9th Cir.;
14-17513

The court of appeals affirmed a district court judgment. The court held that a finding that a discrete population segment was persistent in a setting that was unusual or unique for the taxon did not compel classification as a distinct population segment.

Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and Maricopa Audubon Society petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to have the Sonoran Desert Area bald eagle declared a distinct population segment (DPS) eligible for listing under the Endangered Species Act. FWS denied the petition. CBD and Audubon filed suit challenging that decision.