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Georgia's Protected Species List: Public Comments Open!
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is proposing updates to the state's protected species list which would include the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) as a state-listed threatened species.
State listing prohibits intentionally harming protected animals and removing plants from state lands without a permit or from private land without the landowner’s permission. It also encourages voluntary conservation to protect habitats, focuses DNR efforts to prevent species from declining to the point they need protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and authorizes the agency to work with federally listed wildlife. You can read more about the proposed updates here.
Back in June, our organization submitted a formal nomination requesting that the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) be evaluated for state listing. Now, we invite you to join us in speaking for the wild! Read our full nomination and reference documents below, and submit your own public comments by sending an email to wcscomments@dnr.ga.gov with the subject line Protected Species List.
Not sure where to start? Feel free to copy and paste our statement:
I am writing to express my strong support of including the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake for state listing under Georgia's Endangered Wildlife Act. This nomination represents an important yet fleeting opportunity to protect an imperiled species and preserve an irreplaceable piece of our natural heritage. The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is one of the great icons of the United States Southeastern Coastal Plain, as much a part of this landscape as the longleaf pines, wiregrass, and gopher tortoises. Its presence speaks to the health, natural history, and enduring wildness of our region. I stand with organizations like The Rattlesnake Conservancy and many others in speaking for the wild, and I urge the division to provide this animal with the meaningful protections that it warrants