The dunes sagebrush lizard, found only in the shinnery oak sand dune ecosystems within the oil and natural gas-rich Permian Basin may be listed as “endangered” under the powerful Endangered Species Act (ESA). 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is accepting comments through Sept. 1 on the proposal. The determination “also serves as the 12-month finding on a petition to list the lizard and satisfies a court ordered deadline to deliver the finding” by the end of June, officials noted.

“Primary threats to the lizard include loss of habitat associated with oil and gas development, sand mining and changing climate,” the USFWS noted. “After a rigorous review of the best available scientific and commercial information, the Service finds that listing the species is...