Subject: FW: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #141

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      \       SOUTHWEST BIODIVERSITY ALERT #141          /
       \                    7-15-98                     /
        \                                              /
         \ SOUTHWEST CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY  /
          \__________________________________________/
         
1. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE ADMITS GILA CHUB AND CHIRICAHUA LEOPARD
   FROG ARE ENDANGERED- REFUSES ACCEPT PETITION TO PROTECT THEM!

2. RARE FUNGUS STRIKES SOUTHWESTERN FROGS

3. PIMA COUNTY ALLOCATES $300,000 FOR SONORAN DESERT PROTECTION
   PLAN

4. SW FOREST ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES FALL ACTIVIST GATHERING

     *****     *****    *****     *****

FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE ADMITS GILA CHUB AND CHIRICAHUA LEOPARD
FROG ARE ENDANGERED- REFUSES ACCEPT PETITION TO PROTECT THEM!
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has refused to process formal
petitions to list the Gila Chub and Chiricahua leopard frog as
endangered species. According to the Service's twisted logic,
since the agency has already determined that the species deserve
listing, citizens are not permitted to request that they actually
be listed. Since the Fish & Wildlife Service is not bound to any
concrete listing timeline in the absence of a formal petition, the
species will continue to decline toward extinction because of
politically motivated stall tactics. The Southwest Center has
pledged to sue the agency to make it obey the clear language of
the ESA and list the imperiled fish and frog as soon as possible.
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RARE FUNGUS STRIKES SOUTHWESTERN FROGS
As reported in SW Biodiversity Alert #138, a newly discovered
chytrid skin fungus has been linked to amphibian declines in
Australia, Panama, and southern California. The same fungus has
now been linked to the death of three lowland leopard frogs and
two Chiricahua leopard frogs in southeast Arizona. Scientists are
not sure whether the fungus, which was not previously known to
harm vertebrates, is wholely responsible for killing the frogs, or
whether it works in concert with factors such as habitat loss,
heavy metal poisoning, and UV exposure.
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PIMA COUNTY ALLOCATES $300,000 FOR SONORAN DESERT PROTECTION PLAN
On 7-14-98, the Pima County Board of Supervisors affirmed its
decision to allocate $300,000 for the initial phase of the Sonoran
Desert Protection Plan which will include habitat identification
and mapping. The Sonoran Desert Protection Plan was developed
by an alliance of Tucson environmentalists to protect large swaths
of the Sonoran within the Tucson Basin from urban sprawl. It will
help recover the endangered Cactus ferruginous pygmy owl and
other imperiled species without trading off habitat "protection"
with the take a endangered species- a cynical process favored by
developers and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
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SW FOREST ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES FALL ACTIVIST GATHERING
The Southwest Forest Alliance would like to invite you to attend
its fall conference on forest protection, September 11-13 in the
White Mountains in eastern Arizona.

During the conference we will hear from environmental activists
and biologists about the critical forest issues facing the region.
Ample time will be available to exchange views and develop
strategies on issues such as old-growth forest protection; regional
roadless area protection and wilderness legislation; wildlands
initiatives, grazing reform, endangered species protection, forest
restoration; reformation of the Forest Service; as well as other
regional and national issues.

In addition to being highly informative and practical, the intent
of this gathering is to bring together as many regional
environmentalists as possible so that we can jointly develop the
means by which to best protect our endangered ecosystems.

The conference is free for individuals representing SWFA
members groups. The cost for non-members is $64.  Some scholarships
are available. This includes food and lodging from Friday night to
Sunday afternoon at the Thunderhorse Ranch located between Lakeside
and Pinetop, Arizona. Vegetarian or other special dietary needs will
be happily met.

To reserve a spot please contact: Wendy Young at the SWFA
Flagstaff office, PO Box 1948, Flagstaff, AZ 86002, (520) 774-6514;
or Anne Carl or Dave Hodges at the SWFA Tucson office, PO Box 1891,
Tucson, AZ 85719, (520) 322-9819.

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Kieran Suckling                               ksuckling@sw-center.org
Executive Director                            520.623.5252 phone
Southwest Center for Biological Diversity     520.623.9797 fax
http://www.sw-center.org                      pob 710, tucson, az 85702-710