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The Center for Biological Diversity (“CBD”) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) entered into a July 24th Stipulated Settlement Agreement (“Settlement”) setting an Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) listing schedule.
The species addressed include 31 Southeast and two Southwest animals and plants.
One of the species’ range addressed in the Settlement includes Arkansas. The species is the Eastern spotted skunk.
CBD previously filed a Complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on February 27, 2020, pursuant to the citizen suit provision of the ESA. The organization asked the Court to compel the Service to complete listing and critical habitat actions by date certain for 241 of the 274 species identified in a previous letter from the organization.
The Settlement requires for the species referenced to have their status reviewed and 12-month findings as to whether the listing of such species as threatened species or endangered species is:
- Not warranted,
- Warranted, or
- Warranted but precluded by other pending proposals.
The Settlement specifies for the various species the schedule for the dates such listing decisions should be completed.
The Eastern spotted skunk (also denominated the plains spotted skunk) must have a 12-month finding by September 14, 2023.
A copy of the Settlement can be downloaded here.
