Endangered Species

 

Sage Grouse Protection Draws Organized Public Support. According to E&E News, “A court-ordered public comment period has drawn repeated agreement for protecting the bi-state greater sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act. The reopened comment period ends at midnight tonight, and the Fish and Wildlife Service logged 2,531 comments as of this morning. At least 2,494 of the comments included identical phrasing. ‘Due to its small size and severely degraded habitat condition, I believe that Endangered status is warranted rather than the proposed Threatened listing,’ the comments state. Form letters and their functional equivalents frequently flood government inboxes during the comment periods that accompany federal rulemaking. Unlike some campaigns, though, the one on behalf of the bi-state greater sage grouse has added some facts to the feelings. The comments note, for instance, that the range of the bi-state sage grouse distinct population segment ‘has been reduced by nearly 50 percent,’ while the estimated population ‘has declined by over 90 percent from historic levels.’ ‘Experts believe the effective population size for the entire bi-state sage-grouse [distinct population segment (DPS)] could be as low as 230 and only as high as 770 birds,’ the duplicative comments state.” [E&E News, 6/11/19 (=)]

 

Efforts To Protect Butterflies, Desert Fish Would Get Millions Under Extinction Prevention Act. According to Cronkite News, “Arizona is home to a number of species that are threatened by climate change and human activity. Under legislation proposed by Rep. Raul Grijalva, Arizona fish and butterflies may get additional federal funds for conservation efforts. The Tucson Democrat, who chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources, last month introduced the Extinction Prevention Act of 2019 to fund conservation efforts for butterflies in North America, fish that live in the desert Southwest, Pacific Island plants and freshwater mussels in the U.S. The bill would authorize $5 million annually for each of the listed groups from 2020 until 2025. These funds would be distributed nationally or regionally to aid various preservation projects, including habitat restoration and research into at-risk populations. The legislation, first introduced on May 22, comes two months after the Trump administration released its 2020 budget, which many environmental advocates criticized for cutting environmental programs, such as a 31% reduction in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency.” [Cronkite News, 6/11/19 (=)]

 

Democrats Push Study On Border Wall Impacts. According to E&E News, “The House Appropriations Committee approved legislation yesterday with language to push the administration to study the environmental impacts of its proposed border wall with Mexico. The panel approved its Homeland Security spending bill 29-20. The report accompanying the measure includes language requiring the border wall report. The assessment would review the wall’s impact on sensitive lands, habitats and wildlife, and potential mitigation strategies such as acquiring land for new refuges. ‘The Committee is concerned about the impacts of border barrier construction on sensitive lands and wildlife along the southwest land border, including impacts on national wildlife refuges, national forests, national monuments, wilderness areas, and imperiled species,’ the provision states. Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) commended the bill’s investments in disaster relief and protections against climate change (Greenwire, June 4). The panel’s ranking member, Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), expressed opposition to the bill along with Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee. The bill would increase funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Coast Guard. The Financial Services bill, also approved yesterday, includes a pay raise of 3.1% for federal employees in fiscal 2020.” [E&E News, 6/12/19 (=)]

 

Wildlife & Conservation

 

In Hot Water? Study Says Warming May Reduce Sea Life By 17%. According to Associated Press, “The world’s oceans will likely lose about one-sixth of their fish and other marine life by the end of the century if climate change continues on its current path, a new study says. Every degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) that the world’s oceans warm, the total mass of sea animals is projected to drop by 5%, according to a comprehensive computer-based study by an international team of marine biologists. And that does not include effects of fishing. If the world’s greenhouse gas emissions stay at the present rate, that means a 17% loss of biomass — the total weight of all the marine animal life — by the year 2100, according to Tuesday’s study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. But if the world reduces carbon pollution, losses can be limited to only about 5%, the study said. ‘We will see a large decrease in the biomass of the oceans,’ if the world doesn’t slow climate change, said study co-author William Cheung, a marine ecologist at the University of British Columbia. ‘There are already changes that have been observed.’ While warmer water is the biggest factor, climate change also produces oceans that are more acidic and have less oxygen, which also harms sea life, Cheung said.” [Associated Press, 6/12/19 (=)]

 

Study: Oceans Will Lose One-Sixth Of Marine Life From Current Greenhouse Gas Emissions. According to The Hill, “Marine life decreases by 5 percent with every 1 degree Celsius increase in the temperature of the oceans, according to a study released Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study projects a 17 percent loss of marine biomass by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions stay at the present rate, the Associated Press reports. The projected biomass decrease does not include the effects of fishing, according to the study. Julia Baum, a biology professor at at University of Victoria, told the AP the potential ramifications of marine life loss are huge, noting people around the world rely on ocean resources. ‘Climate change has the potential to cause serious new conflicts over ocean resource use and global food security, particularly as human population continues to grow this century,’ Baum said. Other reports have previously predicted reduction in ocean life, but study co-author William Cheung, a marine ecologist at the University of British Columbia, told the AP this is a more comprehensive look at the current situation by using six different computer models. Study co-author Derek Tittensor, a marine ecologist at the United Nations World Conservation Monitoring Center in England, told the AP that the ocean’s biggest animals will be hit the hardest.” [The Hill, 6/12/19 (=)]

 

AP | USDA Takes Comments On Predator Killing In Idaho. According to E&E News, “A plan to kill wolves and other predators that attack livestock, deer and elk in Idaho is the subject of an environmental study that will include public comment, the Department of Agriculture said yesterday. ‘We’re going into this with the intent of taking a fresh look at all the different issues, and that’s what we hope to get from the public,’ said Kirk Gustad, the Agriculture Department’s project manager for the Idaho EIS. Comments will be taken until July 10. A federal judge ordered the review last year after ruling the Agriculture Department’s Wildlife Services agency violated environmental laws by not providing the justification to expand killing of mountain lions, coyotes, bears and other predators. Western Watersheds Project and other conservation groups sued in 2017, contending the agency needed the extensive study to better understand the ramifications. The Agriculture Department said the environmental impact statement will replace a 2016 assessment that was the subject of the lawsuit. The agency said it will also use the new environmental impact statement to replace its 2011 wolf environmental assessment that guides its wolf-killing decisions in Idaho, which is the subject of a separate federal lawsuit.” [E&E News, 6/11/19 (=)]

 

 

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