The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering whether lake sturgeon should be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
This comes after a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity.
Georgia Parham is with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She says the Center provided enough information about the status of sturgeon to warrant an in-depth review.
“This doesn't mean we're listing the lake sturgeon now or possibly not in the future. It just means we're going to take a pretty close look at its status to determine whether we should propose it for listing at some point,” Parham said.
She says the Center for Biological Diversity cited threats to the species including hydroelectric facilities and contamination.
Parham says the agency will consult with tribes and conservation groups during its in-depth review.
“That will help inform whether or not we propose this species for listing at some point down the road,” she said.
Parham says the Service will look at factors including the sturgeon's current and historic population.
She says sturgeon have been a focus of the agency even before this process.
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