The critically endangered spring pygmy sunfish can swim its heart out in conserved peace, thanks to an agreement between the Center for Biological Diversity, Tennessee Riverkeeper and Mazda Toyota Manufacturing U.S.A.

The agreement, announced Thursday, will protect at least 1,100 acres of the Beaverdam Spring and Creek Complex where the sunfish lives. It will also provide $6 million to conserve the species and its habitat.

The manufacturing plant being developed by MTMUS is to be built across from one of only two places the spring pygmy sunfish survives. The Center raised concerns related to the development’s implications in a notice of intent to sue earlier this year.

“We’re happy Toyota and Mazda have committed to doing the right thing for this pretty little sunfish and the unique spring where it survives,” said Elise Bennett, a staff attorney at the Center. “With this agreement, the sunfish has more than a fighting chance to make it.”

As part of the agreement, MTMUS will place $4 million in a restricted endowment fund to provide permanent funding for future conservation projects to benefit the fish. An additional $2 million will be dedicated to immediate habitat restoration and monitoring in the Beaverdam Spring and Creek watershed.

The conservation groups will not receive monetary benefit from the agreement, but they agreed to cooperate with MTMUS moving forward “in lieu of potential legal challenges.”

“We are looking forward to working with them instead of going to court,” Bennett said. “… There’s a lot of great ideas in (the agreement), some they’re already committed to and starting fairly soon, and others we will work with them to continue to develop.”

One such idea is restoring the connection between Moss Spring and other springheads in the Beaverdam Spring and Creek Complex so the fish can breed with other populations. Bennett said other ideas include reintroducing the fish to places where it once survived and improving vegetation to reduce pollution or environmental effects on the fish.

“We believe that with a focus on preservation of a habitat area, the spring pygmy sunfish will continue to thrive and increase in population such that new habitat areas can be established similar to the recently announced Blackwell Swamp population located within the National Wheeler Wildlife Refuge,” said the City of Huntsville in a statement. “With this collaborative effort by multiple organizations, the future for the spring pygmy sunfish will be stable and possibly no longer be threatened.”

MTMUS Vice President of Administration Mark Brazeal said the effort further demonstrates their commitment to protecting biodiversity, particularly regarding threatened and endangered species. Bennett said she hoped it would inspire other companies to step up and do the same.

The News-Courier of Athens is a CNHI newspaper.