Congressman Canseco's Statement on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Decision on the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard

Statement

Congressman Francisco "Quico" Canseco (TX-23), a leader in the fight against Fish and Wildlife's effort to list the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard on the Endangered Species List, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to not list the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard on the Endangered Species List:

"Today's decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to not list the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard on the Endangered Species List is truly welcome news. Had a decision to list the lizard on the List been reached, oil and gas exploration in the Permian Basin, one of the most prolific oil and gas producing areas of the country that partially lies in the 23rd District of Texas, would have come to a halt. As a result, thousands of good-paying jobs -- many which are held by constituents of the 23rd District -- would have been lost and our nation would experienced yet another self-inflicted setback in our effort to become energy independent."

"After a year and a half of helping lead the fight against the Fish and Wildlife Service's proposal, it's a relief to finally see a federal agency that responded to the rational objections from stakeholders and changed course. No one wants to see the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard become extinct, and today's decision illustrates that, if given the opportunity, the private sector can be a partner in protecting the environment rather than an adversary, a view that is all too frequently taken by the federal government . I hope we see more rational decisions like this one from federal agencies in the future," concluded Congressman Canseco.

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