Presented by Robert G. Szabo, Van Ness Feldman, P.C. at the Texas Water Conservation Association conference in Dallas, Texas March 8, 2012

1. ESA: New Threat to Texas
and Need for Reform
Texas Water Conservation Association
Dallas, Texas
March 8, 2012
Robert G. Szabo
Van Ness Feldman, P.C.

2. Candidate Species For Listing Under
FWS Settlement Agreements
19
2
4 3
1
11
6 2
11 3 3 3
3
2 2
4
RI: 2
4 3
2 3
13 6
10 5 DE: 3
21 5
10 3 DC: 1
5 7 6 MD: 2
14
7
17
23 5
15 5 5
9
6 22
21 5
28
2
KEY (# of proposed species)
69
1-9 40-49
0 500 Miles
AK & HI not to scale 50-59
10-19 0 500 KM
20-29 60-69
30-39

3. 21 Texas Candidate Species
Austin Blind Salamander (amphibian)
2 2
! - Additional Portions of Range TBD Diamond Y Spring Snail (snail)
2 2
* Deadline FY 2012 (9/30/2012) Diminutive Amphipod (crustacean)
2 2 2 2 ** Deadline FY 2013 (9/30/2013)
Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (reptile)
2 2 2 2
2 2 2 Georgetown Salamander (amphibian)
Red River Gonzales Springsnail (snail)
2 2
Guadalupe Fescue (plant)
3 2 3 3 Jollyville Plateau Salamander
3 Brazos
3 2 3 3 3 3 3 River (amphibian) *
3 3 Lesser Prairie-Chicken (bird)
3 Louisiana Pine Snake (reptile) !
2 2 Colorado River 2 Neches River Rose-Mallow (plant)
2
2 3 2 2 2 23 Phantom Cave Snail (snail)
3 2
2
2 2 22 Phantom Springsnail (snail)
4 3 3 Salado Salamander (amphibian)
2 Pecos 4 Sharpnose Shiner (fish) !
2 River
Rio Grande Smalleye Shiner (fish) !
2
4 Sprauge’s Pipit (bird) STATEWIDE
Texas Golden Gladecress (plant)
Texas Hornshell (mollusk)
Warton’s Cave Meshweaver (arachnid)
2 Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
[Western U.S. DPS] (bird) **
Rio
Grande
Source: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
February, 2012

4.  September 17, 2011: Federal District Court approves
settlements between FWS, WildEarth Guardians and Center
for Biological Diversity
 Over 250 candidate species must be reviewed for final listing as either threatened or
endangered under the Endangered Species Act by 2016
 2011 & 2012 FWS Work plan adopted that covers actions on listing, critical habitat
petitions and other actions for over 1,000 species
 44 species have specific deadlines for FWS decisions
 Likely to increase overall amount of species listed by 20% by 2016
PLUS
 September 26, 2011: FWS announces decision on a listing
petition covering 374 species in the Southeast U.S.
 Focused on species dependent upon aquatic, riparian and/or wetlands habitat
 Region covered includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West
Virginia

5. Scope of the 374 South-East Species Review

6. Impact
Worst Case: Endangered species list could
DOUBLE in size by 2020
1973-2011 2011-2016
1,372 species listed as 250+ candidate species to be
endangered or threatened considered for listing, plus
initial petition findings and
critical habitat designations
for an additional 1,000 species

7. Problems for Texas
New species listings =
 New take liability
 More critical habitat designations
 Higher $$ in compliance measures
 Regulatory uncertainty
 Re-initiation of existing biological opinions
 More litigation
 Increased risk to resource use activities

8. Texas Needs to Organize
 Potential avoidance of listings
 Seek threatened rather than endangered status
 Designation of species as “threatened” allows for special 4(d) rule
to provide for more flexible implementation of take prohibitions
 Ensure accurate critical habitat designations

9. National ESA Reform Effort
 NESARC is renewing its efforts in 2012 to educate
policymakers on ESA priorities and concerns and
to build support for potential action in the 113th
Congress.
 Congress is paying attention
 2013 could be the next real ESA policy
improvement opportunity

10. Questions?
For More Information:
Robert G. Szabo
rgs@vnf.com
Joseph B. Nelson
jbn@vnf.com
Jordan A. Smith
jas@vnf.com
www.nesarc.org
Robert G. Szabo
Van Ness Feldman, P.C.
March 8, 2012