Louisiana Landowners Score Property Rights Win in Dusky Gopher Frog Case
In a victory for property rights, a Louisiana family earlier this month reached a settlement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in which the federal government agreed to drop its efforts to designate "critical habitat" for the dusky gopher frog on their land.
The case began in 2012 when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sought to limit development on more than 1,500 acres of the Louisiana family’s land by designating it as a critical habitat for the dusky gopher frog. The action was taken even though the dusky gopher frog had not been seen in Louisiana for more than 50 years.
In 2016, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the government’s actions were permissible.Two years later in a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court sent the critical habitat designation for the dusky gopher frog back to the Fifth Circuit for reconsideration.
The Fifth Circuit then sent the case down to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, where the parties entered into settlement discussions.
Now that the Fish and Wildlife Service has settled the case in favor of the Louisiana landowners, the agency is working on a proposed rulemaking to define the Endangered Species Act term "habitat."
Latest from NAHBNow
Workforce Development | National Housing Endowment
Aug 12, 2026
New NHE-Funded Tool Maps Training Opportunities Nationwide
ConstructionSkillsMap.org, a new nationwide tool funded by the National Housing Endowment, makes it easier to find skilled trades training opportunities in communities across the country.
Sustainability and Green Building
Aug 11, 2026
Achieving NGBS Green+ Certification to Stay Competitive in the Marketplace
The newly released 2025 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) provides many options for building more sustainably. NGBS Green Certification provides independent, third-party verification for a home, building, or land development. For those who wish to provide even more value for their clients, NGBS Green+ certifications recognize NGBS Green homes that go “above and beyond” in one or more areas of sustainability. Here are the seven certification options.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Aug 11, 2026
Existing Home Sales Fall in July
Existing home sales continued to slow in July as record-high home prices and elevated mortgage rates weighed on buyers. Mortgage rates resumed an upward trend after the ceasefire ended in early July.
Economics
Aug 11, 2026
Weaker Demand for Residential Mortgages in Second Quarter
Demand for all types of residential mortgages was weaker, while lending standards for most were essentially unchanged in the second quarter of 2026, according to the recent release of the Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS).
Economics
Aug 10, 2026
Wage Growth for Residential Building Workers Continues to Cool
Wage growth for residential building workers continued to lose momentum in the second quarter of 2026, reflecting softer housing construction activity and weaker labor demand. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, both nominal and inflation-adjusted wages have weakened further, extending the cooling trend that emerged after the strong wage gains of the post-pandemic period.