Three conservation organizations have notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service they intend to sue the agency over its failure to decide whether a rare Alabama fish species warrants federal protections.
The Center for Biological Diversity, Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper filed the notice Thursday, citing the agency’s missed deadline to respond to a petition seeking Endangered Species Act protections for Birmingham darters.
The groups submitted the petition in November 2025, and FWS failed to meet a legally required 90-day deadline to determine whether protections may be warranted, according to a news release from Black Warrior Riverkeeper…