Federal Register Notices
Listing as Threatened
69:47211-47248  pdf
August 4, 2004

Proposed Critical Habitat
69:48569-48649   pdf
August 10, 2004

Photo Info

Contact for the news media:

July 26, 2004 04-076
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Nickles, 916/414-6572
Al Donner, 916/414-6566

Questions & Answers

Critical Habitat map-general overview

Service seeks to work with cattle ranchers to conserve species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it has taken several actions under the Endangered Species Act with regard to the California tiger salamander:

-- It has listed the Central population of the California tiger salamander as threatened.
-- It has listed the species rangewide as threatened, changing the status of California tiger salamander populations in Santa Barbara and Sonoma counties from endangered to threatened.
-- The Service has launched a special rule, authorized under section of 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act, to work cooperatively with ranchers to save the species.
-- The Service also intends to propose 47 critical habitat units in 20 counties with a total of 382,666 acres. This proposal does not include Sonoma or Santa Barbara counties. Santa Barbara County already has proposed critical habitat, and critical habitat is not being proposed for Sonoma County at this time.

The special rule helps ranchers preserve the rangeland that is critical to the California tiger salamander's survival. The rule strives to conserve salamander habitat while helping keep ranching viable.

The special rule recognizes the pivotal role that ranchers play in restoring this species through the wise stewardship of their lands. The rule allows certain traditional ranching activities to continue without additional regulation. Such ranching activities, including stock pond construction and maintenance, can benefit California tiger salamanders. As natural vernal pools are lost, stock ponds created for livestock are important alternative breeding sites for California tiger salamanders.

"This special rule will help preserve the salamanders and other wildlife that depend on rangeland," said Steve Thompson, manager of the Service's California/Nevada Operations Office. "At the same time, it will strengthen California=s unique ranching heritage. Good ranchers are vital to the survival of the salamander and we want to help them stay in ranching.

"We believe this rule will promote conservation efforts and partnerships that are critical for species recovery," Thompson added. "We also believe it will encourage continued responsible land uses that provide an overall benefit to wildlife."

The Central population of the California tiger salamander includes populations throughout the Central Valley, the Central Coast and the San Francisco Bay Area. The distinct population of salamanders in Santa Barbara County was listed as endangered in 2000. The Sonoma County population was listed as an endangered species under an emergency rule in 2002. The rule was made permanent in March 2003.

The California tiger salamander - a stocky terrestrial amphibian with a broad rounded snout - is threatened by a variety of factors including habitat destruction, hybridization with non-native tiger salamanders, and predation by non-native species.

The Service will propose 47 critical habitat units, encompassing a total of 382,666 acres, in portions of 20 counties in Central California: Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Yolo. Although some Federal, State, or local government lands occur within the boundaries of proposed critical habitat, the majority of the areas proposed for critical habitat designation occur on privately owned land.

This critical habitat rule does not propose for San Mateo or Santa Cruz counties or for the Sonoma or Santa Barbara populations. Critical habitat for the Santa Barbara population was proposed in January and will be finalized in November 2004. Critical habitat for the Sonoma population will not be proposed at present.

Critical habitat is a term in the Endangered Species Act identifying geographic areas essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and which may require special management considerations. The designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve, or other conservation area. It does not allow government or public access to private lands.

The listing of the California tiger salamander was completed in response to several lawsuits filed in 2002 by the Center for Biological Diversity which addressed individual segments of the salamander's population. As part of a settlement agreement, the Service listed the northern and southern segments of the species population as distinct population segments. However, as part of the status review of the species, the Service determined that the species as a whole should be listed as threatened. This approach will lead to more uniform and effective conservation and management initiatives.

The Service will receive public comment on the proposed critical habitat designation for 60 days commencing with publication of the proposal in the Federal Register.

In 30 days, both the threatened listing for the Central population of the California tiger salamander and the special rule will take effect.

In 30 years of implementing the ESA, the Service has found that the designation of critical habitat provides little additional protection to most listed species, while preventing the Service from using scarce conservation resources for activities with greater conservation benefits.

In almost all cases, recovery of listed species will come through voluntary cooperative partnerships, not regulatory measures such as critical habitat. Habitat is also protected through cooperative measures under the Endangered Species Act including Habitat Conservation Plans, Safe Harbor Agreement, Candidate Conservation Agreements and state programs. In addition, voluntary partnership programs such as the Service's Private Stewardship Grants and Partners for Fish and Wildlife program also restore habitat. Habitat for endangered species is provided on many national wildlife refuges, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and State wildlife management areas.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.

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