Lawsuit Seeks Federal Protections for Endangered Hellbender Salamander

Conservation group files complaint against US Fish and Wildlife Service for missing deadline to list species under Endangered Species Act

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The Center for Biological Diversity, a national conservation organization, has filed a formal complaint against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in federal court. The goal is to force the agency to set a binding date to enact federal protections for the endangered hellbender salamander, the largest salamander species in North America. The group says federal officials missed a December 2025 deadline to list the hellbender under the Endangered Species Act, leaving the species without critical federal safeguards.

Why it matters

The hellbender salamander is a unique and ecologically important species found in rivers and streams across 15 states, including North Carolina. However, its populations have declined significantly, with only 60% of historical populations surviving and just 12% of remaining populations considered stable and successfully reproducing. This lawsuit aims to compel federal action to protect the hellbender before it disappears from its native habitats.

The details

The Center for Biological Diversity filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court in Tucson, Arizona, seeking to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to set a binding deadline to enact federal protections for the hellbender under the Endangered Species Act. The group says the Trump administration reclassified the publication of the final listing rule as a 'long-term action' with no definitive date, missing the December 2025 deadline. Hellbenders face threats from activities that degrade water quality in rivers and streams, and populations in North Carolina and Tennessee were devastated by Hurricane Helene.

  • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was expected to extend federal protections to the hellbender salamander by December 2025.
  • The Center for Biological Diversity filed the formal complaint against the agency this week in federal court.

The players

Center for Biological Diversity

A national, nonprofit conservation organization that filed the complaint against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The federal agency responsible for implementing the Endangered Species Act and protecting threatened and endangered species.

Tierra Curry

The endangered species co-director of the Center for Biological Diversity, who criticized the Trump administration's failure to protect the hellbender.

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What they’re saying

“Trump's administration has gone beyond foot-dragging to full-on contempt for life by sidelining protections for endangered wildlife like hellbenders.”

— Tierra Curry, Endangered species co-director, Center for Biological Diversity (wlos.com)

What’s next

The judge in the federal court case will determine whether to compel the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to set a binding deadline for enacting federal protections for the hellbender salamander under the Endangered Species Act.

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing challenges in protecting endangered species like the hellbender, which face threats to their habitats but have yet to receive the full federal safeguards afforded by the Endangered Species Act. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the future of the hellbender and other imperiled wildlife across the United States.