Action timeline

March 11, 1967 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Cape Sable seaside sparrow as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

August 11, 1977 – The Service designated approximately 197,260 acres of critical habitat for the sparrow.

October 31, 2006 – The Service proposed to revise its 1977 critical habitat designation to include only about 84,865 acres.

November 7, 2007 – The Fish and Wildlife Service published a final rule illegally reducing the Cape Sable seaside sparrow’s critical habitat from about 197,260 acres to just 84,865.

September 3, 2009 – The Center filed suit against the Service to earn the sparrow 70,000 acres of additional critical habitat.