Mon Sep 23 17:41:41 UTC 2024: ## Texas Attorney General Sues Biden Administration Over Dunes Sagebrush Lizard Listing
**Austin, Texas** – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Monday, challenging the designation of the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered species. Paxton, a Republican, argued that the decision, which he called “politically motivated,” could negatively impact property owners and energy production in the state.
The lawsuit claims that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to list the lizard as endangered was based on faulty scientific data and ignores the significant conservation efforts already undertaken in Texas. Paxton further argues that the designation will impose burdensome regulations on landowners and hinder oil and gas development in the region.
The dunes sagebrush lizard is a small, sand-colored lizard found in the Permian Basin of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The species has faced population declines due to habitat loss and fragmentation caused by oil and gas development. However, the lawsuit contends that conservation efforts by the state of Texas have successfully stabilized the lizard’s population.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges brought by Republican-led states against the Biden administration’s environmental regulations. It remains to be seen how the courts will rule on Paxton’s claims.
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