A small Tennessee fish will now get federal protection as an endangered species

The US Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to list the Barrens darter, a small fish found in Tennessee, as an endangered species. This means the fish will receive protections under the Endangered Species Act.

The Endangered Species Act is one of the strongest environmental laws in the US. Once a species is listed, it triggers a range of federal actions, from habitat protection to restrictions on development that could harm the species. This listing will likely affect land use and development decisions in the four Tennessee counties where the Barrens darter lives.