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6/11/2025
KWA and our partners, including the National Wildlife Federation, oppose changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that removes habitat protection from the ESA. KWA and our partners submitted comments to the Department of the Interior opposing a federal rule proposing to remove habitat destruction from the definition of “harm." T his proposed rule also signals a move away from science-based policy and toward political expediency, which is incompatible with both the plain language of the ESA and the agencies’ duty to faithfully execute the laws passed by Congress. In Kentucky, 29 species of mussels are currently federally listed as threatened or endangered, most due to habitat degradation. Many of Kentucky’s other threatened and endangered species would be impacted by this proposal, including the the Blackside dace and Big Sandy crayfish pictured below.
The Blackside dace
is a federally listed threatened species that inhabits small, upland streams primarily in the upper Cumberland River basin of southeastern Kentucky and northeastern Tennessee. The species has experienced a sharp contraction in range due to habitat degradation, particularly from coal mining, logging, agriculture, and road construction is found in 14 stream miles in 30 streams.
Photo Credit: Blackside dace, Dick Biggins/USFWS, Public Domain, https://www.fws.gov/media/blackside-dace
The Big Sandy crayfish is endemic to the Big Sandy River basin, encompassing eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, and southern West Virginia. Currently, it is known to inhabit only 21 stream systems across four subwatersheds, indicating a significant contraction from its historical range. Photo credit: Big Sandy crayfish, Brett Billings/USFWS, Public Domain, https://www.fws.gov/media/big-sandy-crayfish-3
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