Endangered & Protected Species

 

Rare Sierra Nevada Red Foxes Survive Massive Dixie Fire That Burned Habitat. According to Los Angeles Times, “When the monstrous Dixie fire scorched a northeastern California expanse that the elusive Sierra Nevada red fox calls home, wildlife officials were worried. The diminutive foxes, which dwell in the high-elevation reaches of the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade mountains in California and Oregon, are one of the rarest mammals on the continent. Their population size is unknown but is potentially only in the dozens, with an estimated 18 to 39 spread across the Sonora Pass, northern Yosemite and Mono Creek areas. California Department of Fish and Wildlife experts think that fewer than 15 of the alpine creatures live in and around Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lassen National Forest, where massive swaths of land were devoured by the nearly 1-million-acre Dixie fire. In 1980, the animals were designated a threatened species in California, and this summer — as the Dixie fire raged through parts of their territory — a portion of the state’s population won federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. No strangers to wildfire, the foxes have adapted to seasonal flames. Wildlife experts say they’re typically able to hide or temporarily leave when fires pass through. But with more blazes burning hotter, faster and even into higher elevations in recent years, officials worry the small creatures might not be able to escape the fierce new conflagrations.” [Los Angeles Times, 11/15/21 (=)]

 

A 'Cryptic' Mussel Gets Federal Protection. According to Politico, “The Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the listing of the Atlantic pigtoe freshwater mussel as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, with the accompanying designation of 563 stream miles as critical habitat. The critical habitat is up from the 542 miles initially proposed in October 2018 and down a tad from the 566 miles proposed last year. ‘Most of the remaining populations are small and fragmented, only occupying a fraction of reaches that were historically occupied,’ the Fish and Wildlife Service stated. Pegged as a candidate for ESA listing in 1991, the Atlantic pigtoe was the subject of a petition in 2010. In 2014, it was part of a court settlement between FWS and the Center for Biological Diversity that led to the initial 2018 listing proposal (Greenwire, Oct. 10, 2018). Growing to about 2 inches in length and characterized by scientists as ‘cryptic,’ in part because they are difficult to detect, the mussel formerly occupied river basins from Virginia to Georgia. It is now confined to Virginia and North Carolina and currently inhabits about 40% of its historical range. The Atlantic pigtoe needs clean, moderate-flowing water with highly dissolved oxygen content in creeks and rivers, FWS noted. It typically lives in headwaters of rural watersheds.” [Politico, 11/15/21 (=)]

 

AP | Feds Pledge $2.7 Million In Funds For Klamath Basin Salmon Recovery. According to Los Angeles Times, “The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has announced $2.7 million in funding for projects aimed at helping coho salmon in the Klamath River basin. The species is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and has seen its numbers dwindle amid rising river temperatures and reduced water flows. The grant announced Monday will be administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with help from federal and state agencies, and will prioritize projects that improve salmon habitat and fish passage in the lower part of the river and its tributaries, according to a bureau news release. The Klamath River spans the border between Oregon and California. The Bureau of Reclamation plans to award $1.2 million in fiscal year 2021 and up to $500,000 per year in fiscal years 2022 through 2024. Tribes, nonprofits, local government agencies, schools and universities can apply.” [Los Angeles Times, 11/15/21 (=)]

 

 

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