By KRWG News
New Mexico – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has denied a petition by environmentalists who were seeking endangered species protection for a stonefly and a mayfly found in the Southwest.
The agency says the petition did not present substantial information indicating that listing either species may be warranted.
The agency had initially turned down listing for the stonefly and the mayfly in response to a 2006 petition that sought protection for hundreds of species. The decision was challenged, and the agency agreed to review the two insects as part of a settlement.
The stonefly has been found in Dona Ana County, New Mexico; El Paso County, Texas; and Huerfano County, Colorado.
The mayfly has been found in Gila County, Arizona, and California's Riverside County.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.