This article describes some ways in which the American government is failing to protect imperiled species.  Now a lawsuit is pending to change that.

Legal Action Taken to Save Bison, 143 Other Species

To save scores of imperiled animals and plants before they succumb to extinction, this Monday the Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal ”notice of intent to sue” the Department of the Interior for failing to protect 144 imperiled species — including the plains bison, California golden trout, black-footed albatross, cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, Tehachapi slender salamander, and giant Palouse earthworm. These species have been waiting years (some up to nine) for federal protection, but have been systematically ignored.

This legal action is part of a larger campaign launched by the Center to protect the 1,000 most imperiled U.S. species in 2010.