New endangered listing for rare lizard could slow oil and gas drilling in New Mexico and West Texas

By SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press

Federal wildlife officials have declared a rare lizard in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas an endangered species. The Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday that future energy development, sand mining and climate change could lead to extinction of the dunes sagebrush lizard in one of the world’s most lucrative oil and natural gas basins. The decision caps two decades of legal and regulatory skirmishes between the U.S. government, conservationists and the oil and gas industry. Environmentalists see it as providing the lizard a lifeline for survival. Industry leaders say it ignores years of significant voluntary efforts by the states and private companies to protect the species.