Center for Biological Diversity v. Jewell

Authors

Kirsa Shelkey, University of MontanaFollow

Case Summary Citation

Center for Biological Diversity v. Jewell, ___ F. Supp. 2d ___, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 119114, 2016 WL 4592199 (D. Mont. Sept. 2, 2016)

Abstract

Following years of pressure to list the upper Missouri River population of Arctic grayling as an endangered or threatened species, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service issued a 2014 Finding that listing the fish was “not warranted at this time.” The Service relied on voluntary Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances in the Big Hole River Basin to determine that listing criteria under the Endangered Species Act was not met and therefore listing was not necessary. Ultimately, the court deferred to agency expertise and found that the Service’s decision not to list the Arctic grayling was reasonable.