The dunes sagebrush lizard, a small brown lizard, lives in one of the smallest habitats of any lizard in the U.S. -- the white sand dunes of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas.

But powerful oil and gas interests and rightwing congressmen are threatening to kill its shot at Endangered Species Act protections in order to develop that habitat, pushing the lizard perilously toward extinction.

Thanks to years of advocacy by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is poised to add the lizard to the endangered species list.. A final decisions on the proposal is due January 18th, 2012 and we need your help to make sure the Service does the right thing for the lizard.

Please sign the petition to protect the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered species before it's too late.

Dear [Decision Maker],

Fast losing habitat to oil and gas development, the dunes sagebrush lizard is dwindling toward extinction. Because of threats to its survival, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year proposed protecting it under the Endangered Species Act.

But if the oil and gas industry and cronies in Congress have their way, the lizard will never see protection. Restricted to small pockets of habitat in in southeastern New Mexico and west Texas, the creature is indeed threatened with extinction.

The oil and gas industry, though, is using unfounded and debunked claims that protection of the lizard will kill jobs. In fact, the lizard occupies a fraction of oil and gas leasing areas in a region where many leases offered have gone unsold and where existing protections for the lizard have had little impact.

Please save the dunes sagebrush lizard by protecting it under the Endangered Species Act.

Sincerely,
[Your name here]