Two freshwater mussels are no longer endangered, first time in decades for these species

The US Fish and Wildlife Service proposes removing two freshwater mussel species from the endangered species list. This means the special protections under the Endangered Species Act would no longer apply to the Chipola slabshell and fat threeridge mussels.

The Endangered Species Act is a powerful tool, but it is also a political lightning rod. When a species is delisted due to recovery, it provides a rare example of the Act working as intended. This can help counter arguments that the Act is too restrictive or that species never truly recover once listed.