Recent Updates to Federal Environmental and Natural Resource Regulations
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On September 17, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposed listing the Kentucky creekshell (Villosa ortmanni) as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and designating critical habitat...more
On September 5, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas held in General Land Office v. U.S. Department of the Interior, that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) improperly denied a petition to...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) released on July 25th a document titled: Draft Insecticide Strategy to Reduce Exposure of Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Species and Designated...more
On May 20, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a final rule listing the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The listing does not include a designation of critical habitat....more
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) has issued a proposed rule that would designate critical habitat for the Barrens topminnow (“Bt”) under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”)....more
On June 27, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) issued a final rule listing the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelids suwanniensis) as a threatened species with a 4(d) rule under the Endangered...more
On May 20, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued a final rule listing the dunes sagebrush lizard (“DSL”) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”).1 The change in the DSL listing status, which...more
Earthjustice sent a June 11th 60-day Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) citizen suit Notice of Intent to Sue (“NOI”) to the Tonto National Forest (“Forest”). The NOI alleges that Forest violated Section 7 of the ESA in its...more
On April 12, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) published notice in the Federal Register of a final rule (89 Fed. Reg. 26070) that amends regulations regarding the issuance of enhancement of survival and...more
On May 23, 2024, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a published opinion in Natural Resources Defense Council et al. v. Debra Haaland et al. (Case No. 21-15163) (“NRDC v. Haaland”) rejecting the plaintiffs’ challenges...more
On May 20, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) published a final rule listing the dunes sagebrush lizard (DSL) as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The DSL is a small, spiny lizard...more
On May 20, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) published a final rule listing the dunes sagebrush lizard (Scleroperus arenicolus) (DSL) as endangered (Final Rule) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In the...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday finalized tougher methane reporting standards that could increase the number of oil and gas companies that must pay fees for excess methane emissions....more
The rules address the listing process for critical species and habitat designations, as well as protections for threatened species. In a reversal, the rules also revise the ESA Section 7 interagency consultation process...more
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (together the Services) have issued three final rules effective May 6, 2024...more
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Center for Biological Diversity entered into a settlement agreement wherein the Service agreed to submit to the Federal Register final listing decisions on the following...more
On Friday, April 5, 2024, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (the “Service”) finalized a rule clarifying the procedures and criteria for listing, reclassifying, and delisting species on the Lists of Endangered and Threatened...more
On April 5, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively, the Services) finalized three sets of revisions to the regulations implementing the Endangered...more
On March 27, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively, the Services) issued three sets of final rules revising the Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations. The...more
Tomorrow, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will publish its final rule updating regulations implementing section 10 of the Endangered Species Act (Section 10), which addresses the agency’s issuance of incidental...more
On April 5, 2024, The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (“NMFS”) (collectively, the “Services”) finalized a series of rules reversing certain revisions to the Services’...more
The Center for Biological Diversity (“CBD”) filed a citizen suit action in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona (“Court”) against the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) alleging a...more
The Endangered Species Act regulations have become a political hot potato, with regulatory revisions occurring each time there is a change in administration. On March 28, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the...more
In a landmark decision, a federal court has ruled against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, determining that their approval of Florida’s takeover of the Clean Water Act wetlands...more
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) continues to focus on protections for bat species that have been ravaged by white-nose syndrome. In 2023, the Northern Long-Eared Bat (NLEB) was uplisted to endangered status. The FWS...more