LWF Joins Lawsuit Against Endangered Species Committee
Louisiana Wildlife Federation Joins Others in Lawsuit to Take the Endangered Species Committee to Court
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – On behalf of the National Wildlife Federation, National Parks Conservation Association, Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF), Florida Wildlife Federation and Texas Conservation Alliance, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed a lawsuit to stop an attempt to bypass compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for all oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico.
This broad exemption, the first of its kind, purports to allow the oil and gas industry to operate without regard for impacts to listed species, including the highly endangered Rice’s whale and numerous species of listed sea turtles. SELC filed the lawsuit on April 15 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
The Endangered Species Committee was created in 1978 to allow project proponents to apply for an exemption from the ESA under certain circumstances. Convening of the Endangered Species Committee has only happened three previous times in the act’s history before March 31, 2026.
Without the legally required notice, review or application process, a partial convening of the committee met on March 31 and voted to allow a broad ESA exemption to all oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico, claiming it was necessary because of a “national security emergency.”
“While the Louisiana Wildlife Federation supports responsible energy development, we also believe that development must be balanced with established protections for wildlife and habitat,” said Rebecca Triche, executive director of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. “The Endangered Species Act was designed to prevent us from making decisions we cannot undo, like losing a species forever. This decision could mean fewer safeguards for endangered marine species and less accountability for how offshore development is managed. There is grave concern about how the ‘God Squad’ [Endangered Species Committee] is misusing a process that was designed to evaluate an extraordinary circumstance, and this does not meet the standard of a truly exceptional case.”
“The Endangered Species Committee’s decision was not only illegal, but also a false choice between abundant, affordable energy and thriving wildlife,” said Karla Raettig, chief advocacy officer of the National Wildlife Federation. “Wildlife like the Rice’s whale and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are a part of our shared heritage and worth fighting for. The court should reverse this casual use of one of the Endangered Species Act’s emergency powers and ensure Gulf wildlife endures for future generations.”
How the Endangered Species Committee Impacts Our Gulf Coast
The Gulf is home to 10 national park sites and hosts an abundance of wildlife, including several species of sea turtles, migratory birds, Gulf sturgeon, and Rice’s whale, which are all protected by the ESA.
Lawsuit organizers share that oil and gas drilling activities, including noise, vessel strikes and spills, are some of the biggest threats to Gulf wildlife but can be managed and mitigated through the ESA’s review process. Importantly, the consideration of impacts to listed species has never halted drilling or production in the Gulf, with oil production from this region at record highs.
“For decades, oil drilling has proceeded in the Gulf in concert, not in conflict with, the Endangered Species Act. The Act has resulted in meaningful mitigation, which has allowed exploration and drilling to continue. Bypassing the ESA in the Gulf is completely unnecessary,” said Catherine Wannamaker, a senior attorney in SELC’s Charleston office.
Organizers note that the oil and gas industry in the Gulf has a dangerous history with catastrophic consequences for wildlife, national parks and humans, including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster.
A 2024 poll from the Business and Economics Polling Initiative at Florida Atlantic University and NPCA found that 85% of Floridians agree that national parks should be protected from extractive industries like oil drilling and mining.
“From Padre to Gulf Islands national seashores and eight other national parks, the committee’s reckless decision threatens some of America’s most at-risk wildlife,” said Bart Melton, wildlife program director for National Parks Conservation Association. “In a 15-minute meeting without appropriate public input, the administration exempted oil and gas drilling and related activities in the Gulf from Endangered Species Act compliance, risking extinction for the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, Rice’s whales and other threatened and endangered species that call the waters in and near Gulf national parks home. The National Parks Conservation Association is fighting this decision, which could lead to the extinction of wildlife populations in the name of offshore drilling today and other disastrous developments near parks in the future. We will not stand by as the committee unlawfully removes guardrails and threatens wildlife and parks ranging from Acadia to Zion.”
