October 25, 2005

Background and Q&A's

Draft economic analysis

Federal Register Notice
text or pdf

Proposed Critical Habitat Map pdf

Previous news release (Aug. 2, 2005)

California tiger salamander habitat in Sonoma County/FWS photo by Carley Sweet

Contact: Jim Nickles 916/414-6572

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released an analysis that estimates costs related to the proposed critical habitat for the Sonoma population of the California tiger salamander at $336 million over the next 20 years. In releasing the analysis, the Service also opened an additional 21-day public comment period on the critical habitat proposal. The Service will accept public comments until November 14, 2005.

The Sonoma population of the California tiger salamander is protected as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. On August 2, 2005, the Service released its proposal to designate 74,223 acres of critical habitat for the species on the Santa Rosa Plain. A 60-day comment period closed on October 3, but during the new comment period the Service will accept comments on all aspects of the proposed critical habitat. Under a court order, the Service must complete the final critical habitat rule by December 1, 2005.

Critical habitat is a term in the ESA. It identifies geographic areas that contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and may require special management considerations or protections. 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. Federal agencies that undertake, fund or permit activities that may affect critical habitat are required to consult with the Service to ensure such actions do not adversely modify or destroy designated critical habitat.

When the critical habitat was proposed, the Service said that its top priority was to establish a locally-based cooperative conservation plan that could meet the needs of the species better than a critical habitat designation. The Santa Rosa Plain Conservation Strategy was released for public review in August, and local public agencies are expected to formally consider adopting the plan this fall.

The draft economic analysis projects an expected loss of $336 million in lost development opportunities over the next 20 years, according to the analysis prepared by CRA International, an Oakland-based consulting firm. The study also identified $7.97 million additional costs to transportation projects on Highways 101 and 116, but it also concluded that critical habitat would have little effect on the regional economy, causing only a reduction of 0.01 per cent of the region's $28-billion output.

Of the costs, the study concluded that $12 million would be impacts on producers and consumers, $210 million would be mitigation costs, $114 million would be delays in processing development proposals individually -- which the study estimates will take two years each.

When specifying an area as critical habitat, the ESA requires the Service to consider economic and other relevant impacts of the designation. If the benefits of excluding an area outweigh the benefits of including it, the Secretary may exclude an area from critical habitat, unless this would result in the extinction of a threatened or endangered species.

The California tiger salamander, a stocky terrestrial amphibian with a broad rounded snout, is threatened by a variety of factors, including the loss and fragmentation of habitat from human activities and the encroachment of nonnative predators.

The California tiger salamander in Sonoma County was listed as an endangered species under an emergency rule in 2002. The rule was made permanent in March 2003. In July 2004, when California tiger salamanders throughout Central California were listed as threatened, the status of the Sonoma County population -- as well as a separate population in Santa Barbara County -- was changed from endangered to threatened. On August 19, 2005, the U.S. District Court vacated the Service's downlisting of the Sonoma and Santa Barbara populations from endangered to threatened. Both populations are once again listed as endangered.

In 30 years of implementing the ESA, the Service has found that designation of critical habitat provides little additional protection for most listed species, while preventing the agency 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 ESA, including Habitat Conservation Plans, Safe Harbor Agreements, Candidate Conservation Agreements and state programs. In addition, voluntary partnership programs such as the Service's Private Stewardship Grants and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program also restore habitat. Habitat for listed species is provided on many of the Service's National Wildlife Refuges, and state wildlife management areas.

Comments on the proposed critical habitat and/or the draft economic analysis may be submitted until November 14, 2005 to fw1sonoma_tiger_salamander@fws.gov or by fax to 916/414–6710, or by mail to Field Supervisor, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W–2605, Sacramento, CA 95825.

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 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 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 and Native American tribal 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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