Conservationists sue over Endangered Species Act designation for pond turtles

The Center for Biological Diversity and two other groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, alleging it missed an October 2024 deadline to finalize threatened-species protections for northwestern and southwestern pond turtles. The suit, filed in federal court in Oregon, asks a judge to declare the agency in violation of the Endangered Species Act and order it to issue final listing rules.

The turtles, two of only three freshwater turtle species native to the Pacific Coast, have seen populations decline from habitat loss, predation by introduced species, and climate change. The service proposed listing both as threatened back in October 2023, following an earlier 2020 lawsuit from the center, but never finalized that rule.

Plaintiffs say degraded habitat, including a drained lake that removed basking spots for the turtles, has already harmed the interests of their members who recreate in the area. The Interior Department and Fish and Wildlife Service did not respond to requests for comment.

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