Editorial: Lizards vs jobs: Toeing the line to protect both

We share the concern of U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-NM, that federal efforts to protect a small lizard that is native to some of the most productive oil-producing regions in the state could have devastating consequences on the economies of the region and the entire state. The dunes sagebrush lizard, a 3-inch reptile that lives in dunes covered by shinnery oak, has been listed as a candidate for "endangered" status since 2001. Its habitat, limited to stretches of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas, is shrinking. The lizard is already listed as an endangered species in the state, and the oil and gas companies working in Chaves, Eddy, Lea and Roosevelt counties have taken steps to mitigate damage to its habitat. The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association has provided money for research and mapping of the area to ensure roads are not built in areas that would disturb the reptile, association President Steve Henke said. And, producers have avoided drilling in the area where the lizard is known to live, he said. "We feel like we can co-exist with the lizard. (But) the Endangered Species Act makes every-thing cumbersome, lengthy, litigious," he said. Those feelings are justifiable given recent history of Endangered Species Act protections in New Mexico, and their impacts on the economy. Pearce points to the protections given to the spotted owl, and the impact that had on the timber industry. He could have just as easily recounted the tale of the Rio Grande silvery minnow...more