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ST. GEORGE — The pinyon jay, a talkative bird species native to the Southwest, including southern Utah, may be at risk of extinction. And the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing a petition to protect it under the Endangered Species Act.
However, Defenders of Wildlife, a nonprofit that petitioned to protect the species more than two years ago, says the agency is moving too slowly, taking 15 months to make a 90-day finding in violation of federal law. And it intends to sue.
Defenders announced their intent to file a lawsuit in a news release on Oct. 8, asserting that "this delay is a clear violation of the (Endangered Species Act's) mandatory deadline for a 12-month finding." This finding was due a year following the initial petition, submitted on April 25, 2022, and would include the agency's final determination on whether the pinyon jay should be listed.
This deadline "reflects the inherent urgency in a listing petition," said Lisa Saltzburg, a senior attorney for the Defenders of Wildlife Biodiversity Law Center.
"We are challenging (Fish and Wildlife Service's) failure to act with the diligence demanded by the pinyon jay's dire situation and by federal law," she said.
