Texas Scorecard by Valerie Muñoz October 29, 2024
The attorney general says listing mussel species as endangered is an attempt to subvert the Texas economy.Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Biden-Harris administration officials and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for violating the Endangered Species Act and listing seven freshwater mussel species as threatened or endangered.
In June, the Service added the Guadalupe Fatmucket, Texas Fatmucket, Guadalupe Orb, Texas Pimpleback, Balcones Spike, False Spike, and Texas Fawnsfoot mussel species to ESA lists.
The new listing triggered restrictions over certain areas due to their “critical habitat” designation. The suit argues the listing is unlawful.
“The critical habitat designation for the Central Texas Mussels also contains numerous deficiencies. The Service violated the ESA by failing to make the designation on the basis of the best available scientific data and to consider the full economic impacts that such a designation will impose,”
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/texas-sues-biden-harris-admin-for-unlawfully-listing-mussel-species-as-endangered/