USFWS Finds 374 Aquatic-dependent Species May Warrant Endangered Species Act Protection

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will conduct an in-depth status review of 374 rare southeastern aquatic, riparian and wetland animal and plant species to determine if any or all of them warrant federal protection as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Service made this decision, commonly known as a 90-day finding, after reviewing a petition seeking to add a total of 404 species to the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants and analyzing information about these species in its files. While this initial review found evidence to suggest that ESA protection may be warranted for 374 of these species, the Service will now undertake a more thorough status review before determining whether to propose any of them for listing.

The review will encompass 13 amphibians, six amphipods, 17 beetles, three birds, four butterflies, six caddisflies, 81 crayfish, 14 dragonflies, 43 fish, one springfly, two isopods, four mammals, one moth, 35 mussels, six non-vascular plants, 12 reptiles, 43 snails, eight stoneflies, and 75 vascular plants. Included in the review is the Florida sandhill crane, a long-legged, long-necked gray crane that resembles herons except for the bald patch of red skin on top of its head.

"The Endangered Species Act has proved to be a critical safety net for America's imperiled fish, wildlife, and plants. Our finding today is the first step in determining whether these species need the special protection afforded by the Act," said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe.

Eighteen of the 404 species petitioned are already on the Service's list of candidates for listing as threatened or endangered or are subjects of a proposed rule to list. The decision for one fish, the Alabama shad, was given to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) because the species is under its jurisdiction. The NMFS found that the petition did not present substantial scientific or commercial information to move forward with a 12-month finding for the Alabama shad. The Service has not yet made a finding on the remaining 11 species, but anticipates doing so no later than September 30, 2011.

Most of the species, such as the caddisflies and crayfish, are found in small areas. However, some like the green floater mussel and the black rail historically ranged over much larger areas and have seen their habitat and numbers significantly reduced. All of these species face one or more of the following threats: the present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of their habitat or range; overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; disease or predation; the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; and natural or manmade factors affecting the species' survival.

The status reviews for these species (other than the 18 already on the candidate list), as well as any subsequent listing proposals that may follow, will likely follow completion of a multi-year listing work plan approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on September 9, 2011. This work plan, developed through a settlement agreement with WildEarth Guardians and a separate, complimentary settlement agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity, will enable the agency to systematically, over a period of six years, review and address the needs of more than 250 species now on the candidate list, to determine if they require ESA protection. A list of these species is available at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/improving_ESA/listing_workplan.html.

Based on the status reviews for these 374 aquatic-dependent species, the Service will issue 12-month findings for each species and determine whether to propose them for listing. At this time, however, the 12-month findings are not scheduled to be completed within the next six years due to the priorities detailed in this court-approved work plan, unless the Service is able to combine these findings with other actions already funded and/or scheduled.

To ensure this status review is comprehensive, the Service is soliciting information on the 374 species from governmental agencies, Native American tribes, the scientific community, industry, or any other interested parties concerning the status of the species.

The finding will publish in the Federal Register on September 27, 2011. Written comments regarding the status of these 374 species may be submitted by one of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. [FWS-R4-ES-2011-0049].
U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. [FWS-R4-ES-2011-0049]; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
Comments must be received within 60 days, on or before November 28, 2011. The Service will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means the agency will post any personal information provided through the process. The Service is not able to accept email or faxes.

For further information contact: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, Southeast Regional Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1875 Century Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30345.

For more information about this finding, please visit the Service's Southeast regional web site at http://www.fws.gov/southeast/.

The ESA provides a critical safety net for America's native fish, wildlife and plants. The Service working to actively engage conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species. To learn more about the Endangered Species Program, visit http://www.fws.gov/endangered/.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov. Connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfws, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/usfwshq, watch our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq.

Media Contact
Vanessa Kauffman, 703-358-2138, vanessa_kauffman@fws.gov
Tom MacKenzie, 404-679-7291, tom_mackenzie@fws.gov

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USFWS Will Continue Funding to Arizona's Fish Stocking Program

PHOENIX - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) as part of the Environmental Assessment of its proposal to continue to fund, in part, the Arizona Game and Fish Department's (AGFD) sport fish stocking program over the next 10 years.

The FONSI decision means that FWS can continue funding to support AGFD's hatchery operations and fish stocking activities that provide recreational opportunities for anglers.

As part of the Selected Alternative, a Conservation and Mitigation Program has been developed. The Conservation and Mitigation Program will implement actions to avoid, offset or reduce environmental impacts of the stocking action and ultimately contribute to conservation and recovery of native species. The program's development was a coordinated effort between the FWS's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR), its Arizona Ecological Services Office, and AGFD.

The decision came out of an Environmental Assessment process that analyzed three alternatives which provided a range of recreational opportunities and impacts to biological resources.

After review of public and agency comments received on the Draft Environmental Assessment, WSFR, the Arizona Ecological Services Office and AGFD chose to modify the Proposed Action. The modifications to the Proposed Action include the removal of one previously proposed stocking site and the elimination and/or substitution of some species proposed for stocking at some sites. The modified Proposed Action has been identified as the "Selected Alternative."

Under the Selected Alternative, funding will support stocking of sport fish at 166 sites in selected rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, ponds and tanks in the state. It will also support continued operations and maintenance of five AGFD hatcheries that rear sport fish (primarily trout) for stocking. The actions in this alternative are the most comparable to Arizona's current stocking program.

Hundreds of thousands of Arizona residents and nonresidents take advantage of the state's recreational fishing opportunities each year. Based on 2006 numbers, there were 4,156,000 angler use days (AUDs) of fishing in Arizona, with a total annual economic impact of $1.3 billion (Southwick Associates 2007). Arizona Game and Fish estimates a resident demand of 6 million AUDs through 2012, with some growth anticipated in nonresident demand.

Under the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950, FWS has the authority to provide federal funding to state wildlife agencies for management and restoration of sport fish, as well as public use and benefit from those resources. Funding is provided on a match basis through the WSFR program. Sport Fish Restoration funds through that program come from a federal excise tax on certain fishing equipment and a portion of motorboat fuel tax revenues. In July 2011, Arizona received about $7.9 million in Sport Fish Restoration Act funds. Although the amount varies from year to year, about $2.5 million was allocated to sport fish stocking and hatchery operations.

To view a copy of the Finding of No Significant Impact document and the final Environmental Assessment, visit www.fws.gov/southwest/federal_assistance/index.html or www.azgfd.gov/fishea.

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The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD's programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director's Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director's Office as listed above.

Media Contact
Tom Cadden (623) 236-7392,
Public Information Officer, AGFD

Jose Viramontes (505) 248-6404,
Public Affairs Specialist, USFWS

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