North America’s smallest turtles have attracted a bigger spotlight through a lawsuit that seeks their protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Citing missed deadlines triggered by earlier ESA petitions, the Center for Biological Diversity filed suit Monday against the Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to make decisions on the southern bog turtle and the roughhead shiner.
“Time is running out for both roughhead shiners and bog turtles, and the many threats they face are only getting worse,” said Will Harlan, Southeast director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “They can’t wait any longer for urgently needed protections.”
In both cases, the Fish and Wildlife Service made initial determinations that a listing as threatened or endangered may be warranted. Those initial determinations gave the federal agency until Jan. 1, 2023, to make a final southern bog turtle decision and until March 25, 2023, to decide on the roughhead shiner.
