The Center for Biological Diversity, known for frivilous environmental lawsuits has successfully pressured the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to initiate status reviews for the Arizona toad, Cascade Caverns salamander, Rio Grande cooter and Alligator snapping turtle. The decision is commonly referred to as a 90-day finding.
The decision is in response to a July 2012 petition from the Center for Biological Diversity.
In the case of the Arizona toad, Cascade Caverns salamander, Rio Grande cooter and Alligator snapping turtle the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined the petition presented substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that these species may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The announcement begins a 60-day information collection period which closes on August 31, 2015.
The findings do not mean that the Service has decided to grant federal protections to these species. Rather, the findings trigger a more “thorough” review of all the biological information available for the species. To ensure the status reviews are comprehensive, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is looking for information from the public.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking information about the species’ biology, range, and population trends, including habitat requirements; genetics and taxonomy; historical and current range including distribution patters; historical and current population levels; current and projected trends; and past and ongoing conservation measures for the species, its habitat, or both.
One expert in the area questioned whether the move by the Center for Biological Diversity could be a ploy commonly used by environmentlists to sue for action which could not possibly be completed in the time allowed by law. In that case the plaintiff gets tax dollars from the USFWS.
Because the species in question are very wide-spread, the suggestion that they are endangered is highly questionable.
Information on the distribution of the four Southwest species undergoing a status review is below:
• Alligator snapping turtle – 15 states, including Texas and Oklahoma – FWS–R4–ES–2015–0038
• Arizona toad – Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah – FWS–R2–ES–2015–0040
• Cascade Caverns salamander – Texas – FWS–R2–ES–2015–0045
• Rio Grande cooter – New Mexico, Texas and Mexico – FWS–R2–ES–2015–0061
For more information on the 90-day finding, what to comment on, or how to submit comments, see the Federal Register notice here.
For more information on the 90-day finding process, visit.