Service agrees to issue listing decision on Pika petition by May 2009

The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Service over its failure to issue a timely 90-day substantial issue finding on CBD's petition to list the rabbit-related mammal.  The Service has agreed to issue a finding by May, 2009.  The listing is an interesting one because the principal cause asserted for the pika's decline is climate change (the animal dwells in the high mountains and is extremely sensitive to warm temperatures).