Subject: FW: BIODIVERSITY ACTIVIST #240

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              CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

            <www.sw-center.org>      6-15-00      #240
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§ CHIRICAHUA LEOPARD FROG PROPOSED AS ENDANGERED
    SPECIES IN NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA, AND MEXICO
§ CRITICAL HABITAT ORDERED FOR FOUR HAWAIIN SPECIES
§ SUIT FILED TO HALT MASSIVE CALIFORNIA DEVELOPMENT
§ 500,000 ACRES TO BE PROTECTED FOR IMPERILED TOAD

CHIRICAHUA LEOPARD FROG PROPOSED AS ENDANGERED SPECIES
IN NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA, AND MEXICO
In response to a multi-year campaign of scientific petitions and lawsuits,
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service proposed to list the Chiricahua leopard frog
as an endangered species on 6-14-00. Once found in over 400 populations
along streams and wetlands in southern New Mexico, southern Arizona and
northern Mexico, the Chiricahua leopard frog has been reduced to just 79
marginal populations in the U.S. Despite recovery efforts (including an
innovative high school program in Douglas, Arizona), overgrazing of
streamsides, draining of wetlands, urban sprawl and introduction of exotic
species including bullfrogs, fish, game fish crawfish, and fungi are pushing
the leopard frog and other amphibians toward extinction.

In addition to filing a scientific petition to list the leopard frog as
endangered
in 1998, the Center has petitioned to protect the Sonora tiger salamander,
Yosemite toad, and the Sierra Nevada population of the Mountain yellow-
legged frog, filed suit to list the Oregon spotted frog and the California
tiger
salamander, and sought critical habitat for the Arroyo southwestern toad
and the California red-legged frog. It has filed numerous suits and appeals
challenging amphibian habitat destruction on private and public lands. A
series
of suits filed with Forest Guardians to stop overgrazing on millions of
acres of
the Gila River Basin resulted in removal of cattle from 300 miles of streams
and increases in Chiricahua leopard frog populations on the San Francisco
River in New Mexico.
         ____________________________

CRITICAL HABITAT ORDERED FOR FOUR HAWAIIN SPECIES
On 6-2-00, federal judge Susan Oki Mollway ordered the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service to designate critical habitat for the endangered
Blackburn's Sphinx Moth, Kaua`i Cave Wolf Spider, Newcomb's Snail
and Kaua`i Cave Amphipod. Under a settlement in a previous suit, the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife listed all four species under the ESA, but refused
to also protect their habitat, even though all four have declined due to
habitat loss. Going back to court, the Center obtained a court order
requiring the Fish & Wildlife Service to map out and protect specific
habitat areas for the species by 2-1-2002.

Hawaii supports more species of plants and animals than any other
U.S. state. Like most of the Pacific Islands, however, it has suffered
a wave of extinctions unparalleled on the mainland. Over one hundred
species of birds, mammals, plants, and insects have been driven to
extinction by hunting, habitat loss, and exotic species introductions.
The Center's pacific islands and marine programs are working to
stem the tide of extinction and restore habitat for imperiled species.

Blackburn's sphinx moth is the largest of Hawaii's 10,000 native insects.
It was considered extinct until rediscovered on Maui in 1984. It is
threatened by urban sprawl, agricultural expansion, and introduction of
exotic species. Its number are currently so low that it could be driven
extinct by extreme weather fluctuations. Newcomb's snail is restricted
to six streams on the Hawaiian island of Kaua`i. It has declined by 60%
since 1925. The two Kaua`i cave species are now limited to four square
miles of habitat. Most of their historic habitat has already been modified
by development projects, with an estimated 75 percent rendered
uninhabitable.

The Center was represented by David Henkin and Kapua Sproat of
the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund (Honolulu).
      _________________________

SUIT FILED TO HALT MASSIVE CALIFORNIA DEVELOPMENT
On 6-2-00, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Santa Clarita
Organization for Planning the Environment (SCOPE) filed suit against
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) and Newhall
Corporation to stop the massive Westridge development project in
the Santa Clara River valley, approximately 30 miles north of Los
Angeles.

The Army Corps illegally granted Newhall permission to construct the
development under controversial nationwide permit. Such permits are
only supposed to be granted if the project will have negligible effects,
yet the Army Corps routinely rubber stamps even massive sprawl
projects such as Westridge which would build 1,712 houses, and 18
hole golf course, and a 41,000 square foot commercial center. Herbicide
and pesticide runoff from the golf course and pollution from storm drains
will degrade habitat for the only remaining genetically pure population of
the unarmored threespine stickleback, an extremely rare and imperiled
fish which was once widely distributed throughout the Los Angeles area.

The Corps also refused to submit the development permit for review to
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service even though in addition to the stickleback,
the development will harm the Arroyo southwestern toad, the San Fernando
Valley spineflower and other endangered species.

The Santa Clara River valley is currently under assault from development
pressures. Nearly 100,000 development units have been approved in the
valley in the past 10 years with tens of thousands more coming for the
permit approval in the near future. The Santa Clara River system is the
most intact river system remaining in the greater LA area and provides
habitat for dozens of imperiled species including the stickleback, arroyo
southwestern toad, southwestern willow flycatcher, Least Bell's vireo and
the California red-legged frog. Much of the headwaters of the river system
emanates from the Los Padres and Angeles National Forests. Tributaries
include Sespe Creek and Piru Creek two designated Wild and Scenic River
and San Francisquito Canyon.

The case is being argued by Babak Naficy and John Fritschie.
         ____________________________

500,000 ACRES TO BE PROTECTED FOR IMPERILED TOAD
On 6-8-00, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service implemented a legal settlement
with the Center for Biological Diversity and Christians Caring for Creation
by proposing to designate and protect 500,000 acres of "critical habitat" for
the Arroyo southwestern toad. When finalized, the designation will require
sweeping reforms in land management by the U.S. Forest Service and the
military in Monterey, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Riverside, San
Bernardino, Orange and San Diego counties. It will also effect plans to extend
urban sprawl into the canyons and streams of southern California.

Arroyo toads were historically widely distributed along the length of
drainages in southern California from Monterey to Baja California, but now
survive only in small, isolated headwaters. Urban sprawl, dams, cattle
grazing, mining and off-road vehicle use have all contributed to the
decline of the species to a point where Fish and Wildlife now considers the
species "on the brink of extinction."
_____________________________________________________________

PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: ksuckling@biologicaldiversity.org

Kierán Suckling                           ksuckling@biologicaldiversity.org
Science and Policy Director          520.623.5252 phone
Center for Biological Diversity        520.623.9797 fax
<www.biologicaldiversity.org>        POB 710, Tucson, AZ 85702-0710

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