Two Native California Species Slated for Endangered Species Review

(CN) — Two native California species could be on their way to protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Wednesday: a legless lizard and a small minnow. 

Both species are dwindling, as the Temblor legless lizard faces threats from oil and gas development in Temblor Range on the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, and the Santa Ana speckled dace have declined from the construction of dams and the introduction of invasive species. 

“Fire, drought and reckless water policies have made life really tough for these little fish,” Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement. “We’ve already lost seven of California’s unique freshwater fish species to extinction, and we shouldn’t have to lose any more.”

The ruling now triggers status reviews for both species. 

If the agency finds that the species warrant protection, regulations could be made to divert water from the dams in a way that is less harmful to the fish and efforts could be made to remove and control invasive species. In the case of the legless lizard, oil and gas development in its habitat could be halted — crucial to the highly sensitive lizard. 

“It’s completely amazing that there are any left,” Tamara Stobel, a staff scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity said in a phone interview. “There are only four known locations where this species exists, and most of its habitat is surrounded by oil and gas wells.”

Each time a petition is filed to protect a threatened species, the Fish and Wildlife Service has 90 days to respond and decide if the species warrants a review. Because of a backlog of petitions — and sometimes due to political reasons — it often takes much longer. The petition for the dace was filed in May 2020 and the petition for the lizard was filed in October 2020. 

Most species receive a status review, since petitions often include years of scientific data and surveys about the decline of a species. But it usually takes longer and requires more litigation to get the 90-day ruling, Miller said in a phone interview. 

“I’m surprised that we got a 90-day ruling this fast. There’s usually a settlement agreement after a year, and it takes about 3-4 years from the time we petition to achieve protection — and that’s litigating every step of the way,” Miller said. “There are species that go extinct waiting for a decision.”

Miller says the Center has begun to push for more funding for the endangered species program, as the Biden administration seems to be more open to it than the Trump administration. 

“These are pretty resilient fish,” Miller said. “We believe they will be able to come back.”

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