Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit issued a stay of the biological opinion and incidental take statement under the Endangered Species Act for the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
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Federal court stays Mountain Valley Pipeline’s biological opinion again
TAGS: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appalachian mountain advocates Center for Biological Diversity Chesapeake Climate Action Network Endangered Species Act Indian Creek Watershed Association Jefferson National Forest mountain valley pipeline Preserve Bent Mountain Preserve Giles Sierra Club U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Forest Service West Virginia Highlands Conservancy West Virginia Rivers Coalition Wild Virginia
Saving the Tiny Bog Turtle Could Have a Big Impact on Conservation
A petition to protect southern bog turtles under the Endangered Species Act could also help protect their mountain bog homes. But with diminishing habitat and other threats, time could run out for North America’s smallest turtles.
Lawsuit launched to protect endangered West Virginia species from coal hauling
Conservation groups intend to sue the U.S. Forest Service over the agency’s failure to protect several endangered species from the harmful effects of coal hauling in the Monongahela National Forest. The suit would also protect the species’ critical habitats.
TAGS: appalachian mountain advocates candy darter Center for Biological Diversity coal hauling Endangered Species Act Freshwater Mussels Greenbrier River Watershed Association Indiana bats Kanawha Forest Coalition Laurel Creek Monongahela National Forest Sierra Club South Fork Cherry River upper gauley watershed West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
Lawsuit launched to protect endangered crayfish pushed to the brink of extinction by coal mining in Appalachia
The Center for Biological Diversity and Appalachian Voices filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failure to protect the endangered Guyandotte River crayfish and the threatened Big Sandy crayfish from coal mining pollution. Both species are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
TAGS: big sandy crayfish Center for Biological Diversity Endangered Species Act U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
Statement from Appalachian Voices on U.S. Fish and Wildlife biological opinion for Mountain Valley Pipeline
Today, for the third time, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Biological Opinion and Incidental Take Statement for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, one of several authorizations necessary under federal law to allow construction of the project.
TAGS: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals candy darter Endangered Species Act mountain valley pipeline U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Northern Long-Eared Bats Added to Endangered Species List
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently classified northern long-eared bats as endangered, which could help save the species most impacted by the deadly fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome.
TAGS: Bats Endangered species Endangered Species Act Fish and Wildlife Service White Nose White-nose syndrome
Bad actor coal company seeks to expand surface mine in endangered candy darter habitat
Surface mining of this scale is bad news for the environment even if it is conducted within the confines of the law, but South Fork Coal Company’s history of regulatory infractions is almost as egregious as Greenbrier County is beautiful.
TAGS: Allegheny Blue Ridge Alliance candy darter Endangered Species Act South Fork Coal Company south fork of cherry river surface mining
Hundreds of Miles of Streams Designated as Critical Habitat for At-risk Crawfish
To protect the threatened Big Sandy crayfish and the endangered Guyandotte River crayfish, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service formally designated 446 miles of Appalachian streams and rivers as critical habitat.
Fourth Circuit Invalidates Decision in Endangered Species Act Case, Further Delaying MVP
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit invalidated the biological opinion and incidental take statement issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The Court’s decision means that construction should not move forward along the 304-mile pipeline route.
To Stop an American Extinction Crisis, the Southeast Must Pivot Away From Fossil Fuels
One of the worst chapters of the global extinction crisis is playing out in America’s Southeast, a region that rivals the rainforests with its staggering array of aquatic biodiversity.
TAGS: Aquatic life Center for Biological Diversity crayfish Endangered species Endangered Species Act fish Mussels southeast extinction crisis threatened species
