Is human development the only reason a species becomes endangered?

A combination of man-made and natural causes can lead to a plant or animal being listed on the Endangered Species List.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines a species is at risk of being endangered if there is present or threatened destruction or modification of habitat; disease or predation; overutilization of the species for commercial, recreational, scientific or education purposes; inadequate regulatory mechanisms; or other natural or man-made factors affect the species.

During a February interview on Nevada Newsmakers, James Settelmeyer, director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, stated that “if you look at threatened endangered species, part of it comes down to, if nobody’s doing anything with the land, there’s no threat. So as soon as someone announces that they’re going to do something with it, well, now it’s threatened.”