Group sues U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over listing delay

The Center for Biological Diversity filed suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on May 11 for its “unlawful delay” in making a decision on listing the San Joaquin giant flower-loving fly under the Endangered Species Act. As reported in the Feb. 26 issue of WLJ, the group threatened to sue the agency back in February, claiming the 1.5 inch-long fly exists in only one small population near Bakersfield, CA, where its habitat is threatened by sand mining. The lawsuit claims the USFWS was required to make a listing decision back in 2015 but did not. The last action listed by the USFWS was an initial finding that “action may be warranted” on the fly’s listing status. Included in the petition is a request for attorneys’ fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act. The Center for Biological Diversity’s lawsuit came two days after the USFWS announced it would produce a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding listing status for the San Joaquin giant flower-loving fly by the end of July, 2018. — WLJ