Rare lizard causes local concerns

A small lizard is causing big concerns among West Texas landowners. Found in dunes covered by shinnery oak in Andrews, Gaines, Ward and Winkler counties, and much of eastern New Mexico, the dunes sagebrush lizard has been listed by the U.S government as a candidate for endangered species status since 2001. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hasn’t done a survey of lizards in West Texas, the number is estimated to be smaller than in New Mexico, U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokesman Tom Buckley said. Oil drilling is a concern since it can disrupt the natural habitat, something the lizards are particularly sensitive to, Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity said. But options that preserve the lizard and work with landowners exist, Buckley said. Candidate conservation agreements, or candidate conservation agreements with assurances, were signed by landowners and oil and gas companies in southeastern New Mexico to help coordinate management of the species, Permian Basin Petroleum Association president Ben Shepperd said...more