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Paxton Lawsuit Prompts End of Federal Protection for Texas Lizard
The settlement ends 2024 federal protections and requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reassess the species within two years, officials said.
- On Wednesday, the Fish and Wildlife Service vacated the 2024 endangered species classification for the dunes sagebrush lizard following a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton challenging the federal designation.
- Paxton argued the Wildlife Service failed to use "the best scientific and commercial data" when declaring the reptile endangered; Oil and gas companies warned development restrictions would impede Permian Basin projects.
- Native to the Permian Basin, the roughly 2.5-inch-long lizard will undergo reassessment within two years under the settlement agreement, according to Paxton's press release.
- In a brief statement on Thursday, the Wildlife Service said it remains committed to preserving the lizard's natural habitat, while Paxton applauded the pending reassessment as correcting a misstep.
- Conservationists, including Jason Rylander of the Center for Biological Diversity, criticized the settlement as part of a pattern prioritizing Oil and gas interests over struggling wildlife protections.
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Paxton lawsuit prompts end of federal endangered species protection fo
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has ended endangered species protections for a Texas lizard that were introduced in 2024 after state Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the federal government over the designation. The dunes sagebrush lizard is a roughly 2.5-inch-long reptile native to the Permian Basin has faced threats from oil and gas exploration and development in the region for decades, according to biologists. After the species was designat…
·Baltimore, United States
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Associated Press News+8 Reposted by 8 other sources
Paxton lawsuit prompts end of federal endangered species protection for Texas lizard
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has ended endangered species protections for a Texas lizard that were introduced in 2024 after state Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the federal government over the designation.
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left5Leaning Right2Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution54% Center
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources are Center
54% Center
L 33%
C 54%
13%
Factuality
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