Yesterday, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would review 29 animals and plants for protection under the Endangered Species Act, following a petition for review by WildEarth Guardians. Of the 29 green-lighted taxa, the decision to move forward with a review of the tiny mist forestfly signals perhaps a large change in the way the ESA is used:
Glacier National Park succors many creatures on the federal endangered species list, like grizzly bears and bull trout. Within a year, a little stonefly may join their ranks.(Via)
And if it does, it may mark the first time a critter has been deemed threatened by the Earth's climate.
Among the 29 animals and plants nominated for Endangered Species Act review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday was the Lednia tumana [pictured above], a mist forest fly that lives in cold-water streams fed by Glacier Park's icefields.
U.S. Geological Survey research predicts the park's 26 remaining glaciers could decay into snowfields by 2030.
The retreat of the Glaciers in Glacier National Park is serious business. If you want to see them, book your flight today. [Kidding!]