From: owner-swcbdmembers@envirolink.org on behalf of Kieran Suckling [ksuckling@sw-center.org]
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 1998 9:12 PM
To: Recipient list suppressed
Subject: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #156
____________________________________________________
\ SOUTHWEST BIODIVERSITY ALERT #156 /
\ 10-14-98 /
\ /
\ SOUTHWEST CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY /
\ http://www.sw-center.org /
\________________________________________/


1. ELEVEN MORE PLANTS PUT ON ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST-
SUIT HAS BROUGHT PROTECTION TO 31 PLANTS THIS YEAR

2. JUDGE ORDERS FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE TO PROTECT HABITAT
OF PYGMY OWL AND WATER UMBEL

3. WHERE'S THE DOOMSDAY BOOK? SW CENTER DEMANDS GOVERNOR'S
LIST OF "SMALL ANIMALS" TO BE DRIVEN EXTINCT

4. JACKSON BROWNE BENEFIT TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE.

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

ELEVEN MORE PLANTS PUT ON ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST-
SUIT HAS BROUGHT PROTECTION TO 31 PLANTS THIS YEAR
In February, 1998, the Southwest Center and the California
Native Plant Society sued to U.S. Fish and Wildlife for
refusing to list 44 imperiled plants under the ESA. In
May, a federal judge ordered the agency to issue listing
rules on the species post haste. Thus far, the suit has
resulted in 20 plants being protected. On 10-13-98,
eleven more plants were put on the Endangered Species
List.

Nevin's barberry (Berberis nevinii), Mexican flannelbush
(Fremontodendron mexicanum), Vail Lake ceanothus
(Ceanothus ophiochilus), willowy monardella (Monardella
linoides ssp. viminea), San Diego thorn mint (Acanthomintha
ilicifolia), Laguna Beach dudleya (Dudleya stolonifera), and
Otay tarplant (Hemizonia conjugens) live in coastal sage scrub,
chaparral, and grassland habitats in southwest California
and northern Baja, Mexico. They are are threatened by urban
and agricultural development, competition from nonnative
plant species, off-road vehicle use, mining, and grazing.

Munz's onion (Allium munzii), San Jacinto Valey crownscale,
(Atriplex coronata var. notatior, thread-leaved brodiaea
(Brodiaea filifolia) and spreading navarretia (Navarretia
fossalis) live in vernal pools, wetlands, moist grasslands
and clay soils in southwestern California and northern
Baja, Mexico. They are threatened by agricultural and urban
sprawl, wetland draining and channelization, ORVs, overgrazing,
fire suppression and competition from exotic species.

This case was argued by Jay Touchton of EarthLaw.
______________________________

JUDGE ORDERS FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE TO PROTECT HABITAT
FOR PYGMY OWL AND WATER UMBEL
In a ruling that should considerably slow the urban sprawl
killing the San Pedro River and the Sonoran Desert around
Tucson, a federal judge has struck down the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service's decision not to designate critical
habitat for the endangered Cactus ferruginous pygmy owl
and the Huachuca water umbel. The agency had argued that
designating critical habitat would do more harm than good
because it would alert bird watchers and plant collectors
to the present of the two species. The judge, however,
noted that habitat destruction is far and away the
greatest threat to the species.

We expect the San Pedro River to be designated critical
habitat for both species, and desert uplands around
Tucson to be designated for the pygmy owl. Earlier this
year, an international panel of scientists convened under
NAFTA confirmed that urban sprawl associated with the
Army's Fort Huachuca is sucking the San Pedro dry. The
Tucson area is being bladed and scraped by mindless
development.

The Southwest Center was represented by Geoff Hickcox of
Kenna & Hickcox.
____________________________

WHERE'S THE DOOMSDAY BOOK? SW CENTER DEMANDS GOVERNOR'S LIST
"SMALL ANIMALS" TO BE DRIVEN EXTINCT
On 10-18-97, Arizona's Governor Jane Hull addressed the
Western Governor's conference in Reno saying:

"Republicans must unite to end the war on the West.
Environmental laws, truly the most egregious of all
regulations, must be controlled. I urge all congressional
delegations to consider themselves guardians of our
history and our future. These federal laws, onerous and
debilitating, must be eliminated."

On 10-10-98, she told the Governor's Rural Development
Conference:

"It may take some time but the U.S. government will
eventually understand that jobs for Americans are more
important than some species of birds and animals....
small animals..."

Under Arizona's Open Records Act, the Southwest Center has
asked Hull to turn over her list of "small animals" that
should be driven extint. The Arizona Department of Fish and
Game does not appear to maintain such a list.
______________________________

JACKSON BROWNE BENEFIT TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE.
In a special benefit for the Southwest Center, Jackson Browne
will appear at Tucson's Music Hall (Tucson Convention Center)
on Tuesday, October 27, 1998 at 7:00pm.

Reserved seating is available through Dillard's Box Office:
800-638-4253 and the Tucson Convention Center: 520-791-4266.
Special "Green Circle" tickets, which include a post concert
reception hosted by the Southwest Center are available by calling
520-623-5252 x305.

100% of all ticket sales will go towards the protection endangered
species in the American Southwest and northern Mexico.

Past biodiversity alerts are archived @
http://www.sw-center.org



_____________________________________________________________________________

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