Federal agency agrees to finalize Endangered Species Act protections for imperiled reptiles and plants after litigation settlement
Eleven plants and animals native to South Florida are on a clearer path toward federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, following a legal settlement between conservation groups and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The settlement requires the agency to finalize protections for three reptiles — the Florida Keys mole skink, Rim Rock crowned snake and Key ring-necked snake — by mid-July…