ESA anniversary spawns suits, petitions

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - Monday marks the 36th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, and environmentalists have pledged to file petitions and lawsuits over the next 36 days to persuade the Obama administration to make protection of endangered plants and animals a priority.

Environmentalists contend listings under the act have reached an all-time low, while the number of plants and animals that need protection from climate change and habitat destruction continues to grow.

WildEarth Guardians started its campaign Monday with a lawsuit that aims to protect a stonefly found only in Montana's Glacier National Park.

Other lawsuits and petitions to be filed this week focus on a Gulf Coast butterfly, a Pacific fish and a rare New Mexico salamander. The group says all the species face threats from climate change.