Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

The "not warranted" determination on the petition to list the swift fox as endangered is arbitrary and capricious, does not use best science, and illegally considers future conservation actions as a reason not to list the species.

Squirrel densities were found to be extremely low in comparison with most other regions and times.

While the Service did release several thousand documents to the group three days after the July suit was filed, it is still withholding key information.

There is growing recognition among scientists that one important way to address the mounting extinction crisis is to protect particular plants and wildlife whose conservation benefits associated species.

The conservation group filed three Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests last fall to compel the Service to release information over the controversial plover listing withdrawal and then sued in July over a long overdue response to the requests.

On October 14, 2004 the FWS sent a letter to Dr. Nicole Rosmarino of WildEarth Guardians indicating it is likely that the FWS will not initiate a "substantial information" review on the Gunnison's Prairie Dog petition in FY 2005 without a court order.

A coalition of homeowners and environmental groups has asked the Cibola National Forest to consider an alternative proposal to restore forests in the Manzano Mountains that would not require logging and road building

Notice of intent to sue

In June 1998, the lesser prairie-chicken warranted Endangered Species Act protection, according to the Service, but was considered precluded by higher priority species. Six years later, it remains an unprotected candidate species.

A WildEarth Guardians report, "Lesser Prairie-Chicken: The Sky Really is Falling," documents continued declines and threats against the critically imperiled bird throughout its five-state range in Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.