Last year, development and construction industry groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, saying that its economic analysis, used to control new development that could potentially harm the snake or its habitat, was inadequate.

The ruling by Judge Anthony W. Ishii of the U.S. District Court in Fresno says that the new development rule must be kept in place in parts of rural Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Joaquin counties. This ruling ends the last of several lawsuits filed against Fish and Wildlife by the construction and development companies regarding habitat protections under the U. S. Endangered Species Act.

When considering development proposals for land that is considered critical habitat, public agencies are responsible for determining whether or not the development would be harmful to the protected species. The development and construction groups may ask the judge to review the areas, to determine whether they truly are critical habitat areas.