Interior to Consider Endangered Species Listings for 374 Aquatic
Species The Interior Department this morning said it will
conduct reviews to determine whether 374 water-dependent species
in the Southeast deserve protection under the Endangered Species
Act. The decision, known as a 90-day finding, comes a year and a
half after a coalition of environmental groups petitioned the
agency to offer federal protections for 404 aquatic species,
citing threats from dams, water diversions and logging, farming
and wetlands development (Greenwire, April 21, 2010). Interior's
Fish and Wildlife Service said it will initiate a more thorough
status review to determine whether any, or all, of the species
merit a listing as threatened or endangered. "The Endangered
Species Act has proved to be a critical safety net for America's
imperiled fish, wildlife, and plants," Director Dan Ashe said in
a statement. "Our finding today is the first step in determining
whether these species need the special protection afforded by
the act."