Center for Biological Diversity: Trump Administration Withholding Lifesaving Protection for 78 Species

SWAMP WATCH

Head of Department of Fish & Wildlife was just appointed, former lawyer for Monsanto with NO EXPERIENCE relative to her new position…..what could possibly go wrong?

The Trump administration’s anti-regulatory agenda is turning it into the extinction presidency,” said Greenwald. “The vast majority of the American public wants to see endangered species protected, but administration officials are flushing these imperiled plants and animals down the toilet for their patrons in the oil industry and other polluters.”

Analysis: Trump Administration Withholding Lifesaving Protection for 78 Species

Feds Fall Behind on Addressing Backlog of Wildlife Needing Protection

PORTLAND, Ore.— For the second year in a row, the Trump administration has fallen short in protecting species under the Endangered Species Act, ultimately putting dozens of native plants and animals at heightened risk of extinction.

According to a new analysis by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to make protection decisions for 57 species or designate critical habitat for another 21 promised under a seven-year workplan developed by the agency in 2016.The agency is under the leadership of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

“Zinke and other Trump officials are preventing the Fish and Wildlife Service from doing critical work to protect species from extinction,” said Noah Greenwald, the Center’s endangered species director. “The wolverine, lesser prairie chicken and Hermes copper butterfly are all species Trump and Zinke left high and dry.”

The workplan was created to address a backlog of more than 500 imperiled species awaiting protection decisions. In fiscal year 2018, the workplan called for 82 separate decisions about listing species or designating critical habitat. Another 13 decisions were never completed in fiscal year 2017, for a total of 95 decisions.

Instead the agency only managed to make 18 decisions in 2018, resulting in listing of only four species and proposed protection for only eight species. Another six species were denied protection, including one, the beaverpond marstonia, which had gone extinct waiting for protection.

“The Trump administration’s anti-regulatory agenda is turning it into the extinction presidency,” said Greenwald. “The vast majority of the American public wants to see endangered species protected, but administration officials are flushing these imperiled plants and animals down the toilet for their patrons in the oil industry and other polluters.”

Delays in protecting species have real consequences. At least 46 species having gone extinct waiting for protection since the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973.  During the Obama administration, a total of 357 species were protected for a rate of 37 per year. Likewise under the Clinton administration, a total of 523 species were protected, for a rate of 62 species per year.

So far the Trump administration, which has protected just 14 species — all but one proposed under the previous administration — is shaping up to be even worse than the Bush administration, when only 62 species were protected.

95 Imperiled Species Covered by Fish and Wildlife’s Workplan

Species Name Fiscal Year Scheduled Action Type Outcome Candidate
Arkansas Mudalia 2018 12M Missing
Ashy Darter 2018 12M Missing
Atlantic Pigtoe 2018 12M PL, 4(d)
Barrens Darter 2018 12M Missing
Barrens Topminnow 2018 12M PL, 4(d)
Bartram Stonecrop 2018 12M Missing
Beardless Chinch Weed 2018 12M Missing
Beaverpond Marstonia 2018 12M Negative, extinct
Big Cypress Epidendrum 2018 12M Missing
Black Rail 2018 12M PL, 4(d)
Black-capped Petrel 2018 12M PL, 4(d)
Blackfin Sucker 2017 and 2018 12M Negative
Brook Floater 2018 12M Missing
Cape Sable Orchid 2018 12M Missing
Carolina Madtom 2017 and 2018 12M Missing
Cedar Key Mole Skink 2017 and 2018 12M Missing
Chihuahua Scurfpea 2018 12M Missing
Clam-shell Orchid 2018 12M Missing
Donrichardsonia macroneuron 2018 12M Missing
Eastern Hellbender 2018 12M Missing
Elk River Crayfish 2018 12M Missing
False Spike 2018 12M Missing
Florida Sandhill Crane 2018 12M Missing
Franklin’s Bumblebee 2018 12M Missing
Joshua Tree 2018 12M Missing
Lesser Prairie Chicken 2017 and 2018 12M Missing
Longsolid 2018 12M Missing
MacGillivray’s Seaside Sparrow 2018 12M Missing
Mohave Shoulderband Snail 2018 12M Negative
Mountain Blue-eyed Grass 2018 12M Missing
Neuse River Waterdog 2017 and 2018 12M Missing
Ozark Pyrg 2018 12M Missing
Panama City Crayfish 2018 12M PL
Panamint Alligator Lizard 2018 12M Missing
Peppered Chub 2018 12M Missing
Purple Lilliput 2018 12M Missing
Redlips Darter (broken out from ashy darter complex) 2018 12M Missing
Round Hickorynut 2018 12M Missing
San Joaquin Giant Flower-loving Fly 2017 and 2018 12M Missing
Seaside Alder 2018 12M Missing
Slenderclaw Crayfish 2018 12M PL, 4(d)
Tinian Monarch 2017 and 2018 12M Missing
Tippecanoe darter 2018 12M Missing
Tricolor Blackbird 2018 12M Missing
White-tailed Prairie Dog 2018 12M Negative
Woodville Karst Cave Crayfish 2018 12M Negative
Yellow Banded Bumblebee 2018 12M Missing
Humboldt Marten 2018 12M remand PL, 4(d)
Northern Spotted Owl 2017 and 2018 12M uplisting Missing
Black Pine Snake 2018 FCH Missing
Elfin Woods Warbler 2017 FCH Missing
Kula Wahine Noho 2018 FCH Missing
O`oko`Olau 2018 FCH Missing
Spring Pygmy Sunfish 2017 and 2018 FCH Missing
Uhi Uhi 2018 FCH Missing
Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2017 FCH Missing
Candy Darter 2018 Final Missing
Mist Forestfly 2017 and 2018 Final Missing
Trispot Darter 2018 Final Missing
Western Glacier Stonefly 2017 and 2018 Final Missing
American Wolverine 2018 FL Missing
Louisiana Pine Snake 2018 FL FL, 4(d)
San Fernando Valley Spineflower 2018 FL Negative
Black Warrior Waterdog 2017 and 2018 FLFCH FLFCH
Texas Hornshell 2017 and 2018 FLPCH FL
Yellow Lance 2018 FLPCH FL
Big Sandy Crayfish 2017 PCH Missing
Florida Bonneted Bat 2017 PCH Missing
Florida Bristle Fern 2018 PCH Missing
Green Sea Turtle 2017 PCH Missing
Guyandotte River Crayfish 2017 PCH Missing
Miami Tiger Beetle 2017 PCH Missing
Red Knot 2017 PCH Missing
Sonoyta Mud Turtle 2018 PCH Missing
Suwannee Moccasinshell 2018 PCH Missing
Chapin Mesa Milkvetch 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Fremont County Rockcress 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Frisco Buckwheat 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Frisco Clover 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Hermes Coper 2017 and 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Island Marble 2017 and 2018 PLPCH PLPCH Yes
Marrón Bacora 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Ostler’s Peppergrass 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Red-crowned Parrot 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Sierra Nevada Red Fox 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Striped Newt 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Texas Fatmucket 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Texas Fawnsfoot 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Texas Pimpleback 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Wright’s Marsh Thistle 2017 and 2018 PLPCH Missing Yes
Georgetown Salamander 2017 rPCH Missing
Narrow-headed Gartersnake 2017 rPCH Missing
Northern Mexican Gartersnake 2017 rPCH Missing
Salado Salamander 2017 rPCH Missing
Slickspot Peppergrass 2017 rPCH Missing
Key
12M 12-month finding determining if species warrants listing
PL Proposed listing
FL Final listing
PCH Proposed critical habitat
FCH Final critical habitat
Candidate species A species that has been found to warrant protection, but is waitlisted
4(d) A rule defining prohibited activities for a threatened species