Nevada species that inhabit gold country will get ESA review

By Michael Doyle | 01/17/2025 04:41 PM EST

Along with looking at other species, the Fish and Wildlife Service will consider protections for a Nevadan toad and fish.

An Amargosa toad is shown.

The May 2024 petition on behalf of the Amargosa toad (pictured) recounts that "the groundwater resources which sustain the Amargosa River, and the habitats that depend on it, are imminently threatened by 7 gold mining projects." Joe Milmoe/Fish and Wildlife Service/Flickr

The Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday said it will closely examine seven species as possible candidates for federal protections, including a toad and a fish that environmentalists believe are at risk from proposed Nevada gold mine operations.

But the roster of threatened and endangered species might also shrink a bit, as the agency said it will consider removing another animal, the golden-cheeked warbler, from the Endangered Species Act list.

All of the potential listing and delisting decisions will be made following completion of the “12-month” reviews initiated Friday. In each case, the Fish and Wildlife Service said that preliminary assessments found that petitions presented “substantial scientific or commercial information” indicating that the proposed actions may be warranted.

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In response to petitions from the Center for Biological Diversity, the full-bore reviews will include the Amargosa toad and the Oasis Valley speckled dace, a small fish. According to the petitions, both species are threatened with extinction from proposed gold mining operations along the Amargosa River near Beatty, Nevada.

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