WHIDBEY ISLAND, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a rare moth that lives on only a handful of Whidbey Island and Vancouver Island beaches.

The center announced on Feb. 26 that it is suing the Trump administration to gain protection for sand-verbena moths under the Endangered Species Act.

They say the moth is already threatened by loss of habitat and risks extinction from rising sea level caused by climate change. The moth’s entire life cycle depends on the sand-verbena, a yellow flowering beach plant that itself is threatened by invasive species.

The center says the first Trump administration denied the moth’s protection under the Endangered Species Act in 2019.

“These beautiful golden moths are stuck in the path of rising sea levels and will become climate change victims unless we immediately start protecting their unique habitat,” said Drew Baloga, a legal fellow at the Center. “Sand-verbena moths are on the brink of extinction and should never have been denied protection. We’re not giving up on them, even if Trump has.”

Baloga went on to express that now it is more important than ever to ensure that fish and wildlife services are “making decisions science, not political whims.”