas emissions, not just disclose it.
Read more.Legal Victory Compels Federal Wolf Trappers to Address Risks to Minnesota’s Endangered Lynx
MINNEAPOLIS— In response to legal action by the Center for Biological Diversity, two federal agencies have agreed to analyze and mitigate the risks to federally protected Canada lynx caused by the trapping of Minnesota’s wolves by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program.
Read more.Another Endangered Southeast Washington Wolf Killed Despite No New Livestock Conflicts
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today that a livestock owner in southeast Washington killed a juvenile wolf on Dec. 8, despite the lack of any new livestock conflicts since Nov. 15. An adult male wolf from the same pack already was killed by the agency Nov. 18.
Read more.New Global Extinction Assessment Highlights Imperiled Freshwater Species
WASHINGTON— An update released today by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that more than a quarter of plants and animals around the globe are threatened with extinction.
Read more.California Botanist Named 2021 E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Award Recipient
CLAREMONT, Calif.— A conservation botanist and director of conservation at the California Botanic Garden, Naomi Fraga, Ph.D., is the 2021 recipient of the Center for Biological Diversity’s annual E.O. Wilson Award for Outstanding Science in Biodiversity Conservation.
Read more.Legal Petition Seeks Federal Ropeless Rule to Save Whales, Turtles From Fishing Gear
WASHINGTON— Entanglement in fishing gear has become a leading threat to endangered whales and sea turtles on all U.S. coastlines. So the Center for Biological Diversity formally petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service today to require crab, lobster and other trap fisheries to convert to new ropeless or “pop-up” gear within the next five years. The petition requests that the agency prioritize the transition in national marine sanctuaries.
Read more.John Beard Jr. Honored With Rose Braz Award for Bold Activism
PORT ARTHUR, Texas— The Center for Biological Diversity has awarded the 2021 “Rose Braz Award for Bold Activism” to John Beard Jr.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Idaho Wolf Trapping Laws That Endanger Grizzlies, Lynx
BOISE, Idaho— Thirteen conservation groups filed a lawsuit today challenging Idaho’s extreme wolf-trapping rules, which facilitate the slaughter of up to 90% of Idaho’s gray wolf population. The lawsuit contends that continued and expanded wolf trapping and snaring will injure and kill non-target grizzly bears and Canada lynx, which are federally protected species.
Read more.Reward Increased to $36,000 for Info on Fatal Poisoning of Eight Gray Wolves in Eastern Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— Three conservation groups have added $10,000 to the reward for information leading to a conviction in the deliberate poisoning and killing of eight gray wolves in eastern Oregon earlier this year, bringing the total award to $36,000.
Read more.Biden Administration Moves to Withdraw Trump-Era Pipeline Approval for Cadiz’s California Desert Water Grab
LOS ANGELES— The U.S. Bureau of Land Management today moved to scrap a Trump administration decision challenged by conservation groups last March that illegally granted a pipeline right-of-way to Cadiz Inc. without the required environmental review.
Read more.Federal Process Could Reopen Vacant Hammond Grazing Allotments in Oregon
BURNS, Ore.— The U.S. Bureau of Land Management launched a process today that could allow new grazing on four allotments near Steens Mountain in southeastern Oregon on public land previously grazed by Hammond Ranches. Conservation groups want cattle kept out of this sensitive wildlife habitat, which was subjected to decades of harmful grazing.
Read more.$26,000 Reward Offered for Info on Fatal Poisoning of 8 Gray Wolves in Eastern Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation and animal protection groups are offering a combined $26,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the deliberate poisoning and killing of eight gray wolves in eastern Oregon earlier this year.
Read more.Records Sought on Climate Failure of Biden Oil, Gas Review
WASHINGTON— Climate and conservation groups filed a Freedom of Information Act request today seeking public records from the Interior Department relating to its recent report reviewing the federal oil and gas leasing programs that presumes expanded leasing.
Read more.Atlantic Humpback Dolphin Takes Step Toward Endangered Species Act Protection
WASHINGTON— The National Marine Fisheries Service announced today that it would begin a status review to determine whether the highly imperiled Atlantic humpback dolphin should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The agency’s decision came in response to a September petition filed by the Animal Welfare Institute, Center for Biological Diversity and VIVA Vaquita.
Read more.La Corte Constitucional de Ecuador hace valer los “Derechos de la Naturaleza” constitucionales para salvaguardar el Bosque Protector Los Cedros
QUITO, Ecuador— En un caso sin precedentes, la Corte Constitucional de Ecuador ha aplicado la disposición constitucional sobre los “Derechos de la Naturaleza” para salvaguardar el bosque nuboso Los Cedros de las concesiones mineras. La Corte votó 7 a favor y 2 abstenciones.
Read more.Ecuador's Highest Court Enforces Constitutional ‘Rights of Nature’ to Safeguard Los Cedros Protected Forest
QUITO, Ecuador— In an unprecedented case, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador has applied the constitutional provision on the “Rights of Nature” to safeguard the Los Cedros cloud forest from mining concessions. The court voted seven in favor, with two abstentions.
Read more.Legal Petition Demands Federal Government Use Buying Power for Climate Gains
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the General Services Administration today to use its unique buying power to advance climate goals by purchasing renewable energy and zero-emission vehicles.
Read more.Legal Motion Defends Rejection of Harmful Southern California Development
CALABASAS, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and the California Native Plant Society filed a motion this week to defend a Calabasas City Council’s denial of a residential and commercial development proposed for the city’s fire-prone hillsides. In May city leaders unanimously voted against the 180-unit West Village at Calabasas project, citing wildfire risks and the loss of open space.
Read more.Deadline Today: Will Nations Lose Access to U.S. Seafood Market?
WASHINGTON— By today’s deadline, seafood-exporting nations worldwide must have adopted regulations to reduce entanglements of whales, dolphins and seals in fishing gear or face a U.S. import ban.
Read more.Agreement Reached to Conduct New Status Review of California Spotted Owls
SAN FRANCISCO— Conservation groups reached an agreement today with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the agency to conduct a new Endangered Species Act review of California spotted owls by Feb. 25, 2023.
Read more.New Study Finds Deadly Fungal Disease in California Salamanders
SAN FRANCISCO— A scientific study published today revealed the emergence of a deadly fungus in two terrestrial salamander species in California, signaling a need to end the dangerous wildlife trade. This is the first study to document the disease in these species.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Massive Sport Hunting, Fishing Expansion on National Wildlife Refuges
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to protect endangered wildlife harmed by expanded hunting and fishing on national wildlife refuges across the country.
Read more.California’s Epic Traveling Wolf OR-93 is Dead After Vehicle Strike Along I-5
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— State wildlife agency officials announced today that OR-93, a radio-collared male wolf from Oregon who first entered California on Jan. 30, has died after being struck by a vehicle along Interstate 5 in Kern County.
Read more.Biden Administration Urged to Consult Tribal Nations on Gray Wolf Management, Protection
WASHINGTON— Following the conclusion of last week’s White House Tribal Nations Summit, more than 60 conservation groups today called for the Biden administration to immediately relist the gray wolf and engage with Tribal nations on wolf management and protection.
Read more.Pearl River Map Turtles Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection in Mississippi, Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS— As the result of a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity and Healthy Gulf, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to protect Pearl River map turtles as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Historic Legislation Reintroduced in Congress to Ban Pesticides Dangerous to Children, Farmworkers
WASHINGTON— U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) reintroduced historic legislation today to protect children and farmworkers by banning dangerous pesticides like paraquat, neonicotinoids and organophosphates.
Read more.Florida Order Weakens Protections for Imperiled Gopher Tortoise
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has issued an executive order that weakens protections for tortoises displaced from development sites around the state and authorizes indefinite “temporary relocation” measures. The order comes as uncontrolled urban sprawl has caused a shortage of relocation sites for the rare and beloved tortoise.
Read more.Center for Biological Diversity Statement on Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict
Statement from Kierán Suckling, executive director, Center for Biological Diversity, on the outcome of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial:
Read more.Biden Administration Urged to Protect Older, Mature Forests in Climate Action Plans
WASHINGTON— The Biden administration’s plans to help federal forests combat and adapt to climate change fail to protect mature and old-growth forests, a glaring omission conservation groups noted in formal comments submitted today.
Read more.California Supreme Court Review Sought for Oil, Gas Protections in Monterey County
MONTEREY, Calif.— Proponents of a Monterey County ballot initiative aimed at restricting oil and gas extraction and pollution asked the California Supreme Court today to overturn an appellate court decision that struck down major provisions in the ordinance.
Read more.Washington Wildlife Commission Suspends Spring Bear Hunt
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The state of Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 4-4 today to suspend a proposed 2022 spring bear-hunting season. The spring hunt, which the commission reviews annually, required a majority to authorize, so the tie vote puts the hunt on hold.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Speed U.S. Protection for Foreign Birds, Butterflies
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to propose Endangered Species Act protection for seven foreign wildlife species. The species — four butterflies and three birds — are parked on the Service’s “candidate” waitlist, where some have lingered unprotected for more than 30 years.
Read more.State Endangered Species Protection Sought for Rare Central California Lizard
McKITTRICK, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity formally petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission today to protect the Temblor legless lizard under the state’s Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Records on Federal Loans Fueling Coal, Gas Plants in Arizona, North Carolina
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service today for failing to release public records regarding federal loans to electric generation and transmission cooperatives in Arizona and North Carolina.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Address Sewage Overflows in Alabama, Coosa River
GADSDEN, Ala.— Conservation and community groups filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the city of Gadsden, Alabama for years of Clean Water Act violations by the city’s wastewater-treatment system. The city’s failure to properly maintain its system has resulted in cracked sewer pipes, leaking manholes, blockages and pump-station failures.
Read more.Report: Wool Production Carries Heavy Biodiversity Loss, Climate Price Tag
NEW YORK, N.Y.— Wool production is a key contributor to biodiversity loss and climate change, according to a new report released today by the Center for Biological Diversity and Collective Fashion Justice’s CIRCUMFAUNA initiative.
Read more.New FERC Commissioner Urged to Prioritize Environmental, Energy Justice
WASHINGTON— The Senate voted Tuesday evening to confirm Willie Phillips to fill an open seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Phillips, former chairman of the DC Public Service Commission, will serve a five-year term on the commission, which regulates energy infrastructure including pipelines, liquid natural gas terminals and interstate transmission of electricity, fracked gas and oil.
Read more.California’s Historic Dean Witter Ranch Protected for Conservation, Free Public Access
OAK GLEN, Calif.― After a two-and-a-half-year effort and with support from private donors, volunteers, state agencies, partner organizations and elected leaders, The Wildlands Conservancy, a California nonprofit, has secured the 29,600-acre Lone Pine Ranch ― which will be known as the Eel River Canyon Preserve.
Read more.Lawsuits Launched Over Denial, Delay of Federal Protections to 10 Species
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed two formal notices of intent today to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for denying or delaying Endangered Species Act protections for 10 species.
Read more.Court Reinstates Gulf of Maine Lobstering Restriction to Protect Endangered Right Whales
BOSTON— The First Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday granted an emergency motion to reinstate a seasonal prohibition on lobster fishing with buoy lines in an area roughly 30 nautical miles off the coast of Maine. The National Marine Fisheries Service implemented the measure to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from deadly entanglements in lobster gear.
Read more.Lawsuit Demands Crucial U.S. Wildlife Trade Data
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to release data on wildlife traded across U.S. borders. The United States imports millions of animals, plants and wildlife products each year from around the globe, and these imports are all tracked by the Service.
Read more.Legal Agreement on Seattle Harbor Project Will Help West Coast Orcas
SEATTLE— The Port of Seattle and Center for Biological Diversity have reached a legal agreement associated with the Seattle Harbor Navigation Improvement Project that will benefit orcas.
Read more.Biden Administration to Lease Out 80 Million Acres in Gulf of Mexico for Oil, Days After Climate Summit
WASHINGTON— The Interior Department is scheduled to auction off more than 80 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday for oil and gas leasing, the largest U.S. lease sale ever. The sale comes just days after President Biden pledged at COP26 to reduce climate emissions.
Read more.Agencies Warned Alabama Coal Mine May Violate State, Federal Laws
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two conservation groups today notified state and federal agencies, as well as Mays Mining Incorporated, that they intend to sue over the approval of a mine on the banks of the Mulberry Fork in Alabama.
Read more.EPA: Two Most Widely Used Pesticides Likely Harm Majority of Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the endocrine-disrupting pesticide atrazine and cancer-linked pesticide glyphosate are each likely to harm more than 1,000 of the nation’s most endangered plants and animals.
Read more.Freshwater Mussel Gains Endangered Species Act Protection in North Carolina, Virginia
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— Following a petition and lawsuits by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today listed the Atlantic pigtoe freshwater mussel as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and designated 563 river miles of protected critical habitat in North Carolina and Virginia.
Read more.COP26 Summit Ends Without Biden Taking Crucial Action on Fossil Fuels
GLASGOW, Scotland— The United Nations climate summit ended in Glasgow today with the United States still failing to make crucial domestic and global commitments to address the climate emergency.
Read more.Court Rejects Federal Attempt to Sink Right Whale Ship Strike Lawsuit
WASHINGTON— A federal court on Wednesday rejected the Biden administration's effort to dismiss a lawsuit aimed at protecting critically endangered right whales from being run over and killed by ships and boats in U.S. waters. The case challenges the National Marine Fisheries Service’s unlawful delay in responding to rulemaking petitions on vessel strikes.
Read more.Federal Judge to Hear Arguments on Removal of Federal Protection From Gray Wolves
OAKLAND, Calif.— Conservation advocates will present oral arguments Friday in U.S. District Court in a case that will decide whether federal Endangered Species Act protection is restored to gray wolves across much of the country.
Read more.After 46 Years, Rare Texas Flower At Last Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection
AUSTIN, Texas— Following a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to protect the beautiful but disappearing bracted twistflower, in central Texas, under the Endangered Species Act. With 16 remaining naturally occurring populations, plus one struggling introduced population, the twistflower will gain threatened status, protection of 1,606 acres as critical habitat, and eventually a recovery plan.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect African Leopards From U.S. Trophy Hunters
WASHINGTON— Animal protection and conservation groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to propose stricter protections for African leopards under the U.S. Endangered Species Act to address the harms of trophy hunting.
Read more.Endangered Species Protection Proposed for Alligator Snapping Turtle
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Following a petition and legal victory from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed protecting the alligator snapping turtle under the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species.
Read more.Anti-Fossil Fuel Protest Meets U.S. Interior Secretary at COP26
GLASGOW, Scotland— Leaders from the Build Back Fossil Free campaign unfurled a large banner today at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow urging the Biden administration to halt federal oil, gas and coal expansion on public lands and oceans.
Read more.Anti-Fossil Fuel Protest to Meet U.S. Interior Secretary at COP26
GLASGOW, Scotland— Grassroots leaders from the U.S. Gulf Coast will gather for a photo and speaking opportunity ahead of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s remarks at the U.N. climate summit today. Just three days after the end of COP26, the Biden administration is slated to hold a major offshore oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. The representatives of impacted communities and other climate justice groups in the Build Back Fossil Free campaign will demand President Biden keep his promise to end new federal fossil fuel leasing and permitting on public lands and waters.
Read more.Santa Barbara Commission Vote Puts Exxon Oil Trucking Plan on Thin Ice
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission voted today to recommend denial of ExxonMobil’s proposal to transport oil by tanker trucks along hazardous California highways. The plan would help the company restart three drilling platforms off the Santa Barbara coast.
Read more.Biden Makes Climate Pledge at Glasgow While Pushing Oil, Gas Leasing in U.S.
WASHINGTON— U.S. climate groups slammed the Biden administration today for ignoring climate impacts and refusing to stop oil and gas leasing on public lands despite President Biden’s Glasgow pledge to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The revised plans for February lease sales in seven western states, announced this week by the Bureau of Land Management, defer some acres to protect imperiled species but none for climate mitigation.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Endangered Species Act Protection for Rare California Fish
LOS ANGELES— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to protect two populations of imperiled speckled dace under the Endangered Species Act. The Service failed to make required decisions on protection for the Santa Ana speckled dace, in Southern California, and the Long Valley speckled dace in Mono County, which is nearing extinction in the wild.
Read more.Outdated Offshore Drilling Plans Spur Lawsuit Notice After California Oil Spill
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice today of its intent to sue the federal government for allowing Platform Elly and other offshore oil production in the Beta oilfield to operate under outdated drilling plans written in the 1970s and ‘80s. The notice comes after a major Southern California oil spill linked to Platform Elly.
Read more.California Delays Some Dungeness Crab Fishing to Protect Whales
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Following an entanglement of a humpback whale in California crabbing gear and information showing many humpback whales are currently feeding off California, the state’s fish and wildlife director ordered a delay today in opening some coastal areas to Dungeness crab fishing.
Read more.U.S. Grassroots Leaders Greet Biden at COP26 With Push to End Fossil Fuel Era
GLASGOW, Scotland— Grassroots leaders from the Build Back Fossil Free campaign rallied ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarks at the United Nations climate summit today in Glasgow, Scotland. Representatives of Indigenous, Black and frontline communities — along with dozens of other climate justice groups — demanded Biden take executive action to stop fossil fuel project approvals and declare a climate emergency.
Read more.New Analysis: Gov. Newsom Urgently Needs to Stop Permitting New Oil, Gas Wells in California
GLASGOW, Scotland— As a delegation of Newsom administration officials attends the U.N. climate talks following the governor’s call for an end to global reliance on oil, a new analysis by the Center for Biological Diversity shows the staggering cost of the state’s approval of new oil and gas wells, the majority of which are located in California’s most polluted communities.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges EPA’s Approval of Pennsylvania’s Flawed Plan for Reducing Asthma-Causing Smog From 8 Large Polluters
PHILADELPHIA— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of Pennsylvania’s plan to clean up smog from eight industrial polluters, including a fracked gas facility.
Read more.U.S. Activists: Biden Climate Credibility in Glasgow Depends on Executive Action
GLASGOW— U.S. grassroots activists from the Build Back Fossil Free coalition will gather for a photo and speaking opportunity ahead of President Biden’s remarks at the U.N. climate summit today. The representatives of frontline communities and dozens of other climate justice groups will demand Biden take executive action to stop fossil fuel project approvals and declare a climate emergency, building on the historic People vs. Fossil Fuels week of action last month in Washington, D.C.
Read more.Center for Biological Diversity Statement on Abortion Rights
Statement from Kierán Suckling, executive director, Center for Biological Diversity:
Read more.128 Groups to Biden Administration: Protect Old, Mature Forests
WASHINGTON— As the Biden administration prepares for the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, 128 environmental groups delivered a letter to the White House asking that the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management stop the logging of older forests and trees on public lands. The letter asks that this commitment be part of the United States’ larger climate goals.
Read more.Biden Administration Drops Ball on Federal Protections for More Than 60 Species Facing Extinction
WASHINGTON— The Biden administration failed to make required protection decisions for 66 imperiled species in fiscal year 2021, violating promises in a workplan developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 2016 plan was intended to address a backlog of hundreds of species awaiting protection, including the Hermes copper butterfly, Florida bonneted bat, Rio Grande cooter turtle and 63 more.
Read more.Federal Proposal Would Eliminate Cap on Mexican Gray Wolf Numbers, Restrict Killing
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Following a 2018 legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to eliminate its population cap on the number of Mexican gray wolves allowed to live in the wild in the Southwest.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Reduce Air Pollution From Oil, Methane Gas Industries in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice today of its intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for approving Pennsylvania’s inadequate plan to clean up smog from the methane gas industry. The methane gas is mainly extracted using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Read more.Biden Urged to Prioritize Environmental Justice in Build Back Better Act
WASHINGTON— Environmental groups called on Congress and the White House today to prioritize environmental justice in the Build Back Better Act. The Center for Biological Diversity, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, Indigenous Environmental Network, Oil Change and WE ACT for Environmental Justice say this legislation will be a litmus test of President Biden’s commitment to make environmental justice a crucial pillar of his climate policy.
Read more.Gov. Inslee Urged to Take Emergency Action After Key Puget Sound Orca Dies
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Orca Relief Citizens’ Alliance urged Gov. Jay Inslee today to take immediate action to protect Puget Sound’s endangered Southern Resident killer whales after recent reports that a member of the L pod, a matriarch known as Marina, is missing and likely dead.
Read more.Legal Petition Challenges EPA Inaction on Factory Farm Air Pollution
WASHINGTON— As President Biden continues to promise that his administration will address the climate crisis and protect the air we breathe from industrial polluters, 24 advocacy organizations are demanding his Environmental Protection Agency live up to that promise by doing more to protect communities from factory farms.
Read more.Biden Administration to Rescind Trump Rules Limiting Habitat Protections for Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— The Biden administration announced today it will rescind two Trump regulations. One Trump rule severely limits the government’s ability to protect habitat that imperiled animals and plants need to survive and recover. The second opened up the exclusion of habitat from protection based on trumped-up economic claims.
Read more.Appeal Challenges Weak Climate Plan for Harmful Napa Vineyard Project
NAPA COUNTY, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed an appeal today challenging a mitigation plan that fails to address the climate harms of a massive vineyard project near Napa. The appeal to the Napa County Board of Supervisors outlines steps to improve mitigation for the destruction of more than 14,000 trees for the Walt Ranch development.
Read more.Biden’s Forest Service Poised to Facilitate Quadrupling of Crude Oil Production in Utah’s Uinta Basin Days Before Glasgow Climate Summit
SALT LAKE CITY— In a massive blow to U.S. efforts to address the climate crisis, the Biden administration is poised to approve a right-of-way through the Ashley National Forest that would take the climate-damaging Uinta Basin Railway one step closer to being built.
Read more.Humboldt Martens to Gain More Than 1 Million Acres of Protected Critical Habitat in Oregon, California
PORTLAND, Ore.— Following more than a decade of efforts by the Center for Biological Diversity and Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to designate 1,413,305 acres in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon as critical habitat for Humboldt martens, also known as coastal martens.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Gold Drilling in Sage Grouse Habitat in California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada
SACRAMENTO— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service today to stop exploratory drilling in California’s eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains that threatens an endangered fish and a dwindling population of bi-state sage grouse.
Read more.Oregon Kills Nearly All Remaining Members of Lookout Mountain Wolf Pack
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials today announced that the agency killed three more members of the Lookout Mountain Pack, including a yearling and two pups too young to hunt, in response to conflicts with livestock in Baker County.
Read more.Five Executive Actions Biden Must Take As Climate Program Falters in Congress
WASHINGTON— As Congress struggles to pass major climate legislation, President Joe Biden can use existing executive powers to take at least five major actions to establish global leadership at the international climate talks in November, according to legal experts at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Biden Administration Won’t Appeal Decision Shutting Down Western Arctic Oil Drilling Project
ANCHORAGE, Alaska— The Biden administration cemented a climate victory today by not appealing a federal district court decision halting ConocoPhillips’ Willow Master Development Plan. Willow would be the largest oil-and-gas drilling project in the Alaskan Arctic and would be located in a vast and biodiverse landscape in the Western Arctic.
Read more.Imperiled, Fish-Eating Snake Gains 447 Miles of Protected Streams in Arizona, New Mexico
SILVER CITY, N.M.— In response to nearly two decades of scientific and legal advocacy by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today protected 447 stream miles in the Southwest as critical habitat for the narrow-headed garter snake. That amounts to 23,785 protected acres in Arizona and New Mexico.
Read more.After Spill, Legal Petition Urges Biden Administration to End Oil Drilling Off California
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.— In the wake of Orange County’s disastrous offshore oil spill, more than 35 organizations sent an emergency legal petition today demanding that the Department of the Interior take emergency action to immediately suspend and ultimately cancel all oil and gas leases in federal waters off California.
Read more.San Luis Obispo County Approves Disputed Drilling at Arroyo Grande Oilfield
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.— The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors rejected an appeal from the Center for Biological Diversity and the pleas of concerned community members today in approving dozens of new oil and gas wells at the Arroyo Grande oilfield.
Read more.Court of Appeal Rejects California’s Blanket Approval of Pesticide Spraying
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— In a major victory for health and environmental groups, California’s Court of Appeal has ruled that a statewide pesticide-spraying program violates the law by failing to study and minimize the threats from pesticides and to properly inform the public about the risks of spraying.
Read more.Pacific Fishers to Gain Half Million Acres of Protected Critical Habitat in California
OAKLAND, Calif.— Following years of efforts by the Center for Biological Diversity and other conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to designate 554,454 acres in the southern Sierra Nevada as critical habitat for a distinct and endangered population of Pacific fishers.
Read more.Secretary Haaland Urged to Sign Order to End Extinction Crisis
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity, along with more than 100 other conservation groups, called on Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today to issue a secretarial order to halt the extinction crisis by protecting biodiversity and restoring abundant wildlife and plant populations both in the United States and around the world.
Read more.Court Rules Federal Officials Must Address Poaching of Mexican Wolves in New Recovery Plan
TUCSON, Ariz.— In response to a lawsuit by conservation groups, a judge has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must add specific actions to address illegal killing of Mexican wolves to its plan for the species’ recovery.
Read more.California Protects Leatherback Sea Turtles as Endangered
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Fish and Game Commission voted today to protect leatherback sea turtles as endangered under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The commission acted on the recommendation of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is concerned by the turtles’ dramatic decline in state waters.
Read more.Agreement Reached to Protect Endangered Species From Livestock on Arizona’s Verde River
PHOENIX— A federal judge approved an agreement today among the Center for Biological Diversity, Maricopa Audubon Society, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife to protect the Verde River, its tributaries and streambanks from cattle grazing.
Read more.Court Strikes Down Oil Industry Pollution Protections in Monterey County
SAN JOSE, Calif.— A California appeals court on Tuesday struck down the landmark Measure Z ballot initiative that banned new oil and gas wells and phased out waste fluid disposal in Monterey County.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Minnesota’s Lynx, Wolves From Federal Trappers
MINNEAPOLIS— The Center for Biological Diversity notified two federal agencies today of its plans to sue for inadequate analysis of the risks to federally protected Canada lynx caused by trapping of wolves by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Agency’s Failure to Protect Imperiled Wildlife From Marine Highway Program
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today against the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration for failing to ensure that protected species are not jeopardized by the America’s Marine Highway Program. The program seeks to expand shipping on major rivers and coastal areas in Washington, Oregon, Virginia and other states where listed species are at risk.
Read more.Press Conference Wednesday at Interior Department to Deliver Millions of Signatures Calling for Ending Federal Fossil Fuel Extraction
WASHINGTON— Indigenous, climate and conservation groups, including members of frontline New Mexico communities, will hold a press conference Wednesday at the U.S. Interior Department before delivering letters and petitions from more than 1,000 groups containing millions of signatures calling for an end to federal oil, gas and coal extraction.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Federal Government’s Failure to Protect Giraffes
WASHINGTON— Conservation and animal protection groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to propose critical Endangered Species Act protections for Africa’s rapidly dwindling giraffe population. Each year giraffe parts, including bones and skins, are imported into the United States to be turned into home décor, frivolous accessories and fashion.
Read more.Coalición internacional solicita a la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos que investigue las violaciones a derechos humanos de las mega fábricas de carne
WASHINGTON — Grupos indígenas y de derechos humanos, ambientalistas, personas científicas, médicas y expertas en salud pública solicitaron hoy a la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos que celebre una audiencia temática sobre los abusos de derechos humanos causados por las mega granjas o fábricas de carne, también conocidas como Operaciones Concentradas de Alimentación Animal, en toda América (incluyendo América del Norte y América del Sur).
Read more.International Coalition Petitions Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Investigate Factory Farm Abuses
WASHINGTON— Indigenous and human-rights groups, conservationists, scientists, doctors and public-health experts petitioned the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights today to hold a formal hearing on human-rights abuses caused by factory farms, also known as industrial animal feeding operations, across North America and South America.
Read more.Del Rio Endangered Species Mural to Be Painted This Week, Celebration Slated for Oct. 16
DEL RIO, Texas— The Center for Biological Diversity and Del Rio’s Casa de la Cultura will host a community event Oct.16 to celebrate a new mural of the Mexican blindcat, an endangered catfish found in underground aquifers on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border in south Texas and northern Coahuila. The 250-square foot painting will be the latest installment in the Center’s national endangered species mural project, which highlights imperiled plants and animals that are special to their regions.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges EPA’s Failure to Protect Freshwater Endangered Species From Pesticides Applied Directly to Water
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity has sued the Environmental Protection Agency for issuing a Clean Water Act permit that fails to fully assess the risks posed to freshwater endangered species by pesticides applied directly to water.
Read more.Biden Administration Urged to Triple Listing Budget for Endangered Species
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity, along with 38 other conservation organizations, urged the Biden administration today to increase its request for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species Act listing budget for fiscal year 2023 to at least $63.7 million — more than three times the wildlife agency’s current budget.
Read more.Part One of UN Biodiversity Meetings Starts: Will World Call for Halt to Extinctions in 2022?
WASHINGTON— As countries prepare to gather online starting Oct. 11 for the 15th meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity, conservationists are calling on attendees to adopt an agreement to halt human-induced extinctions in 2022.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched After California Oil Spill to Protect Whales, Other Endangered Animals From Offshore Drilling
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent today to sue the Biden administration if it does not immediately reexamine the offshore oil industry’s threat to California’s endangered species and their habitats.
Read more.Court Rules Against San Diego Sprawl Development
SAN DIEGO— A judge on Thursday rejected the environmental review of a San Diego development that would pave over critical wildlife habitat while building 1,100 homes on fire-prone land.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks to Protect National Conservation Area in Arizona From Destructive Cattle Grazing
TUCSON, Ariz.― The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon Society sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service today to force them to protect critical habitat for threatened and endangered species in the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area in southeastern Arizona.
Read more.Analysis: Even Before Orange County Leak, California Pipeline Incidents Caused $1.2 Billion In Damages
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.— As Orange County beaches suffer a massive oil spill reportedly caused by an undersea pipeline linked to offshore drilling rigs, a new analysis reveals a troubling history of pipeline accidents in California.
Read more.Hundreds of Scientists Tell Biden: Halt Fossil Fuel Development Now
WASHINGTON— More than 330 U.S. research scientists sent a letter to President Biden today urging him to use his executive authority to stop all new fossil fuel projects and declare a climate emergency — actions they say are necessary to avoid the worst damages of the climate crisis and deliver on environmental justice.
Read more.Biden Administration Defends Wildlife Services’ Killing of Wolf Pups in Idaho
BOISE, Idaho—The Biden administration defended the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services’ actions in Idaho in a letter Tuesday after the agency preemptively killed eight wolf pups from Idaho’s Timberline pack in response to complaints from a rancher grazing livestock on public lands.
Read more.Lawsuit Targets Trespass Grazing Destruction of Endangered Plant in Arizona’s San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon Society sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management today for failing to protect a semi-aquatic endangered plant in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area from rampant trespass livestock grazing.
Read more.Legal Petition Demands Biden Administration Stop Unlawful Fossil Fuel Projects
WASHINGTON— More than 380 environmental, public health, Indigenous, faith-based and community groups sent a legal petition today demanding that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stop issuing permits, and revoke illegally and inappropriately issued permits, for fossil fuel infrastructure projects.
Read more.Oil Spill in Southern California Highlights Offshore Drilling’s Huge Risks
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.— The environmental disaster that spilled at least 126,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean off Orange County this weekend is highlighting the massive risks of offshore drilling. The oil spill, first detected on Saturday around Huntington Beach, is disastrous for wildlife and will harm many species for months and years to come.
Read more.Objections Target Biden’s Oil Leasing Plan Amidst Climate ‘Code Red’
WASHINGTON— Conservation groups filed formal objections today to the Biden administration’s plans to offer 734,000 acres of public lands for oil and gas leasing amid what the president himself has called a climate “code red.” Oil and gas in the proposed leases contain up to 246 million tons of climate pollution — as much as 62 coal-fired power plants emit in one year.
Read more.Tiehm’s Buckwheat Moves Toward Endangered Species Act Protections
LAS VEGAS— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposed rule today to list the rare wildflower Tiehm’s buckwheat as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Santa Barbara County Planning Commission Rejects ExxonMobil’s Plan to Restart Offshore Platforms, Truck Oil
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission has voted to deny ExxonMobil’s proposal to transport oil by tanker trucks along hazardous California highway so it can restart three drilling platforms off the Santa Barbara coast. The 3-2 initial vote came unexpectedly on Sept. 29, during the first of two days of scheduled public hearings on the project, and is expected to be followed Nov. 3 with a formal vote and findings recommending the Board of Supervisors deny the project.
Read more.Endangered Species Act Protection Sought for Utah’s Least Chub
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the imperiled least chub.
Read more.Federal Judge Overturns Oil, Gas Lease Sales on 58,000 Acres of Public Lands in Colorado
DENVER— A federal judge late Tuesday overturned the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s decision to lease 58,000 acres of public land in western Colorado for oil and gas extraction, agreeing with conservation groups that fracking and drilling will worsen air quality in a region where smog levels have exceeded federal pollution standards and threaten public health.
Read more.Report: Electric Utilities Took $1.25 Billion in Pandemic Bailouts, Shut Off Power to Households Nearly 1 Million Times
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity and BailoutWatch today released Powerless in the Pandemic, a report showing that some of the nation’s top utilities received a collective $1.25 billion from last year’s government bailouts while shutting off families’ electric service nearly 1 million times.
Read more.9 Species From Hawaiʻi Lost to Extinction
HONOLULU— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to remove eight birds and a plant in Hawai‘i from the endangered species list because of extinction. They join the list of 650 U.S. species that have likely been lost to extinction.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Against Manatee County Over Proposal to Inject Toxic Waste From Piney Point Phosphogypsum Stack Into Aquifer
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Conservation groups sent a notice today of their intent to sue Manatee County for its plan to inject toxic pollutants from the Piney Point phosphogypsum stack into the lower Floridan aquifer.
Read more.23 Species From 19 States Lost to Extinction
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to remove 22 animals and a plant from the endangered species list because of extinction. They join the list of 650 U.S. species that have likely been lost to extinction.
Read more.Oregon Coast Tiger Beetle Eyed for Endangered Species Act Safeguards
PORTLAND, Ore.— In response to a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the imperiled Siuslaw hairy-necked tiger beetle may qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.American Bumblebee Takes Step Toward Endangered Species Act Protection
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the American bumblebee, whose populations have plummeted by nearly 90%, may warrant Endangered Species Act protection. The announcement kicks off a one-year status assessment of the species.
Read more.Santa Barbara County to Hold Public Hearings on ExxonMobil’s Plan to Restart Offshore Platforms, Truck Oil
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission will hold online public hearings Sept. 29 and Oct. 1 on ExxonMobil’s proposal to transport oil by tanker trucks along hazardous California highways so it can restart three drilling platforms off the Santa Barbara coast.
Read more.Southern California Fish One Step Closer to Endangered Species Act Protection
MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif.— In response to a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined today that the Long Valley speckled dace may be extinct in the wild and warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. The small fish formerly inhabited warm springs and creeks in the Upper Owens River watershed in Mono County.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Fight EPA’s Delay in Reducing Smog Pollution in 10 Areas With Some of Nation’s Worst Air Quality
WASHINGTON— Two environmental groups filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to find that 10 areas recently designated as in “serious” nonattainment for the Clean Air Act’s ozone standards missed deadlines to evaluate and reduce ozone pollution.
Read more.Federal Officials Urged to End States’ Wildlife Management Funding in Response to Extreme Wolf-Killing Programs
WASHINGTON— State game agencies could lose a substantial portion of their budgets for eradicating their wolf populations under a proposal put forward by the Global Indigenous Council, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), the Center for Biological Diversity and a coalition of 25 Native American, conservation, and animal welfare organizations. The plan would deny federal wildlife management funding to states that excessively target predators, such as wolves, cougars and grizzly bears.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges EPA Approval of Deadly Pesticide for 15 More Years
SAN FRANCISCO— Farmworker groups, environmentalists and health organizations represented by Earthjustice sued the Environmental Protection Agency today for approving the continued use of the deadly pesticide paraquat, which has been linked to Parkinson’s disease.
Read more.Biden Administration Denies Protections to Imperiled Nevada Springsnails
LAS VEGAS— The Biden administration today denied Endangered Species Act protections to 10 rare species of Nevada springsnails, despite the dire threats of groundwater pumping and climate change faced by the tiny mollusks.
Read more.New Study: Tiny Minority of Local Poachers Is Driving Red Wolves to Extinction
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— A new study published in the journal Biological Conservation finds that poaching of red wolves is driven by a small minority of individuals who live in eastern North Carolina’s Red Wolf Recovery Area. The study indicates that the species enjoys robust local support among the general population, but a small group of local poachers has been effective in driving the species to the brink of extinction.
Read more.1,400 Endangered Species Condoms to Be Distributed at California Colleges, Universities for World Contraception Day
TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity will send 1,400 free Endangered Species Condoms to 12 college and university campuses across California in recognition of World Contraception Day on Sept. 26.
Read more.Poll: 3 in 4 Arizonans Oppose Resolution Copper Mine, Support Protecting Sacred Oak Flat
TUCSON, Ariz.— A public opinion poll among likely Arizona voters found that 74% oppose the proposed Resolution Copper mine, which would destroy Oak Flat, a Native American sacred site located in the Tonto National Forest east of Phoenix.
Read more.100 Groups Demand Biden Cut Airplane Climate Pollution
WASHINGTON— One hundred environmental, community and public-health groups called on the Biden administration today to set strong standards to cut airplane pollution and avoid industry-promoted biofuel greenwashing.
Read more.Oregon Expands Kill Order for Lookout Mountain Wolf Pack
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have expanded orders that authorize the killing of up to six members of the Lookout Mountain pack, including yearlings and 5-month-old pups. The latest kill order could leave the pack with just a single radio-collared female adult.
Read more.Lawsuit Targets Federal OK of Off-Road Routes, Grazing Threatening Imperiled Species in California Deserts
SAN FRANCISCO— Environmental groups sued the Interior Department, U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for authorizing damaging activities in the California Desert Conservation Area, including a vast network of off-road vehicle routes in the West Mojave Desert. The routes are driving desert tortoises and other threatened and endangered species closer to extinction and destroying these protected public lands.
Read more.Tribes, Indigenous Groups, Conservation Organizations File Petition to Strengthen Federal Mining Rules
WASHINGTON— Tribes, Indigenous groups and conservation organizations filed a rulemaking petition today with the U.S. Department of the Interior to improve and modernize hardrock mining oversight on public lands. The proposed revisions aim to safeguard critically important lands across the West and Alaska, including sacred lands and their cultural resources, vital wildlife habitat and invaluable water resources.
Read more.Lawsuit Calls Out Biden Administration for Allowing Oil Operators to Harm Southern Beaufort Sea Polar Bears
ANCHORAGE, Alaska— Conservation groups sued the Biden administration today for issuing a regulation that allows oil and gas companies to harass Southern Beaufort Sea polar bears despite the likelihood of causing injury and death.
Read more.Mobile Billboard to Be Launched Friday in Atlanta to Spotlight Proposed Mine’s Threat to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
ATLANTA— A mobile video billboard urging Georgians to help save the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from a proposed mine will begin a three-day tour of Atlanta on Friday.
Read more.BLM Withdraws Decision Allowing Grazing in California Area Protected for Desert Tortoises
SAN FRANCISCO— An appeal by environmental groups forced the U.S. Bureau of Land Management late Tuesday to withdraw its decision allowing cattle grazing on public lands near California’s Mojave Desert. The area had been deemed permanently off limits to grazing under an earlier agreement to protect the federally threatened desert tortoise and other sensitive plants and animals.
Read more.Maui Grand Wailea Resort Put on Notice for Lights That Kill Endangered Seabirds
HONOLULU— Conservation groups in Hawai‘i represented by Earthjustice sent a notice of intent today to sue the Grand Wailea Resort for violations of the Endangered Species Act if the hotel does not fix its lights that are killing native seabirds.
Read more.Wolves in Northern Rockies One Step Closer to Endangered Species Protection
VICTOR, Idaho— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that wolves in the West may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. The decision comes in response to an emergency petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Legislative Fund and Sierra Club.