BURBOT
PROTECTION ON THE HORIZON
Though
the Lower Kootenai River burbot is more imperiled than the
Kootenai River white sturgeon, it is not yet protected under
the Endangered Species Act. American Wildlands and the Idaho
Conservation League petitioned
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to list the burbot as an
endangered species on 2-2-00. Though legally required to render
an initial finding within 90 days, the Service refused to
do so. In August of 2001, however, the Center for Biological
Diversity negotiated a historic agreement
with the Department of Interior to issue listing decisions
on 29 species around the nation, including the burbot. The
Fish & Wildlife Service thus published its positive 90-day
finding on 9-28-01.
Unfortunately,
the agency is now more than 14 months late in issuing a proposed
listing rule. American Wildlands and the Idaho Conservation
League filed suit on 1-30-02 to force the agency to act. That
case is now being argued in federal court. Once the burbot
is listed as an endangered species, the Army Corps of Engineers
will face even stronger legal pressure to reform its management
of Libby Dam.
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