This past Monday, the Association filed comments with the federal Fish & Wildlife Service on the agency’s proposed designation of the diamond darter as an endangered species. Concurrent with the proposal to list the species as endangered, the agency proposed to designate several miles of the Elk River as “critical habitat” to protect the continued existence of the small fish species. The population in the Elk River is the last known occurrence of the diamond darter in the country. For a copy of WVCA’s comments contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.