The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed endangered species protections for the dunes sagebrush lizard in Texas. This decision follows a lawsuit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against the federal government over the species’ designation. The lizard, approximately 2.5 inches long, is native to the Permian Basin and has been threatened by oil and gas activities for many years, according to biologists.

In 2024, the Biden administration granted federal protections to the lizard. Paxton challenged this decision, claiming that the Wildlife Service did not use the best scientific and commercial data when declaring the species endangered. As part of a settlement reached on July 21, the classification for the dunes sagebrush lizard was vacated, prompting the need for a reassessment of its status by the Wildlife Service.

Paxton praised the decision to reassess the lizard’s status, calling the initial classification a mistake that did not account for habitat restoration efforts. He stated that Texas residents and industries should not endure the consequences of an unlawful rule as the Wildlife Service re-evaluates the species.

“Texas, its people, and its industries should not have to suffer the effects of an illegal rule while the Fish and Wildlife Service further evaluates the status of the species,” Paxton said in a press release.

The Wildlife Service affirmed its commitment to working with local entities to preserve the lizard’s habitat. Conservationists and biologists criticized Paxton’s actions, highlighting concerns that the Trump administration aimed to alter the species’ status in favor of oil and gas interests. In a similar case, the lesser prairie chicken’s endangered status was removed in February following a court order.

Jason Rylander, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed concern that the Wildlife Service’s mission to protect wildlife, such as the dunes sagebrush lizards and lesser prairie chickens, has been compromised due to political pressures and industry influence.

“There appears to be a disturbing pattern of the Fish and Wildlife Service ignoring its mission to save struggling wildlife like dunes sagebrush lizards and lesser prairie chickens for the convenience of Texas politicians and big oil and gas polluters,” Rylander said.

Oil and gas firms warned in advance of the reclassification that restrictions tied to the lizard’s endangered status could hinder project development in the region. The Wildlife Service plans to conduct a new evaluation of the lizard’s status within two years of the settlement.

The lizard’s endangered status has been contentious in the past. A similar proposal in 2012 to list the lizard as endangered met opposition from then-Texas Comptroller Susan Combs and oil and gas groups, who dismissed the scientific data regarding threats to the species.

This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.