Victory! Endangered Species Act Protections Upheld for Coastal California Gnatcatcher

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it will maintain Endangered Species Act protections for the Coastal California Gnatcatcher, rejecting an attempt by developers to remove federal protections from this threatened species.

Southern California developers petitioned to remove the gnatcatcher from the Endangered Species list, claiming that these birds are not a genetically unique subspecies, and therefore unable to receive protection under the Endangered Species Act. Audubon maintained that this claim was based on deeply flawed science and that protections must continue, and the Fish and Wildlife Service agreed that the petition was not supported by the science.

Coastal California Gnatcatcher populations have declined dramatically as their sage scrub habitat has disappeared, primarily due to development and wildfires. The subspecies was added to the Endangered Species list in 1993. This attempt to delist the gnatcatcher is the second by the Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented the developers in the effort.

By upholding its designation as a threatened species, this decision helps protect its increasingly rare habitat from further damage, which also benefits the numerous other species that depend on it and the area’s residents and visitors that can continue to enjoy this unique and endangered environment.