PORTLAND — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday announced that the Siuslaw hairy-necked tiger beetle may qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The announcement came in response to a petition filed last year by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Xerxes Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

The two conservation groups this week expressed thankfulness that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering protecting the “imperiled” species.

Farm groups, in contrast, expressed concern that another endangered species could mean more challenges for farmers working the land.

“The Siuslaw hairy-necked tiger beetle is now one step closer to protection,” said Sarina Jepsen, endangered species director at the Xerces Society.

Anne Marie Moss, communications director for the Oregon Farm Bureau, expressed concern.

“We know the Endangered Species Act has a devastating impact on farm and ranch families across Oregon,” Moss told the Capital Press.

The tiger beetles, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, once lived on coastal beaches from Northern California to Washington, but their numbers have been in decline across the region. In the most recent surveys, the beetles were only found at 17 sites in Oregon and three sites in Washington. Fewer than 50 individual beetles were located in the most recent survey.

Conservationists say protecting the beetles under the Endangered Species Act is critical to saving the “severely threatened” species.

“As unspoiled stretches of the Oregon coast vanish to development and the impacts of climate change, we risk losing unique species like the tiger beetle,” said Quinn Read, Oregon policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “I’m hoping Endangered Species Act protection can give these beautiful insects and their habitat a fighting chance of survival.”

But farmers and industry leaders say adding another species to the list could hurt those who work the land.

Some farm groups say that while protecting rare species is important, restrictions imposed under the Endangered Species Act can adversely impact farmers and ranchers by requiring them to bear the brunt of providing habitat for listed species and taking actions  that might interfere with normal farming activities.

Some critics also say it’s not clear whether the restrictions are actually effective at protecting species.

“What we don’t know is whether federal and state restrictions under the (Endangered Species Act) actually work to recover species effectively,” said Moss of the Farm Bureau. “We’re enduring the pain, but it’s hard to see much benefit from all the restrictions on utilization of water and land and access to ag practices the ESA can bring. We will advocate to minimize the impact on ag families as this process unfolds.”

Advocates of protecting the beetles, however, say farm groups should have little reason for concern over legal protection of the beetle because its primary habitat is around sand dunes or in coastal areas where fresh water meets ocean beaches, areas where farming doesn’t happen.