"Federal Judge Upholds Protections for California Gnatcatcher"

"A federal court in the District of Columbia upheld federal protections Wednesday for the California gnatcatcher bird by dismissing a lawsuit by a developer group who said the coastal bird was not qualified to receive protections.

The population of the endangered California gnatcatcher has struggled over the years as the coastal sage scrub and low trees it calls home have faced threats of removal from housing developments.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined in 1993 that the coastal songbird was a “threatened subspecies” and qualified to be listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act."

Martin Macias Jr reports for Courthouse News Service July 3, 2019.