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ARTICLE · 26 MAY 2022

Dunes Sagebrush Lizard Back In Court

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On May 19, 2022, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (Service) failure...

United StatesEnvironment
Rebecca Hays Barho
Rebecca Hays Barho
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On May 19, 2022, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (Service) failure to make a timely 12-month finding on the group's petition to list the dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) (DSL), which was submitted to the agency in 2018.

The DSL is no stranger to controversy. In 2002, CBD and others petitioned the Service to list the DSL due to alleged threats to the species' habitat caused by oil and gas production. In 2004, the Service determined that listing the DSL was warranted, but precluded based on higher priorities of the agency. In 2008, WildEarth Guardians petitioned the Service to emergency list the species due to continued supposed threats from oil and gas activities.

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