Texas Sues Federal Gov’t Over Concerns Endangered Lizard Listing Could Hurt Oil and Gas Sector

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers oil and gas production the primary threat to the dunes sagebrush lizard, found only in New Mexico and west Texas.

An oil pumpjack near the Callon Petroleum vicinity in Monahans, Texas, on March 27, 2024. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Texas sued the Biden administration on Monday over a federal rule listing a rare lizard as an endangered species, concerned that the classification threatens the state’s oil and gas industries.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, concerns the dunes sagebrush lizard.