Tag Archives: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Another complaint filed over SpaceX launches in South Texas

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Have at it. Several organizations have filed a new complaint about the environmental impacts of SpaceX Starship launches even as government agencies face criticism for delaying such launches for environmental reviews. Several environmental groups announced Dec. 15 that they had … Continue reading →

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The bracted twistflower

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta save our wildflowers, y’all. The bracted twistflower, a Texas wildflower threatened by growing urban sprawl, was declared a threatened species Monday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The tall, bright purple flower, which has seen significant decline across … Continue reading →

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A win for butterflies

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure this will end up in court, but it’s still a good thing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday declared the prostrate milkweed an endangered species and mandated new habitat protections for the plant, closing a chapter … Continue reading →

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Save the bats

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In case you needed something else to worry about. Texas researchers have closely watched the state’s bat population for years, looking for signs of a disease that has killed millions of North American bats: the white, powder-like substance on their … Continue reading →

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Border walls are bad for the environment

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not that anyone pushing for a border wall cares, but just so you know. There’s been a lot of debate about how effective the Bush-era barrier has been at keeping out illegal crossers and drug smugglers. Some data indicates the … Continue reading →

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Texas v the feds, Endangered Species edition

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

One more for the road. For perhaps the last time before President Barack Obama leaves office, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit against the federal government for what he considers federal overreach, this time in an endangered species … Continue reading →

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Whither the monarch butterfly

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We should try to keep them from going extinct. That would be bad. The state’s chief financial officer has approved a $300,000 grant to investigate why the number of monarch butterflies is declining in Texas, and what can be done … Continue reading →

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Reintroducing the jaguarundi

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. The federal government has established a recovery plan for the jaguarundi, almost four decades since the small wildcat was listed as an endangered species and almost three decades since one was confirmed in the U.S. But don’t expect to … Continue reading →

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Rescuing fish

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Wildlife biologists [last week evacuated] two species of minnows from the shrinking waters of a West Texas river in the first of what could be several rescue operations involving fish affected by the state’s worst drought in decades. Smalleye … Continue reading →

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Feral hogs: Still a problem

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve always been glad to live in the city because of stuff like this, but maybe it’s not enough any more. Arlington and Dallas are among cities along the Trinity River that also have reported problems with wild hogs that … Continue reading →

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