Boise, ID--The highly imperiled pygmy rabbit is one step closer to protection after a settlement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a coalition of citizen groups became final yesterday. Because of widespread declines and a growing risk of extinction, the citizen coalition filed a formal petition seeking protection for the pygmy rabbit under the Endangered Species Act in 2003. The Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to make a preliminary finding on the petition by May 16, 2005.

Weighing only one pound, the pygmy rabbit is the smallest rabbit in North America. Once occurring throughout the Sagebrush Sea landscapes of eight western states, including Wyoming, it has vanished from most of its former range, being reduced to only small pockets of habitat in isolated areas. It has declined by over 90%. The species' decline is closely tied to the loss and degradation of sagebrush habitat, which provides food and cover for the rabbit. Overgrazing of domestic livestock, rampant oil and gas development in western Wyoming, and off-road vehicle use are the primary threats.

"Rampant oil and gas development in western Wyoming threatens to push the species ever closer to the brink of extinction," said Jeremy Nichols, Endangered Species Program Director for Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. "Protection under the Endangered Species Act will emplace important checks and balances on development that will save the pygmy rabbit and ensure the long-term health and sustainability of our environment."

Added Katie Fite, Conservation Biologist with Western Watersheds Project, "Livestock grazing harms all components of pygmy rabbit habitat and is the most significant threat to the species. Cattle trampling collapses its burrows, destroys protective cover, depletes native grasses, and opens up sagebrush to weed invasions."

The agreement settles a lawsuit over the Fish and Wildlife Service's failure to respond to the petition requesting the pygmy rabbit be protected under the safety net of the Endangered Species Act. By law, the Service is required to review such petitions and make a finding whether protection may be warranted within 90-days. Protection of the pygmy rabbit under the Endangered Species Act will provide a valuable safety net for the species and will lead to increased protection of the Sagebrush Sea, the ecosystem upon which the rabbit depends for survival.

"The decline and endangerment of the pygmy rabbit is a sign of widespread habitat loss an degradation," said Jacob Smith, Executive Director of the Center for Native Ecosystems. "As a safety net for wildlife on the brink of extinction, the Endangered Species Act will prevent the rabbit's slide toward extinction and help protect the Sagebrush Sea it depends upon for survival."

If the Fish and Wildlife Service determines that protection under the Endangered Species Act may be warranted for the rabbit, the agency will then undertake a thorough review of the rabbits's status. According to today's agreement, this review must be completed by February 16, 2006. As part of this review, Service will determine whether or not to officially protect the rabbit under the Endangered Species Act.