Lizard sparks business, environmentalist debate

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce says residents in oil and gas country in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas are ready to start marching in the streets. He says they're ready to say enough is enough.

The New Mexico Republican is talking about the sentiment shared by the hundreds of people who have turned out to town hall gatherings, rallies and public meetings in recent weeks to protest a proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to give endangered species protections to the dunes sagebrush lizard.

The agency held a public meeting Wednesday night in Midland and another is planned Thursday in Roswell.

Environmentalists say the lizard's situation is dire, but Pearce and others say they're concerned the listing would kill jobs and devastate the oil and gas industry.