ACTION TIMELINE

1984 ? The Florida leafwing first became a candidate for Endangered Species Act protection ? only to have that status removed in 1996 and reinstated in 2006.

July 12, 2011 ? The Center for Biological Diversity reached a landmark agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that mandated protection decisions for 757 species, including the Florida leafwing and Bartram?s scrub-hairstreak butterflies.

Aug 13, 2013 ? Following our agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to speed decisions on the protection of 757 imperiled species across the country, the agency proposed to protect two butterflies in South Florida? ? the Bartram?s scrub-hairstreak and the Florida leafwing ? under the Endangered Species Act, along with 17,546 acres of total critical habitat.

August 15, 2013 ? The Service opened a public comment period about protecting critical habitat for the Florida leafwing and Bartrams?s scrub-hairstreak butterflies under the Endangered Species Act.

May 8, 2014 ? The Service reopened a public comment period about proposed designation of critical habitat for the Florida leafwing and Bartrams?s scrub-hairstreak butterflies under the Endangered Species Act.

August 11, 2014 ? As part of our agreement, the Service announced it would finalize protection for the Bartram?s scrub-hairstreak and the Florida leafwing, along with 22,100 acres of critical habitat ? with 11,539 acres for the Bartram?s scrub-hairstreak.


Photo courtesy USFWS