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SUIT
FILED TO PROTECT ISLAND FOX
The
Center for Biological Diversity
sued the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service on 4-17-03
for refusing to list the
San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa
Cruz, and Santa Catalina
island foxes as endangered
species. In response to a
petition from the Center
and the Institute for Wildlife
Studies, the agency proposed
to protect the four subspecies
on 12-10-01, but has not
finalized the decision.
Native to the Channel Islands,
the subspecies have suffered
recent dramatic declines.
On San Miguel Island, the
population declined to just
fifteen animals, after which
fourteen were captured for
captive breeding, leaving
only one individual in the
wild. Overall, island fox
numbers have fallen from
approximately 6,000 individuals
in 1994 to fewer than 1,660
in 2001.
The four subspecies are threatened
by introduced diseases,
such as canine distemper,
habitat alteration related
to the introduction of pigs,
goats, deer, cattle, sheep,
and elk, and predation by
golden eagles that recently
colonized the Channel Islands.
The islands were historically
occupied by bald eagles,
which did not prey on the foxes,
but following sharp declines
in bald eagles related
to DDT, and the introduction
of pigs, which provided
abundant prey, golden eagles
were able to colonize the
islands.
To find out more about the
island fox, click
here.
MIDVALLEY
FAIRY SHRIMP INCHES TOWARD
PROTECTION
On
4-29-03, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service issued a
preliminary decision that
the midvalley fairy shrimp
(Branchinecta mesovallensis)
may require listing
as an endangered species
under the federal Endangered
Species Act. The decision,
called a 90-day finding,
came in response to a 8-15-01
petition by the Center
for Biological Diversity
and VernalPools.org. The agency
will decide by 1-04-04 whether
to formally propose the
fairy shrimp as an endangered
species.
The midvalley fairy shrimp
inhabits vernal pools within
the Great Central Valley,
including Sacramento, Solano,
Merced, Madera, San Joaquin,
Fresno, and Contra Costa
counties. Vernal pools are
one of the most threatened
habitat types in the world.
Over 97% of California's
vernal pools have already
been lost due to urban sprawl,
agribusiness, offroad vehicles,
livestock grazing, and
wetland draining. The loss
reverberates through the
ecosystem as vernal pools
are home to many plants and
animals that in turn form
a valuable part of the food
chain for a wide array of
animals, including birds of
prey, shorebirds, migratory
waterfowl, frogs, toads,
salamanders and pollinating
insects. Fairy shrimps are
a vital part of this web
of life.
Of 52 known midvalley fairy
shrimp populations, only
seven are in protected areas
such as national wildlife
refuges or mitigation banks.
One of the largest single
threats to the midvalley
fairy shrimp is the University
of California's plan to build
a new campus and city
on one of the largest remaining
vernal pool mosaics
in the state. The proposed
1,300 acre UC Merced campus
will directly impact dozens
of acres of vernal pools,
some of which are occupied
by the shrimp. Increased
urban sprawl, agricultural
and residential conversion,
and indirect impacts (such
as altered hydrology) resulting
from the proposed UC Merced
campus, a new town of 30,000
people, and associated infrastructure
development are
anticipated to destroy, fragment
and degrade nearby
midvalley fairy shrimp habitat
as well.
To view the finding and learn
more visit our fairy
shrimp web site .
COURT
ORDERS END OF PACIFIC FISHER
PROTECTION DELAY
A
federal judge sided with
the Center for Biological Diversity,
NRDC, and Sierra Nevada Forest
Protection Campaign in
a ruling on 4-09-03 that
determined that the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service missed
a deadline by more than
two years to determine if
the pacific fisher should
be granted protection under
the Endangered Species Act.
District Judge Samuel Conti
rejected the agency's request
for an additional year's
delay, and ordered an initial
decision within 90 days on
the status of the Pacific
fisher.
The pacific fisher is absent
or severely reduced in
most of the west coast. Only
three small, isolated populations
remain, including native
populations in northern California
and the southern Sierra Nevada
and a reintroduced population
in the southern Oregon Cascades.
The fisher is closely
associated with old-growth
forests and has become rarer
as old growth has declined
by 60-85% from logging across
California, Oregon and Washington.
The Sierra Nevada population,
critical to survival of
the entire species, faces
imminent extinction unless
granted ESA protection.
Earthjustice attorney Greg
Loarie represented the Center,
NRDC and Sierra Nevada Forest
Protection Campaign in
the suit.
To learn more at the fisher
web site.
SUIT SEEKS
END OF PROTECTION DELAYS
FOR SIERRA NEVADA FROG
On
4-01-03, the Center for Biological
Diversity and Pacific
Rivers Council (PRC) filed
suit against the U. S. Fish
and Wildlife Service challenging
the delay of Endangered
Species Act protection for
the Sierra Nevada population
of the mountain yellow-legged
frog (Rana muscosa),
an extremely imperiled amphibian
inhabiting high elevation
lakes, ponds, and streams
in the Sierra Nevada.
The Center and PRC originally
petitioned to list the
species under the ESA in
February 2000. In January 2003,
the Service published a "warranted
but precluded"
listing decision, agreeing
that the species warrants
listing, but claiming listing
is precluded by "expeditious
progress" being made
on listing of other species.
However, not a single species
has been listed under
the Bush administration that
is not a result of environmental
lawsuits or petitions, hardly
"expeditious progress"
in protecting endangered
species. Species placed on
the "warranted but precluded"
list receive
no legal protection, nor
is there any limit on how long
they may be left on the list.
Surviving in as little as
10 percent of its original
range, the mountain yellow-legged
frog has declined
alarmingly, by more than
40 percent in the last five
to seven years, primarily
due to predation from non-native
trout, grazing, disease caused
by pesticide drift and
ultraviolet radiation from
ozone depletion. At this
rate of decline, scientists
are predicting that the
frog will become completely
extinct in the Sierra within
decades.
Earthjustice attorneys Greg
Loarie and Michael Sherwood
are representing the Center
and PRC in the mountain
yellow-legged frog complaint.
For more information and
to view the press
release.
IF BUSH WON'T
DEFEND FEDERAL STEELHEAD
PROTECTIONS, WE WILL
In
March 2003 the Center for
Biological Diversity joined
the Northern California Council
of the Federation of
Fly Fishers, Federation of
Fly Fishers, Delta Fly Fishers,
Trout Unlimited, Woodbridge
Rivers Company, and Pacific
Rivers Council to intervene
in a lawsuit filed by Central
Valley water irrigation districts
attempting to strip
Endangered Species Act protections
from wild steelhead
trout in California's Central
Valley.
The water district lawsuit
argues that hatchery steelhead,
which are contributing to
declines of wild fish by introducing
disease, changing genetics,
and competing for scarce
resources, must be included
with wild steelhead when
considering endangered species
status. The case is the
latest in a concerted effort
by developers, irrigation
and agribusiness interests
to strip Endangered Species
Act protections from salmon
and steelhead stocks up
and down the Pacific coast
following a controversial
court opinion in September
2001. That ruling found that
artificially bred hatchery
fish should be considered
along with their wild cousins
when decisions are made
regarding ESA protections.
Biologists estimate that
1 to 2 million steelhead historically
spawned each year in the
Central Valley, but by the
1960s this number had been
reduced to 40,000 spawners.
With more than 95% of the
historic spawning habitat
now inaccessible due to dams
and water diversions, only
about 3,600 female steelhead
now spawn naturally each
year in the entire Central
Valley.
To view the press
release and for more information.
PETITION
FILED TO PROTECT CALIFORNIA
BURROWING OWLS
On
4-07-03, the Center for Biological
Diversity, Santa
Clara Valley Audubon Society,
Defenders of Wildlife,
San Bernardino Valley Audubon
Society, California State
Park Rangers Association,
and Tri-County Conservation
League petitioned the California
Fish and Game Commission
to list the western burrowing
owl (Athene cunicularia
hypugaea) as a state
endangered or threatened species
under the California Endangered
Species Act.
The western burrowing owl
is a small ground-nesting
bird of prairie and grassland
habitats. Burrowing owls
in California rely upon burrows
dug by ground squirrels
for nests, and require suitable
habitat consisting of
open fields with adequate
food supply for foraging,
low vegetative cover to allow
owls to watch for predators,
and roosting sites.
Once one of the most common
birds in California, burrowing
owls have declined precipitously
in the last two decades
due to massive urban development
and conversion of agricultural
lands, and are now in danger
of becoming extinct throughout
most of their range. They
persist in only small, declining
populations that are highly
susceptible to extirpation.
The owls have been completely
eliminated from five counties
(eight to ten percent of
their former range) and are
nearing extirpation in at
least six other counties (25
percent of their range).
The state-approved practice
of relocation from development
sites is accelerating
local extirpations. There
are currently no state or
federal laws that protect
owl habitat, and such habitat
is rarely purchased by agencies
to conserve the owl
and other grassland-dependent
species.
Learn more at the Center's
Burrowing
owl web site.
JOIN
US FOR HANDS-ON CONSERVATION
OF CALIFORNIA'S WILD AND
SCENIC RIVERS
The
Center for Biological Diversity
will be participating
in working field expeditions
with the Ventana Wilderness
Alliance and Forest Service
to explore the Sisquoc River.
Participants will learn more
about riparian ecology
and help manually remove
exotic plants from wild and
scenic river corridors.
On
May 22-24, join the Center
and wildlife biologists with
the Forest Service at the
Sisquoc River. The expedition
will focus on removing exotic
species from a rugged
and remote area while learning
about the ecology of
wild and scenic rivers with
experienced and knowledgeable
individuals.
Please contact Brent Plater
at: [email protected]
for more details and to reserve
space. RSVP by May 8.
Click
now and become a member of
the Center for Biological
Diversity, and ensure a future
for wildlife and habitat.
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