Voluntary conservation agreements already in place in New Mexico and Texas have kept the US Fish and Wildlife Service from listing the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered species, the US Department of the Interior announced on June 13.
"This is a great example of how states and landowners can take early, landscape-level action to protect wildlife habitat before a species is listed under the Endangered Species Act," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said. "The voluntary conservation efforts of Texas and New Mexico, oil and gas operators, private landowners, and other stakeholders show that we don't have to choose between energy development and the protection of our land and wildlife – we can do both." State-led voluntary conservation efforts to protect existing shinnery oak dune habitat and greatly reduce oil and gas development impacts now cover more than 650,000 acres in New Mexico and Texas, totaling 88% of the species' range, FWS said. These measures also minimize the anticipated impacts of off-road vehicle traffic, wind and solar development, increased predation caused by development, and other potential threats, it indicated.
FWS Director Don Ashe said New Mexico and Texas state officials worked tirelessly with FWS, the US Bureau of Land Management, "and scores of landowners and operators in the Permian basin to conserve and protect habitat that supports the dunes sagebrush lizard and other species."
New information from BLM and Texas A&M University enabled FWS to refine mapping of the lizard's habitat and identify more occupied sites, especially in Texas, FWS said. After carefully analyzing scientific data and protections the voluntary conservation efforts provide, biologists at the agency determined the species is no longer in danger of extinction and is unlikely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.
Cooperation was key
FWS's decision, more than 18 months after its proposal to list the lizard as endangered, showed what could be accomplished when all interested parties emphasize cooperation over confrontation, officials from 2 oil and gas associations suggested.
"[DOI's] decision affirms the fact that oil and gas development and environmental protection are not in opposition, as it recognizes the successful conservation efforts of regulators, non-profit groups, and industry working together at the state level," Independent Petroleum Association of America President Barry Russell said.
American Petroleum Institute Upstream Director Erik Milito noted that the industry worked tirelessly with federal and state agencies, conservation organizations, ranchers, and other stakeholders to develop a far-reaching voluntary collaborative management program and cooperative conservation agreements to protect the lizard.
"This positive decision helps to ensure that oil and gas production can continue to drive the economy forward through job creation, revenue generation, and energy security," he said.
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