Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — A conservation group is suing the Trump administration over endangered species protections for the Rio Grande cooter, a freshwater turtle found in the Pecos and Rio Grande watersheds. The Center for Biological Diversity filed the lawsuit January 8 in federal court, arguing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ignored evidence when it declined to list the species in 2022. The group says the turtles face threats from climate change, water use, and oil industry activity, and protections under the Endangered Species Act could help prevent extinction.
