No protection for Gila Monsters
By Cindy Steinle · July 14, 2011 9:18 am
The US Fish and Wildlife said this week that the Gila Monster population in Utah is not large enough to warrant endangered status.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday that a petition seeking to protect the Utah population of the Gila monster under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) does not contain substantial scientific information to indicate that the petitioned action may be warranted, because the population does not constitute a distinct population segment (DPS) as defined by the ESA. The finding will be published in the Federal Register Tuesday. Despite the announcement by the USFWS that the species will not receive further consideration for listing under the ESA at this time, the agency will continue to work with its partners to conserve and protect the Gila monster throughout the species’ range, according to the announcement. [....] In Utah, it is found only in the southern portion of Washington County, which comprises less than one (.01) percent of the species’ total range.To read the full article, click here.
