The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced its annual Candidate Notice of Review, a yearly appraisal of the current status of plants and animals considered candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

A number of reptiles and amphibians remain candidates, including the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, but none were added or removed this year. Being listed as a candidate species is the first step towards an "endangered" listing, but many plants and animals have languished on the list for years in a form of bureaucratic limbo (many already enjoy protection under state laws and regulations). As of yesterday's announcement, there are now 249 species recognized by the USFWS as candidates for ESA protection.

The two different spins on this are interesting.

This is how the government put it:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its Candidate Notice of Review, a yearly appraisal of the current status of plants and animals that are considered candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Four species have been removed from candidate status, five have been added, and eight have a change in priority from the last review in December 2008. There are now 249 species recognized by the Service as candidates for ESA protection.

And this is how it is being portrayed by the Center for Biological Diversity:

The Obama administration today denied Endangered Species Act protection to 251 plants and animals that government scientists have said need these protections to avoid extinction. Instead, the administration has placed them indefinitely on a list of “candidate” species, where many have already languished for years without help.