Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

During the final weeks of the Biden administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) reached agreements that set schedules for review of the status of species to determine whether listing them as endangered or threatened is warranted. The plaintiffs in these cases identified climate change as one of the threats facing these species. In this lawsuit and <a href="https://climatecasechart.com/case/center-for-biological-diversity-v-us-fish-wildlife-service-24/">another lawsuit</a>, FWS agreed to make 12-month findings regarding whether listings of the American bumblebee and variable cuckoo bumblebee are warranted by June 30, 2027. FWS also agreed to make a 12-month finding regarding the blue calamintha bee by June 14, 2028 and to make a 12-month finding regarding the Southern Plains bumblebee by June 30, 2029.

Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit asking the federal district court for the District of Arizona to order the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to issue determinations on petitions to list four pollinator bee species as endangered or threatened. The complaint alleged that FWS received the listing petition for the blue calamintha bee on February 5, 2015 and issued a positive 90-day finding in September 2015 but had never made a 12-month finding regarding whether listing under the Endangered Species Act was warranted. The complaint further alleged that FWS received the petitions for the American bumblebee, variable cuckoo, and Southern Plains bumblebee in February 2021, May 2021, and July 2022, respectively, and had yet to issue 12-month findings. The complaint alleged that the four species were “suffering from declining populations due to habitat degradation and destruction, pesticide use, climate change, and other threats.”