"The cactus ferruginous pygmy-owls that inhabit Arizona are sticking the Fish and Wildlife Service with a pretty big problem.

And it's not just the owl that gives a hoot.

The federal agency is scrambling to save its interpretation of a crucial but notoriously ambiguous phrase in the Endangered Species Act. What an Arizona-based judge next decides in a lawsuit over the pygmy-owl could buffet officials and other species alike.

'The bottom line is, they are looking for a way to avoid listing species,' said attorney Eric Glitzenstein, who represents environmental groups challenging the agency."

Michael Doyle reports for Greenwire October 10, 2017. [2]