Today, the American Stewards of Liberty (ASL) and the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) filed a Notice of Intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for violation of section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) based on USFWS’ failure to render a timely 12-month finding on an August 2015 petition filed with the Service to delist the American burying beetle.
In March 2016, as a preliminary response to the delisting petition, USFWS determined that the delisting of the Beetle may be warranted based on new information and analyses provided in the petition. Yet USFWS has failed to publish the requisite 12-month finding—which was due by August 2016—to announce its final determination of whether delisting is warranted based on the species’ current status and an erroneous original listing determination. For several years now, the American Stewards of Liberty (ASL), the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), and the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) have been leading the charge to delist the American burying beetle.
Dan Naatz, Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Political Affairs, stated this morning “Under the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, we believe the case for removing the American Burying Beetle is clearer than ever. USFWS has had the time to properly review and act on our petition. It is long past time that the Service meet its legal obligation to thoroughly evaluate this filing for delisting. Economic threats to the affected communities continue to cost private landowners, businesses, and local governments millions and American jobs are at stake—resolution of this filing is now long overdue.”
Read the full press release HERE.
