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Viewing recent news releases in program Southeast Region .
Lawsuit Filed to Save Imperiled Appalachian Species From Coal Mining
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Center for Biological Diversity and Appalachian Voices today sued the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect highly imperiled wildlife from the devastating harms of coal mining in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia.
Read more.Petition Seeks Endangered Species Act Protection for Coastal Black-Throated Green Warbler
WILMINGTON, N.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity and partners today filed a legal petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the coastal black-throated green warbler (also known as Wayne’s warbler) under the Endangered Species Act. As few as 1,000 of these colorful birds remain in only a few fragmented wetland forests in the Carolinas and Virginia.
Read more.Female Horseshoe Crabs Spared for Another Year in Delaware Bay
DOVER, Del.— The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission decided this week to forgo a 2024 bait harvest of female horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay, where the crabs’ eggs provide a critical food source for endangered migratory shorebirds.
Read more.EPA Pressed to Add Chapel Hill Coal Ash Dump to Superfund List
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity today petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate whether the town of Chapel Hill’s coal ash dump should be cleaned up under the national Superfund program.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges ‘Nonessential’ Designation of Last Wild Red Wolf Population
RALEIGH, N.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to classify the world’s last wild population of red wolves as ‘nonessential.’
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks Endangered Species Protection for Rare Fish in Georgia, Tennessee
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for denying Endangered Species Act protection to the bridled darter.
Read more.Endangered Species Protection Sought for Rare Cave Millipede in Virginia
BLACKSBURG, Va.— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect the Ellett Valley millipede under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Ohio to Consider Strongest Clean Water Act Protections for Two Rivers
COLUMBUS, Ohio— The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it will consider recategorizing Big Darby Creek and Little Darby Creek as Outstanding National Resource Waters — the strongest level of protection under the Clean Water Act.
Read more.Four Freshwater Mussels, One Crayfish Proposed for Endangered Species Protection
NASHVILLE, Tenn.— In response to a legal petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to protect four freshwater mussels and a crayfish under the Endangered Species Act. The Center and its allies petitioned for protection of all five species in 2010.
Read more.Rare Alabama Mussel Saved From Certain Extinction
STEELE, Ala.— The Center for Biological Diversity and allies celebrated a win today when Alabama Power filed a petition to surrender its preliminary permit for the Chandler Mountain pumped storage project.
Read more.North Carolina’s Magnificent Ramshorn Snail Receives Endangered Species Act Protections
WILMINGTON, N.C.— In response to a petition and lawsuit from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a final rule protecting North Carolina’s magnificent ramshorn snail as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The agency also designated two ponds and 739 acres in the Cape Fear River watershed as critical habitat for the snail.
Read more.Reward Raised to $15,000 for Information on Red Wolf Killing in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity today increased the reward to $15,000 for information leading to a successful prosecution in the illegal killing of an endangered red wolf in Washington County, North Carolina.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Nantahala-Pisgah Forest in North Carolina From Destructive Logging
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— Conservation groups filed a formal notice of their intent to sue the U.S. Forest Service to protect the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest from a disastrous forest plan that threatens imperiled species, including endangered bats.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Over Denial of Endangered Species Protection to Bridled Darter
ATLANTA, Ga.— The Center for Biological Diversity has just notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service it intends to sue the agency for denying Endangered Species Act protection to a fish called the bridled darter.
Read more.Dozens of Southern Animals, Plants Closer to Endangered Species Protections
WASHINGTON— In response to a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today agreed to issue long overdue decisions on whether 31 Southeast and two Southwest animals and plants warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Hundreds of Different Species Identified in Craggy Mountains BioBlitz in North Carolina
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity and its partners recently completed a bioblitz in the proposed Craggy National Scenic Area that identified more than 1,600 organisms and 647 species. Dozens of expert naturalists and hundreds of community scientists teamed up to explore the Craggy Mountains in North Carolina and identify as many plant and animal species as possible.
Read more.Rare Southern Mussel Proposed for Endangered Species Protections
COLUMBUS, Ga.— Following a decade of advocacy by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to list the southern elktoe mussel as endangered. The Service also proposed to designate 578 river miles in Alabama, Georgia and Florida as critical habitat.
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