The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans a more thorough examination of whether an insect found only in alpine streams in Glacier National Park deserves federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The agency on Friday announced the decision following a petition filed by environmental groups concerning the status of the meltwater lednian stonefly.
The Center for Biological Diversity and Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation contend the insect faces extinction due to melting glaciers caused by climate change.
The agency says the move is a first step in a process of carefully reviewing available biological information.
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