Endangered Species

 

Plan Revisions Remove 163K Acres Of Priority Habitat. According to E&E News, “The Forest Service’s final revisions to Obama-era greater sage grouse plans would remove 200,400 acres of protected habitat for the bird, mostly priority management areas in Nevada and Wyoming, two states with large swaths of grouse habitat. The details are in a final environmental impact statement (EIS) published in today’s Federal Register, kicking off a 60-day ‘public protest’ period running through Oct. 1. The Forest Service today also published draft records of decision (RODs) for the amended plans in each of the five states the revised plans cover: Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. The Forest Service yesterday announced the final revisions in press materials and included comments from Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue praising the changes, but it did not release the actual final EIS or the draft RODs until today. Overall, the revisions to the 2015 sage grouse conservation plans covering 5.2 million acres of Forest Service lands leave most of the protection measures in place, with some notable exceptions. One of the biggest is the elimination of 865,000 acres of so-called sagebrush focal areas identified in the 2015 plans as habitat critical to the bird’s survival — mostly in Nevada (566,800 acres) and Idaho (248,000 acres). The final EIS proposes redesignating most of these areas in other categories of habitat management areas.” [E&E News, 8/2/19 (=)]

 

Conservationists Say Trump Sage Grouse Plan Promotes Industry Over Threatened Bird. According to The Hill, “Conservationists criticized the Trump administration Friday for rolling back protections for the sage grouse, saying industry was prioritized over the wellbeing of the threatened bird. The new plan from the U.S. Forest Service would ease protections for the sage grouse on 5.2 million acres of land scattered across the West that also serve as sought-after grazing pasture for ranchers. ‘From our wildlands to our precious habitat and threatened iconic species, nature is bearing the brunt of the Trump administration’s reckless governance,’ the Natural Resources Defense Council said in a statement. ‘This move by the Forest Service unravels carefully crafted safeguards to promote extractive industries’ interests. It runs roughshod over sensible policy, science, and the natural resources we all, collectively, own.’ A release from the Department of Agriculture described the new standards as ‘common sense, locally-driven strategies’ that update the 2015 plan for the species. ‘Stakeholders have since raised concerns that the 2015 plans would impact economic growth and did not align with conservation plans laid out by the states,’ the Forest Service said in a release. ‘The 2019 plans have been adapted to take into account site-specific conditions to ensure ranchers, permittees, and industry can adapt to their local conditions rather than be forced to conform to a one-size-fits-all, national approach.’” [The Hill, 8/2/19 (=)]

 

Environmentalists Seek To Protect Dunes Sagebrush Lizard. According to Associated Press, “A small lizard native to southeast New Mexico is the latest animal to spark a debate between environmentalists, the federal government and oil and gas operators. A federal report says the habitat for the dunes sagebrush lizard has shrunk to only about 655 square miles (1,696 square kilometers) in the Mescalero Sands area, the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports. That’s a region east of Artesia and northern Eddy County. Environmentalist groups that have recently sued the federal government to force it to protect the lesser prairie chicken are looking at similar action to help the dunes sagebrush lizard. ‘The dunes sagebrush lizard has long been in need of Endangered Species Act protection and new threats from frac sand mining are only compounding the problem,’ said Jason Rylander, senior counsel at Defenders of Wildlife. ‘Listing the dunes sagebrush lizard is a key first step toward conserving this species.’ But oil and gas operators and ranchers in the lucrative Permian Basin have strongly opposed the listing for few it could disrupt their businesses and add extra cost. Officials in southeastern New Mexico say they won’t stop fighting to keep the lesser prairie chicken off the federal protected list despite a pending federal lawsuit. They have also vowed to stop any effort to add the lizard.” [Associated Press, 8/4/19 (=)]

 

Officials Help Endangered Minnow Amid Strong Rio Grande. According to Associated Press, “A federal agency is taking advantage of high water levels in the Rio Grande to help a tiny minnow listed as an endangered species. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation workers recently aided in creating more habitat for the Rio Grande silvery minnow on the Middle Rio Grande, the Albuquerque Journal reports. Reclamation crews worked from January to March of this year to lower and widen the riverbank on the southern end of private property near Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. They excavated 46,000 cubic yards (35,170 cubic meters) of dirt to create water channels where minnows could escape the fast-moving river. The tiny fish, listed as endangered in 1994, was once abundant throughout the Rio Grande Basin from Colorado to Texas and into Mexico. It’s now found only in a fraction of its historic habitat as the river system has seen dam building and the straightening of its once meandering channels over the last 150 years. Doris Rhodes owns 629 acres near San Antonio in Socorro County. For years, she has been advocating for her property to host a Reclamation silvery minnow project. Earlier this year, her work paid off. Rhodes’ land is on the Rio Grande near Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, making it an ideal location for restoration and conservation, Reclamation project manager Ashlee Rudolph said.” [Associated Press, 8/3/19 (=)]

 

AP | Lawsuit Aims To Stop Wash. From Killing Wolves. According to E&E News, “A lawsuit filed yesterday seeks to prevent the state of Washington from killing more wolves from a pack that is preying on cattle. The Maryland-based Center for a Humane Economy filed the suit in King County Superior Court, contending too many wolves have been killed as a way to protect livestock at a single ranch in the Kettle River Range in Ferry County. The center and other conservation groups say it may be time to consider moving the cattle off Colville National Forest grazing lands that are also prime wolf habitat. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife said Wednesday it planned to kill more members of the Old Profanity Territory wolf pack. The agency killed one wolf last month in an effort to change the behavior of the pack. Since then, the pack has been blamed for killing two cows and injuring five others. The pack is credited with 27 depredations since September. ‘The chronic livestock depredations and subsequent wolf removals are stressful and deeply concerning for all those involved,’ agency Director Kelly Susewind said. ‘The department is working very hard to try to change this pack’s behavior.’” [E&E News, 8/2/19 (=)]

 

AP | Greens Sue After Utah Badlands Reopens To Off-Highway Vehicles. According to E&E News, “Environmental groups are challenging the U.S. government’s decision to reopen a large swath of southern Utah’s badlands to off-highway vehicles. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and two other conservation organizations filed a lawsuit yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah arguing that all-terrain vehicle traffic will harm endangered plants. The lands had been closed since 2006 to protect two rare species of cactus — the Wright fishhook cactus and Winkler’s pincushion cactus — found near a towering monolith called Factory Butte that is one of the state’s most distinctive geological formations. The Bureau of Land Management reopened a 8.4-square-mile area to off-highway vehicles in May, saying in a news release it had met criteria to protect the cactus. The agency says the area is nationally renowned for OHV enthusiasts. The agency didn’t immediately have comment yesterday. The area is about 250 miles south of Salt Lake City.” [E&E News, 8/2/19 (=)]

 

Editorial: Warbling For State Recognition. According to Traverse City Record Eagle, “The robin has been Michigan’s official state bird since 1931. That declaration followed a 1929 Michigan Audubon Society vote that attracted 190,000 ballots and resulted in two birds taking the lead: the robin and the chickadee. The robin won the nod. But not everyone was happy then, and not everyone has been happy since. There has been unrest in the nest. Some Michiganders think it’s time for a change. We suspect it will be difficult to push the robin out of the nest. A bill was introduced in the state legislature in 2000 to make the chickadee the state bird. It didn’t take off. A 2003 bill sought to make the Kirtland’s warbler the state bird. That effort also didn’t get off the ground. Bill Rapai, chairman of the Kirtland’s Warbler Alliance, still thinks there’s a strong case for change, according to a story last month in The Detroit News. … But Michiganders love the robin, and knocking it off the throne would require a strong effort. Then again, if population delicacy and recovery is the criteria, perhaps the piping plover might want a shot, too. And what about our mallards? Seagulls? Are Canada geese allowed to campaign in this country? Whatever the outcome of this campaign, the opportunity to debate the merits of traveling birds, sharing birds with other states or giving birds the nest-test provides a welcome flight from our usual fodder. May the best bird win.” [Traverse City Record Eagle, 8/2/19 (=)]

 

Op-Ed: Interior Plan Sells Out Sagebrush Habitat. According to Casper Star Tribune, “On Friday, the U.S. Forest Service released a final environmental impact statement evaluating the changes proposed to the 2015 greater sage grouse management plans. If adopted, the changes proposed to the plans will imperil this iconic western bird and other wild game that depend upon undisturbed sagebrush habitat. The changes will have devastating, long-term consequences to Wyoming’s economy and allow for the destruction of the wide open sagebrush spaces cherished by citizens of Wyoming. The changes envisioned, coupled with Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s actions to weaken the Interior Department’s sage grouse conservation plans, will set the sage grouse on an almost certain path to a listing under the Endangered Species Act and must be rejected. The residents of Albany County and Wyoming have much to lose with the changes proposed to the management plans. Local plans were created and agreed upon by the citizens of Western states to stop the greater sage grouse population’s decades-long decline and led to an inter-state conservation plan to save the bird in 2015. The result – while not perfect – was a groundbreaking plan that sought to save the grouse and prevent its listing under the Endangered Species Act. Hunting and fishing enthusiasts, outdoor recreationists, ranchers, conservationists and energy development organizations worked diligently to save the most critical places for the sage grouse while allowing reasonable development and economic activity on less sensitive areas. Arguably, the locally derived conservation plan has helped to arrest the bird’s steep decline, and each state’s individualized plan was the result of thousands of hours of local stakeholder work.” [Casper Star Tribune, 8/2/19 (+)]

 

Op-Ed: Another Billion Dollars Should Do It. According to Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, “Folks who worry about the loss of threatened and endangered species should be relieved to know that Congress is finally considering an entirely new approach — creating a new federal fund, and a new committee. A bipartisan group led by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) have introduced the ‘Recovering America’s Wildlife Act,’ which would dedicate nearly $1.4 billion for conservation of declining fish and wildlife species. The bill enjoys widespread support, largely because it would empower state wildlife experts, rather than federal agencies. A previous version would have used energy revenues, but that rankled anti-energy congressmen, so the new version just allocates money from the general treasury, off-budget and exempt from appropriations. Sponsors say this approach is more likely to recover endangered species than previous attempts, because it relies on the expertise of states. It would actually prioritize projects based on state wildlife plans, and it would pass the money directly to states. That approach has tremendous merit, because state wildlife agencies know more about their species, and can put more resources on the ground faster than distant bureaucracies. Dictates from Washington actually hamper state recovery efforts in many cases, as in Colorado’s experience with lynx and sage grouse.” [Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, 8/2/19 (+)]

 

Wildlife & Conservation

 

Small K-9 Unit Vital To Assisting CPW In Protecting Wild Animals In Colorado. According to KMGH-TV, “The Colorado Parks & Wildlife K-9 Unit is made up of just three dogs. The team may be small, but the results are impressive. The pilot program is fully funded by public support. The dogs have specific skills in assisting park rangers. They’re trained to help officers locate animals, evidence, suspects, and protect the Wildlife Officers of Colorado. Denver7 went along on a training session Barr Lake State Park with K-9 Cash and his handler, Brock McArdle. One of Cash’s primary jobs is to sniff out endangered species. ‘He’s using his nose to locate these animals so we can collect data on them to see how healthy they are,’ McArdle said. ‘It helps us count them to see how many there are.’ Each of the three dogs on the team have one common ability: catching poachers. ‘Cash actually found the remains of an animal along some aspen trees up in the mountains,’ McArdle said. ‘From there, I was able to connect the dots and actually talk to the hunters and get a full confession.’ McArdle said the goal of the program is to bring in more dogs to help protect wildlife. Colorado Parks & Wildlife has set up a GoFundMe account to keep the K-9 program running. The funds will support current and future training for the dogs. It includes cost of food, boarding, veterinary services, maintenance and training equipment.” [KMGH-TV, 8/5/19 (=)]

 

 

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