Two species miss endangered status, for now

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency inside the Interior Department that handles species protections, said on June 16, 2026, that it is not warranted at this time to list the Sangre de Cristo peaclam and black-backed tanager as endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, or ESA.

Effective date: June 16, 2026

That means the two species do not get the law’s stronger federal protections now. The Service said the decision rested on the best scientific and commercial data available, and it said people can submit new information about either species or their habitats at any time.

What the finding changes

For landowners, project applicants and wildlife managers, the practical difference is real. A listing can trigger federal consultation and add pressure around development and land-use decisions. A not warranted finding leaves those listing-based safeguards out of the picture for now.

The agency’s notice does not say the species are safe or thriving. It says only that, based on the current record, the government did not find enough to move them onto the endangered or threatened list today.

The record is still open

That open door matters because species decisions can change when new data comes in. The Service said it will accept new information relevant to the status of either species or their habitats at any time, which leaves room for the picture to shift later if the science does.

For readers watching how conservation policy affects real land use, this is the quiet but consequential part: no listing now means no added ESA burden now, even as the federal file remains live.

Agency: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior Docket ID: FXES1111090FEDR-267-FF09E21000 CFR parts: 50 CFR Part 17 Effective date: June 16, 2026 Contact: Mark Horner • New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office • 505-657-2054 • mark_horner@fws.gov