# Plain Language Summary: Dunes Sagebrush Lizard Protection Rule Disapproval

Congress is voting on whether to reject a rule from the Fish and Wildlife Service that would protect the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered species. If this resolution passes, it would block the government's protection of this small lizard that lives in the sand dunes of New Mexico and Texas.

Here's what this means in practical terms: The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered, which would restrict certain activities in areas where the lizard lives. This is a special type of congressional vote called a "disapproval resolution," which allows Congress to overturn federal agency rules they disagree with. If enough members of Congress vote yes, the endangered species protection would be canceled, and the lizard would no longer have federal legal protection.

The main people affected would be landowners, oil and gas companies, and developers who operate in the dunes sagebrush lizard's habitat in New Mexico and Texas. Without the endangered species protection, they would have fewer restrictions on activities like drilling, construction, and land use in those areas. On the other side, environmental groups and wildlife advocates want the protection to remain because they believe the lizard's population is threatened and needs federal safeguards to survive.

This is essentially a choice between protecting a species from extinction versus allowing more economic development and land use in the areas where it lives. The outcome depends on whether Congress believes the endangered species protection is necessary or too restrictive for the region's economy.

A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard".