NEW ORLEANS - An environmental group is dropping its legal fight over critical habitat for an endangered frog, but the group also says the story isn’t over. They’re now in the wild only in a few small parts of Mississippi, but the government designated 1,500 acres (610 hectares) in Louisiana as critical habitat for them. The agency could return the critical habitat designation after more scientific and public comment, Giese said. Edward Poitevent, one of the landowners, has said it would halt his own plans to develop the land, currently used for timber. The 8-0 ruling also said lower courts should have considered whether the benefits involved in designating the land as critical habitat outweighed the costs.

Source: thestar July 01, 2019 20:09 UTC