Extension granted on lizard's endangered listing

Washington, Dec 1, 2011 -

Extension granted on lizard's endangered listing

December 01, 2011 8:08 PM
BY GABRIELLA LOPEZ
The word “lizard” has been stressing some West Texans, but opponents of the dunes sagebrush lizard’s proposed Endangered Species listing can relax — at least for another six months.

The final decision on the lizard’s listing status was scheduled to be announced any day now, but instead the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it will grant a six month extension to allow for additional scientific research and a reopened comment period of an additional 45 days.

“It’s very uncommon, but it has happened,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Public Information Specialist Tom Buckley said.

The extension will be officially published in the Federal Register on Dec. 5.

While no public hearings have been planned, Buckley said that they’ll evaluate the need for one depending on whether they get requests.

“I’m ecstatic that Fish and Wildlife sees that there’s substantial disagreement in the data,” Kirk Edwards, past president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, said.

But not everyone sees the extension as a good thing.

The delay is merely caving to the demands of the oil and gas industry, Center for Biological Diversity representative Noah Greenwald said.

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