Key facts
- The Trump administration agreed to remove endangered species protections for the dunes sagebrush lizard.
- The decision settles a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acknowledged a "serious and fundamental" error in its previous assessment.
- The agency will re-evaluate the lizard's status within two years.
- The lizard's habitat overlaps with the Permian Basin, a major oil-producing region.
The Trump administration has agreed to remove endangered species protections for the dunes sagebrush lizard, settling a lawsuit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had initially designated the lizard as endangered in May 2024, citing habitat loss due to oil and gas development in the Permian Basin. However, the agency now believes it made a "serious and fundamental" error in its assessment by improperly discounting habitat restoration efforts and experimental conservation. The settlement, which requires federal judge approval, means the agency will conduct a further review and decide within two years whether to reclassify the lizard. This action is part of a broader trend of environmental deregulation under President Trump aimed at reducing costs for industry and boosting energy production, which critics argue weakens environmental protections. Paxton, a Republican and strong Trump supporter, had called the Biden-era rule politically motivated and a threat to energy production and private landowners.