In a blow to the oil and gas industry, the Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday finalized endangered species protections for the dunes sagebrush lizard that lives across a swath of the Permian Basin.
The small lizard, which is now listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, is found in the oil-rich basin in southeast New Mexico and West Texas.
“The Endangered Species Act is an important tool in preventing the extinction of imperiled species like the dunes sagebrush lizard,” said Amy Lueders, the FWS Southwest regional director.
She said the agency, which is part of the Interior Department, “will continue working collaboratively with tribes, industry, stakeholders and private landowners while ensuring protections for the lizard and its habitat.”
