All tree clearing has been halted for an expansion of Interstate 99 in Pennsylvania's Blair and Centre counties until a search can be made for Indiana bats this summer. The discovery of threatened bog turtles near Hampstead, MD, has delayed a long-planned bypass around the town. Last year, the discovery of bog turtles blocked plans for rebuilding a dam in Lebanon County, PA, as part of a recreational park. The group that requested the listing is expected to challenge that decision in court. But it's happening now.
People are aware that there is an Endangered Species Act.
They want to see these species preserved. They're sick of growth upon growth upon growth. They contended the site was Delmarva fox squirrel habitat, and that the project would put the squirrel at risk. Unlike its smaller, faster relative, the gray squirrel, the Delmarva fox squirrel has declined throughout its range since the region was settled. Once found throughout the native hardwood and pine forests of the Delmarva Peninsula, southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, the squirrel today is found naturally in less than 10 percent of its historic range.