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

Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a complaint in the federal district court for the District of Oregon to compel the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to issue a 12-month finding on whether listing of the Crater Lake newt under the Endangered Species Act is warranted, not warranted, or warranted but precluded by other proposals. CBD submitted a petition requesting the listing of the Crater Lake newt on an emergency basis on November 28, 2023, and FWS found that listing might be warranted in October 2024. The primary threat cited in the complaint and in the October 2024 finding was predation by introduced species. CBD alleging that the newt was “rapidly headed towards extinction” as invasive crayfish expanded into its habitat. CBD and FWS also cited threats from habitat and food web alteration by signal crayfish (an introduced species), climate change, reduced population size, and range restriction.