A district court granted FWS' motion for partial voluntary remand in a challenge to its decision to list the eastern black rail as threatened instead of endangered. Environmental groups argued FWS' decision, and related determination that designation of critical habitat for the rail was "not prudent...
A district court granted in part and denied in part federal agencies' motion for remand and partial vacatur in a challenge to a decision granting a right-of-way for construction of a new highway through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in Utah, a critical habitat for the Mojave Desert torto...
U.S.-Canadian management of marine migratory species is a particularly rich place to understand the complex relationship between migratory science, conservation, and law. The two nations share a large border, have a long-lasting historic friendship, and already collaborate extensively. However, the relationship is not without contention. The substantial economic interests in the oceans and differences in governance structure have not infrequently frustrated efforts at cooperative management.
FWS determined threatened species status under the ESA for the distinct population segment of the North American wolverine occurring in the contiguous United States, and issued a §4(d) rule that provides the prohibitions, and exceptions to those prohibitions, necessary and advisable for the conservation of the species.
NMFS withdrew its November 27, 2020, proposed rule to designate 17 island units of critical habitat in the Pacific Islands Region for seven Indo-Pacific coral species listed under the ESA, and proposed a new rule to designate critical habitat for five of the seven coral species that were addressed in the 2020 proposed rule.
FWS announced findings that the following seven species are not warranted for listing as endangered or threatened species under the ESA: Edison's ascyrum, Florida (lowland) loosestrife, Florida pinesnake, mimic cavesnail, northern cavefish, smallscale darter, and Texas troglobitic water slater.
FWS reopened the comment period on its October 18, 2022, proposed rule to list the Kern Canyon slender salamander and the relictual slender salamander under the ESA and to designate critical habitat, in order to allow opportunity for interested parties to comment on the new areas the Agency is considering for relictual slender salamander critical habitat, small changes to Kern Canyon slender salamander critical habitat, and updates to the physical or biological features for the Kern Canyon slender salamander.