WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that it intends to sue the agency for denying Endangered Species Act protections to the striped newt. The species lives in threatened fire-dependent long-leaf pine forests and wetlands in southeastern Georgia and north-central Florida.

“These neat little newts are particularly vulnerable because they’re exposed to threats at every life stage, so we really need to get protections in place,” said Chelsea Stewart-Fusek, an attorney at the Center. “They’re declining quickly even on relatively protected lands, but we can save them with swift safeguards under the Endangered Species Act.”

The Service determined striped newts warrant protection more than a decade ago, but the agency placed the species on a wait list. Then the Service suddenly reversed course and denied the newt protection altogether.

The striped newt’s habitat has been severely degraded and fragmented by logging, agriculture, fire suppression and urban development. On top of these threats, abnormally prolonged droughts resulting from climate change dry out the newt’s breeding ponds.

“The threats facing the striped newt are only going to get worse as climate change continues,” said Stewart-Fusek. “Protecting newts would mean protecting and restoring the beautiful, rare habitats that both newts and people rely on.”

Wetlands are not only biodiversity hotspots, but they also filter drinking water and provide resilience to flooding, drought and wildfire. Since European settlement, more than 50% of the nation’s wetlands have been destroyed. A 2024 report found that the rate of wetland loss has accelerated by 50% since 2009, with freshwater forested wetlands experiencing the greatest losses. Longleaf pine forests that support the newt have also declined by more than 97% because of logging, development and fire suppression.