Environmental Groups Sue Over Critical Habitat for Endangered Species

Suit Filed To Protect Endangered Species at Bitter Lake Refuge

Environmental groups contend the federal government has failed to designate and protect critical habitat for four endangered species found on a southeastern New Mexico refuge.

Santa Fe-based WildEarth Guardians and the Center for Biological Diversity sued Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday in federal district court in Santa Fe.

The groups are asking a judge to force federal officials to issue a revised critical habitat designation for the Roswell springsnail, Koster's springsnail, Noel's amphipod and the Pecos assiminea snail within 90 days.

All but the Pecos snail are found only at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Roswell.

"These species don't have the luxury of time,'' said Nicole Rosmarino, conservation director for WildEarth Guardians. "They need to be given every possible protection in order to ensure that they recover and survive.''

Jose Viramontes, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's southwest region, said the agency has not received the lawsuit and he could not comment, citing pending litigation.

Fish and Wildlife issued a final rule in August 2005, listing the four species found at Bitter Lake as endangered. The Pecos snail also is found at two sites in Texas.

Three years earlier, Fish and Wildlife scientists proposed designating 1,523 acres of critical habitat for the Pecos snail and 1,127 acres for each of the other three species. When the decision to list them as endangered was finalized in 2005, the Pecos snail's habitat in Texas was slashed by nearly three-quarters. The other three species were left with no critical habitat, the environmental groups said.

"The Fish and Wildlife felt that Bitter Lake was already sufficiently protected,'' Rosmarino said.

The 24,536-acre refuge, established in 1937 to provide wintering habitat for migratory birds, supports about 352 bird species and provides habitat for about 57 mammals, 52 reptiles and 24 fish. Several endangered species also call the refuge home.

The loss of surface water caused by groundwater pumping largely is responsible for the historic loss of habitat for the endangered species, the lawsuit states.

The environmental groups contend the endangered species could further be threatened by global warming, drought and any oil and gas drilling on the refuge.

At least 17 oil and gas leases exist within the source water area, the lawsuit states.

"There's an acute chance of contamination with that well drilling, and these creatures are extremely sensitive to water contamination,'' Rosmarino said. "So a critical habitat designation for them on the refuge would help address that threat.''

Copyright 2007 Albuquerque Journal - Reprinted with permission


 

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