Thursday, Mar. 14, 2024
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.”
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- US Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Information
- NOAA Fisheries ESA Listings
- U.S. Geological Survey Why do animals and plants become endangered?
- Nevada Newsmakers Feb 14, 2024 Interview with James Settelmeyer
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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