American Burying Beetle Loses Endangered Status Despite Major Threats From Oil Development, Climate

[UngulateNerd92]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the downlisting of the American burying beetle from endangered to threatened despite the absence of the beetle from most of its range, ongoing habitat destruction from the oil and gas industry, and new information that climate change is decimating the species in the southern Plains.

The downlisting rule, released Sept. 3, also outlines exclusions that allow oil and gas companies to pursue developments within the beetle’s fragile habitat in Oklahoma.

American Burying Beetle Loses Endangered Status Despite Major Threats From Oil Development, Climate Change

 

[birdsandbats]

The USFWS is just a sad joke at this point. They have continued to make terrible decisions over the past few years, all of which have been at the expense of the wildlife they are supposed to protect.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Very sorry to hear about this, terrible what is going on with all of these downlistings.

 

[UngulateNerd92]

Here is another relevant article from the Cape Cod Times.

American burying beetle downlisted under Endangered Species Act.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has downlisted the American burying beetle under the Endangered Species Act, pointing to conservation efforts across the country, including on Nantucket, as one of the signs that the species is recovering.

The move was championed by service officials, but lambasted by scientists who say the action is putting the insect at risk.

American burying beetle downlisted under Endangered Species Act

 

[UngulateNerd92]

The USFWS is just a sad joke at this point. They have continued to make terrible decisions over the past few years, all of which have been at the expense of the wildlife they are supposed to protect.

@birdsandbats Unfortunately I couldn't agree with more.