Subject: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #72
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOUTHWEST BIODIVERSITY ALERT
#72
5/13/97
SOUTHWEST CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY
silver
city, tucson, phoenix, san diego
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. SECOND SUIT
CHALLENGES HOOVER DAM OPERATIONS- WATER & POWER
INTERESTS
CLAIM EXEMPTION FROM ESA
2. BRIDGER SALVAGE TIMBER SALE UPDATE- SIERRA
CLUB INTERVENE TO
SAVE TREES, PROTESTERS FINED $2,000, DIRECT
ACTION CAMP AT
BRIDGER NEXT WEEK
3. FOREST SERVICE
REJECTS PETITION TO ALLOW ENVIROS TO OUTBID
TIMBER
COMPANIES.
4. STUDY: SW WILDLIFE REFUGES WORST RUN IN
U.S.
*** *** *** ***
***
SECOND SUIT CHALLENGES HOOVER DAM OPERATIONS- WATER & POWER
INTERESTS
CLAIM EXEMPTION FROM ESA
The Southwest Center for Biological
Diversity has sued the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, claiming that its
mitigation plan for the
endangered southwestern willow flycatcher will drive
the species
extinct in order to preserve the status quo for big money
water
interests on the lower Colorado River. Water & power interest
from
WY, UT, CO, NV, CA, NM, AZ, and CA are trying to intervene in
the
case, claiming their interests supersede the Endangered Species
Act.
Defenders of Wildlife has filed an amicus brief in support of the
Center,
arguing that the water users have the ability, discretion, and
responsibility
of release 3.5 million acre feet from Lake Mead in
order to save the
flycatcher from extinction.
The Fish and Wildlife has stated repeatedly
that the flycatcher is
going extinct and that the baseline condition for the
riparian
dependent species is jeopardy. Their biological opinion called
the
destruction of 1,148 acres of native willow habitat at Lake
Mead
(behind Hoover Dam) catastrophic:
"The Service believes
that a loss of this magnitude, both in the
amount of habitat involved
and the potential rapid rate of loss,
is catastrophic when the status
of the flycatcher and riparian
habitat on the LCR and in the
southwestern U.S. are considered."
The agency's draft biological opinion
ordered Reclamation to drawn
down the reservoir immediately and to protect
all flycatcher habitat
on the Colorado River. After a briefing paper was sent
the Agency's
Regional Office warning that "water and power interests" would
find
the opinion "draconian," the consultation process was moved from
the
Field Office biologists to the Regional Office. The Regional
Office
finalized the opinion, authorizing the complete take of all
flycatchers
and habitat at Lake Mead.
BRIDGER SALVAGE TIMBER SALE
UPDATE- SIERRA CLUB INTERVENE TO
SAVE TREES, PROTESTERS FINED $2,000, DIRECT
ACTION CAMP AT
BRIDGER NEXT WEEK
The Los Angeles and Grand Canyon
Chapters of the Sierra Club have
intervene in support of a Southwest Center
appeal of a huge salvage
timber on the Kaibab National Forest. The sale would
log old growth
ponderosa pines up to the border of Grand Canyon National
Park.
Eight protestors arrested while climbing a flag pole within
the
National Park to protest the sale were release without
criminal
charges in exchange for forfeiting $2,000 in bail. The protest
was
sponsored by the Southwest Center, the Student Environmental
Action
Coalition, and AZ Earth First!
The Ruckus Society will be holding a
direct action training camp next
to the sale, next weekend. Training will
include techniques for non-
violent civil disobedience, tree climbing, road
blockades, and media
education.
FOREST SERVICE REJECTS PETITION TO
ALLOW ENVIROS TO OUTBID TIMBER
COMPANIES
The Department of
Agriculture, has denied a petition by the
Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, the
Southwest Center for Biological
Diversity, and the Oregon Natural Resources
Council to allow
environmental groups the opportunity to outbid timber
companies on
critical timber sales. Under current Forest Service regulations,
only
timber companies are permitted to buy timber sales, even if
more
money is offered to let the trees remain standing.
STUDY: SW
WILDLIFE REFUGES WORST RUN IN U.S.
Public Employees for Environmental
Responsibility (PEER) today
released the results of their National
Wildlife Refuge Survey.
According to National Wildlife Refuge managers
surveyed, the
Southwest Region of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ranks
last in
quality of leadership, and ranks last in the degree of support
when
making and implementing incompatibility
decisions.
PEER said that the Southwest Region had the lowest
rating, almost
twice as bad as any other region, on the question of
pressuring refuge
managers to change compatibility determinations based
upon
non-biological or political factors.
Almost 90% of the refuge
managers responded to the survey.
* Nearly 9 out of 10 responding
refuge managers report the
refuges are not adequately staffed to meet core
conservation needs
while more than 9 out of 10 say they are not adequately
staffed to
serve the visiting public.
* Seven out of 10 refuge
mangers contend that decisions affecting
field operations are increasingly
made by agency officials who lack
adequate knowledge or experience in refuge
management.
*Less than one in three say they have a greater
voice in regional
management decisions affecting their own
refuge.
*Less than half of managers believe their regional
office
is a strong advocate for my refuge.
Copies of complete survey
results, a regional report card and
submitted comments by refuge managers are
available on request.
Please contact: Roni Lieberman at
202/265-7337.
Kieran
Suckling
ksuckling@sw-center.org
Executive
Director
520.733.1391 phone
Southwest Center for Biological
Diversity 520.733.1404 fax
http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/sw-center
pob 17839, tucson, az 85731