Two environmental organizations sued the tardy Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday with hopes of securing Endangered Species Act protections for a cactus and a tiny minnow.
Citing ESA deadlines that apparently passed more than three years ago, the Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians sued to force federal agency action on the Clover’s cactus and the Rio Grande shiner.
“These beautiful cactuses and river-dwelling fish needed endangered species protections yesterday, but instead they got years of delay,” said Drew Baloga, a legal fellow at the Center for Biological Diversity.
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Baloga added that “New Mexico’s imperiled plants and animals don’t have time to wait while the Fish and Wildlife Service drags its feet.”
