(AP) — The Sonoran desert tortoise is not at risk for extinction and will no longer be listed as a candidate for Endangered Species Act protections, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday. The Sonoran desert tortoise became a candidate for protections under the Endangered Species Act in 2010 after the Fish and Wildlife Service found that increasing population growth in the Southwest and northern Mexico was threatening the animal's habitat. Spencer Kamps, vice president for legislative affairs for the Homebuilders Association of Central Arizona, said the ESA designation would have negatively impacted housing development. Taylor Jones, an endangered species advocate with WildEarth Guardians, questioned the Fish and Wildlife assessment and whether local and federal organizations will be truly committed to protecting the tortoise.