Wildlife Agency Agrees to Study Habitat Protections for Seabird

A federal wildlife agency agreed to consider a critical habitat designation for an endangered bird species that spans the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, according to a proposed settlement filed in federal court.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service will decide on whether the black-capped petrel warrants habitat protections by March 2030, according to the stipulated settlement filed Monday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

• The Center for Biological Diversity sued last year, alleging the agency missed the Endangered Species Act deadline to designate critical habitat after listing the species in 2023
• Offshore drilling ...