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Government Issues Positive Finding on Guardians’ Petition
Contact: Nicole Rosmarino (505) 699-7404

Washington, DC-March 8. U.S.Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar published a decision in today’s FederalRegister that the Texas kangaroo rat warrants further review for protection(listing) under the Endangered Species Act. The decision comes in response to a January 2010 petitionfiled by WildEarth Guardians. TheTexas kangaroo rat was first made a candidate for Endangered Species Act protectionin 1982, but lost that status in 1996.

“The Texas kangaroo rat has waited nearly thirty years for legalsafeguards under the Endangered Species Act,” stated Nicole Rosmarino ofWildEarth Guardians. “Facing anonslaught of threats, including destruction of its habitat from crops, thisanimal is vanishing quickly. Thenext step is the most important: that the federal government decide promptly onwhether to grant this species endangered status.”

In his decision today, Secretary Salazar recognized threats to thekangaroo rat from destruction of habitat due primarily to agricultural crops;and a a lack of legal protections.

In its petition, Guardians demonstrated that humanactivity has pushed Texas kangaroo rat populations into tiny pockets of theanimals’ former range. Farming,cattle grazing, and land development over the past 150 years have completelydestroyed or altered nearly all Texas kangaroo rat natural habitat. Humans have killed off the bison andprairie dogs and have long extinguished the natural fires that created andmaintained the open grasslands and shrublands Texas kangaroo rats need tosurvive.

These kangaroo rats once inhabited at least 15counties in Texas and Oklahoma along the Red River. The species now appears to be completely extinct inOklahoma. They can now only befound in 5-6 Texas counties; only three of which have significantpopulations. Scientists predictthat Texas kangaroo rats will lose 48-80 percent of their already shrunkenhabitat in less than 40 years due to climate change. Federal protection for Texas kangaroo rats could bring thediminished and degraded prairie back to life as well giving this species afighting chance at survival.

Guardians petitioned the Texas kangaroo rat (Dipodomys elator) as part of “Prairie Week” during its BioBlitzesin 2010. Other species for whichGuardians took action (either petitions or lawsuits) during Prairie Week were:the Platte River caddisfly, prairie chub, spot-tailed earless lizard, and theScott’s riffle beetle. Altogether,the group filed petitions for 60 species in 2010, which was the InternationalYear of Biodiversity.

For background information, including the 2010 kangaroorat petition and today’s finding, contact Nicole Rosmarino at nrosmarino@wildearthguardians.org or 505-699-7404.