When Small Creatures Stopped Major Developments in Their Tracks

Near Austin, a proposed Walmart development encountered trouble after concerns emerged over habitat used by the endangered bone cave harvestman. The tiny arachnid lives in underground limestone cavities and depends on cave environments that can be damaged by excavation, drainage changes, and surface construction.
Environmental groups argued that the retail project threatened nearby karst features that could support the protected species. Construction plans were delayed while developers, regulators, and conservationists debated how much of the site could be safely disturbed.