The Center for Biological Diversity plans to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for delaying final Endangered Species Act protection for the Clear Lake hitch, a rare fish crucial to the Pomo people. Attorney Meg Townsend called the delay “appalling,” emphasizing the hitch is nearing extinction due to chronic water withdrawal, drought, habitat loss, pollution, and invasive species. The lawsuit follows Fish & Wildlife’s failure to issue a final listing rule after proposing protection in January 2025.