Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office
External Affairs
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Contacts:
Al Donner 916-414-6566 cell 916-712-2004 al_donner@fws.gov
Draft Agreement (PDF 1.4 MB)
Federal Register Notice
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PDF (49 kb)
Safe Harbor Program Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office
Approximately 20 distinct species of protected wildlife could benefit from one of the nation’s largest voluntary conservation efforts ever negotiated under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), open for public comment through Sept. 29. The proposed partnership aims to benefit wildlife on private rangelands in the northern Sacramento Valley by balancing legal protections with the needs of ranch owners.
All the ranchland in California’s Shasta, Tehama, Butte and Glenn counties could benefit potentially from the Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA) proposed by the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition (CRCC), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), and the California Dept. of Fish and Game (DFG). The Service published notice of the draft SHA on Aug. 28 to open the comment period.
This SHA is noteworthy from several perspectives: 1) the highly collaborative effort by the CRCC mobilizes a wide range of partners with ranchers to protect and enhance the region’s rangeland landscape; 2) DFG involvement, resulting in an agreement to protect landowners under both the federal ESA and California’s ESA for state-listed species; 3) the large number of species covered – most SHAs cover only a few species. Other groups involved included the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the California Farm Bureau Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, Defenders of Wildlife and Sustainable Conservation.
Under a Safe Harbor Agreement, participating landowners can voluntarily undertake management activities on their property to enhance or restore habitat for species protected under the ESA. SHAs encourage non-federal land owners to help listed species by protecting owners from increased property use restrictions that might otherwise occur from their efforts to improve conditions for listed species.
In the proposed SHA, each species is accompanied by a list of beneficial activities to support recovery objectives. Some of the covered species include valley elderberry longhorn beetle, vernal pool fairy shrimp, California red-legged frog, giant garter snake, Swainson’s hawk, western yellow-billed cuckoo, burrowing owl, tricolored blackbird, and Sacramento Valley red fox.
Comments should be addressed to the Service’s Rick Kuyper, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825. Written comments may also be faxed to (916) 414-6713. Notice of the application and the full draft proposal can be found at www.fws.gov/Sacramento. A map of the proposed permit area and other documents are available for review during normal business hours by contacting Mr. Kuyper at (916) 414-6600.
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The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
Last updated: September 1, 2009
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