Before a petition has been submitted Much of what is important to the eventual success or failure of an attempt to list a species occurs long before a petition is submitted. This period is dominated by science and closed door politics within environmental organizations and the regulatory agencies. A listing effort can be initiated by a petition from any concerned citizen or it can arise within an agency.
Most outside petitions originate within environmental organizations.
The regulatory agencies may or may not be aware of what is going on within environmental organizations at this phase. Even if they are aware, they may profess ignorance. The headwaters of listing petitions are almost always discovered in the activities of research biologists at your local universities and government agencies. Local biological consultants will often be the easiest and least expensive sources of information about what is cooking in the research community. If you have heard a rumor about biological concern for a particular species, take it seriously.