Desert lizard could go on endangered species list

Conservationists hope the third time's the charm in a court ruling that could put a lizard found in Yuma on the endangered species list.

Last week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider protection for the Flat-tailed Horned Lizard, which has part of its habitat in Yuma County.

The species was first proposed for listing in 1993, and it has been refused for status a total of three times. The latest ruling was in response to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups.

Now, it's up to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider putting the lizard on the list.

Noah Greenwald, biodiversity program director with the center, said the lizard is endangered because urban sprawl is taking away its habitat.

He said the status won't stop growth, but regulations associated with an endangered status would help provide for habitat to be set aside.

"It's a good thing for the lizard," he said. "And it's a good thing for other species as well."

But just when a decision could come on whether to put the lizard on the list isn't clear.

Jose Viramontes, spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the agency is looking at its options in order to move forward with the court's order.

In addition to Yuma County, the lizard is found in the Riverside, Imperial and San Diego counties in California, and in Sonora and Baja California states in Mexico.

In Yuma County, the lizard has 221,000 acres of habitat, 124,500 of which is in a protected management area near the Barry Goldwater Bombing Range, said Lin Piest, nongame biologist with the Yuma office of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Greenwald said it is difficult to estimate how many lizards there are throughout its habitat.

In an effort to protect the lizard and minimize impact to its habitat, the Arizona Department of Transportation took certain precautions in planning for and building Area Service Highway, a road that will connect the new port of entry to Interstate 8.

Biologists surveyed the area and put up a special fence to keep the lizards safe during construction. ADOT also also installed a total of 18 miles of special fencing to help keep the lizards off the highway.

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Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.