First they tried to stop drilling because of a friggin lizard. Now it’s a flower?
These people are certifiably insane.
Those in favor of, and opposing, adding four species of the animal to the endangered list have a chance to learn more about the proposal.
On Aug. 22 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a proposal to add four salamander species in Central Texas to the endangered species list. If the salamanders are added, it would affect about 6,000 acres in Travis, Williamson and Bell Counties.
Officials in all of the counties have argued this would hinder further development of the land in the designated areas.
Congressman John Carter agrees. He, along with Senator John Cornyn, introduced legislation to try and block the addition of the four salamander species to the endangered list.
"Five communities can preserve these species without the imposition of the federal government. The less we have the federal government around here, the better we are," Rep. Carter said......."
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Sept 10, 2012 - Why the Fight Over Salamanders in Texas is Only Just Beginning...................."Why are so many species suddenly up for inclusion in the list? The reason is a legal settlement reached last year between the Service and conservation groups. The groups charged Fish and Wildlife with dragging its feet on classifying the animals. In the settlement, the Service agreed to propose 251 species for endangered status over a period of six years.
“So what you’re seeing now is the Service going through that work plan nationwide as part of that settlement agreement,” Adam Zerrenner, the Austin Field Office supervisor for Fish and Wildlife tells StateImpact Texas.
That lawsuit could significantly increase the number of endangered species listed. In the past ten years, an average of about 13 species were listed as endangered annually across the whole country. Now Texas, and the rest of the country, are bracing for fights over the proposed new listings. Among the 251 species included in the settlement now up for the endangered classification, 21 animals and plants are in Texas alone.
And once a species is proposed for listing, the clock starts ticking.
“Per that nationwide settlement agreement, these Salamanders, they had to be looked at this year and then finalized next year,” said Zerrener.
Notice he said, ‘finalized,’ not ‘listed.’ Earlier this year , another species that was proposed as part of the settlement, the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, did not end up on the list, after an outcry from oil companies and ranchers in West Texas. Not to mention conservative Texas politicians.
Now, it could be the Salamanders turn."......................