Transcript 404 Species Petitioned by the Center of Biological

404 Species Mega-petitioned from
Center of Biological Diversity:
Where are we now?
Presented by:
Channing St. Aubin
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Panama City, FL
ESA – Primer
Endangered - any species which is in danger of extinction
throughout all or a significant portion of its range
Threatened - any species which is likely to become an
endangered species within the foreseeable future
throughout all or a significant portion of its range
Candidate - are those taxa for which the Service has
sufficient information on their biological status and
threats to list as endangered or threatened under the
Act, but for which the development of a listing
regulation has been precluded to date by other higher
priority listing activities.
How Listing a Species Happens?
USFWS – Terrestrial and Freshwater
NMFS - Marine
- Jointly manage sea turtles and sturgeon
1) Candidate Assessment Process – we identify a
species as a candidate
2) Petitioned to list a species
Candidate Species
• Five Factor Analysis
A) The present or threatened destruction, modification, or
curtailment of the species’ habitat or range
B) Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes
C) Disease or predation
D) The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms
E) Other natural or manmade factors affecting the species’ survival.
Petitioned Species
90 day finding
- “Not substantial” information
- “Substantial” information = May be warranted
12 month Status Review (may be challenged date specific)
- Species does not warrant protection
- Protection warranted but precluded
- Warranted and publish a proposed rule
Candidate List
• Added when there is sufficient information
- Biological vulnerability, threats, 5 factor analysis
• Proposed as Threatened or Endangered
- Establish Critical Habitat
- Areas that contain the physical and biological
features essential to the conservation of the
species
So you are labeled T & E, now what?
• Protection from take (kill, harm, or harassment)
and commercial trade
• All federal projects reviewed
- (permits, activities, funding)
• Species Recovery Plan
- Species recognition and education of what that species is
facing
- Allows for possible land acquisition and increased
cooperation
with State agencies to benefit the species
- Encourages and results in implementation of conservation
actions for the species
- Eligible for grants and federal incentive programs
ESA - Listings
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President Ford
President Carter
President Reagan
President Bush
President Clinton
President Bush
– 47 listings (15/yr)
– 126 listings (32/yr)
– 255 listings (32/yr)
– 231 listings (58/yr)
– 521 listings (65/yr)
– 60 listings (8/yr)
404 Species CBD Mega-petition
• April 2010: USFWS received 1,145 page
mega-petition to list 404 aquatic, riparian, and
wetland species from the southeastern US
– Center for Biological Diversity (CBD),Alabama Rivers
Alliance, Clinch Coalition, Dogwood Alliance, Gulf
Restoration Network, Tennessee Forests Council, West
Virginia Highlands Conservancy
www.biologicaldiversity.org
• May 2011: FWS settled lawsuits with Wild
Earth Guardians (WEG) and CBD over a
backlog of 251 candidate species.
– Settlement included a work plan to guide agency
actions over next 6 years (2012-2017)
• September 2011: FWS found 374 of the 404
species from the “mega-petition” may warrant
ESA listing
Taxonomic Breakdown
Gomphus sandrius
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92 Crustaceans
92 Mussels and Snails
82 Plants
55 Insects
48 Fish
15 Amphibians
13 Reptiles
4 Mammals
3 Birds
Where are we now?
• Status Review - gather as much information on
population status and distribution of species
- Species distribution and abundance
- Species habitat needs/threats
- Ongoing conservation efforts
• Work to conserve as many of these species as we can
before they need Federal protection
- Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCA)
- Agreements with other Federal Agencies
- Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAA)
- Agreements with non-federal land owners
CCAs and CCAA’s are both voluntary, formal
agreements with the Service.
Benefits:
• Identified threats are reduced or removed
• Conserved now, possibly before an ESA listing is
necessary
• Cost effective way to conserve species
• Assurances for landowners
• Many species already a priority for states & other
stakeholders
Out of 24 CCAA’s, only 1 of the 40 species covered has been
listed under the ESA
Panama City Field Office ~ 40 species
12 insects that are lacking information:
Species
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Cordulegaster sayi
Gomphus westfalli
Libellula jesseana
Ophiogomphus australis
Somatochlora calverti
Stylurus potulentus
Oecetis parva
Agarodes logani
Hydroptila sykorai
Lepidostoma morsei
Oxytheria setosa
Triaenodes tridontus
Occurences
Dragonfly
Dragonfly
Dragonfly
Dragonfly
Dragonfly
Dragonfly
Caddisfly
Caddisfly
Caddisfly
Caddisfly
Caddisfly
Caddisfly
(FL, GA)
(AL*, FL)
(AL*, GA*, FL)
(LA, MS, FL)
(AL*, FL)
(AL*, FL, MS)
(AL*, FL)
(FL)
(FL)
(FL, MS, NJ, TX)
(AL, FL, GA)
(AL, FL, OK)
* Likely to occur
Questions?
For more information visit:
http://www.fws.gov/panamacity/
[email protected]
(850) 769 – 0552 ext 248