"Eighteen states are challenging the Obama administration's recent changes to critical habitat rules, asserting they allow the federal government to designate 'entire states' as habitat for imperiled species.

Led by Alabama, the states filed a lawsuit yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. The legal challenge comes 10 months after the administration finalized a series of controversial updates to critical habitat rules under the Endangered Species Act (Greenwire, Feb. 5).

Those rules changed the way federal managers determine critical habitat. That designation only applies to activities with a federal nexus, mandating that agencies consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service before approving or funding any projects."

Emily Yehle reports for Greenwire November 30, 2016. [2]