Search Results for keywords:"habitat loss"

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has officially listed the swale paintbrush, a plant from New Mexico and parts of Mexico, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This final rule provides protections for the plant, which is at risk due to habitat loss, climate change, and other threats, though no critical habitat will be designated due to collection risks. The decision's goal is to prevent the plant from becoming extinct, recognizing its precarious status with actions set to be effective on January 6, 2025.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the Peñasco least chipmunk, a mammal found in New Mexico, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Approximately 4,386 acres in Lincoln County, New Mexico, have been designated as critical habitat for the chipmunk. This decision aims to provide protections against threats such as habitat loss, disease, and small population size. Certain areas, including parts managed by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, have been excluded from the critical habitat designation to maintain effective partnerships and recognize tribal management of their lands.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the blue tree monitor, a rare lizard native to Indonesia, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. This proposed rule is due to the lizard's shrinking population, caused by habitat loss from deforestation, climate change, and overcollection for the international pet trade. The service has identified that the blue tree monitor faces an immediate risk of extinction throughout its entire range. Public comments are invited until February 24, 2025, and a temporary 240-day emergency listing is also concurrently in effect.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a final rule listing three butterflies from Brazil—the Fluminense swallowtail, Harris' mimic swallowtail, and Hahnel's Amazonian swallowtail—as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. This move aims to extend legal protections to these butterflies, mainly due to threats like habitat loss and degradation, capture, and insufficient existing regulatory mechanisms to address these issues. These butterflies are facing extinction risks because their populations have been reduced and isolated in their natural habitats, which are undergoing severe urbanization and deforestation. The agency has highlighted both the challenges these species face and the legal measures in place to protect them.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to classify the Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. This decision is based on a significant decline in the bee's population due to factors like habitat loss, pesticides, pathogens, and climate change, which also affect its host species. The proposed listing aims to provide federal protections for the bee, although specific critical habitat designation is not yet possible due to insufficient data. Public comments on the proposal will be accepted until February 18, 2025.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to update the classification of the West Indian manatee by distinguishing between its two subspecies, listing the Florida manatee as a threatened species and the Antillean manatee as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. This proposal involves removing the West Indian manatee from the list and replacing it with the two subspecies to provide them with distinct protections. The Florida manatee faces threats like habitat loss, watercraft collisions, and climate change, whereas the Antillean manatee is endangered by factors like poaching, low genetic diversity, and ineffective regulatory enforcement in some areas. Public comments are invited on this proposed rule until March 17, 2025.