The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced that they are seeking public input on a proposal to list the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Service encourages any interested parties to provide input and substantive comments during the 60-day public comment period that closes September 1, 2023. The notice became available on July 3 in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/current and in the Federal Register Reading Room on June 30 at https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/current
FWS remarked that conservation efforts for species can be greatly expanded through collaborative approaches that foster cooperation and the exchange of ideas among stakeholders. Candidate Conservation Agreements, Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances, and Enhancement of Survival Permits are voluntary tools that provide non-federal landowners and developers the opportunity to implement conservation practices that address specific threats with assurances that if the species is listed, they can continue to manage their land as outlined in their agreements with no additional requirements or restrictions. In New Mexico and Texas, around 100 ranchers and 100 oil and gas partners have enrolled in voluntary Candidate Conservation Agreements and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances. In New Mexico, these voluntary enrollments cover nearly 85 percent of the dune sagebrush lizard’s range within the state.