But it said the emergency listing goes into effect immediately and will continue for eight months while more permanent protections are considered for the toad at the only place it is known to exist in the world.
It marks only the second time in 20 years the service has listed a species as endangered on an emergency basis.
“Protecting small population species like this ensures the continued biodiversity necessary to maintain climate resilient landscapes in one of the driest states in the country,” the agency said.
It wasn’t immediately clear how the toad's listing might affect construction of the power plant about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of
The dispute is among a growing number of conflicts over wildlife protection and tribal rights on federal lands that the Biden administration faces as it pursues its agenda to combat climate change by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy.
Officials for
“Ormat long recognized the importance of conserving the
“Ormat will coordinate with relevant agencies to ensure that any additional required process is met while we continue our work on this important renewable energy project,” he said.
Geothermal power is generated from hot water deep beneath the earth.
The agency agreed last month to expedite consideration of a federal listing of the toad as part of a settlement with conservationists and the
The
Monday's decision "comes just in the nick of time for the
“We’ve been saying for five years that the Dixie Meadows geothermal project could wipe out these tiny toads, and I’m thankful those concerns have been heard," he said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.
The center for Biological Diversity and the tribe won a federal court order in
But the 9th
The last time a species was declared endangered on an emergency basis was in 2011, when the the Obama administration took action on the
Other species listed as endangered on an emergency basis over the years include the
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