Klamath Falls, Ore., —The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the Leona’s Little Blue Butterfly is not warranted for protection under the Endangered Species Act at this time. The butterfly occupies volcanic ash and pumice fields that form non-forested meadows in the vicinity of Sand and Scott Creeks in Klamath County, Oregon.
The Service evaluated the Leona’s Little Blue Butterfly for various stressors including impacts from wildfire, climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change , timber management, fire suppression, invasive plants, encroachment of lodgepole pine and effects associated with small and isolated populations. After a thorough evaluation of the best information and data available, the Service concluded that these stressors do not rise to the level of a threat either individually or cumulatively.
“Since 2010 we’ve worked with landowners and partners to complete additional surveys, increasing our understanding of the distribution and habitat needs for Leona’s Little Blue Butterfly,” said Laurie Sada, field supervisor of the Klamath Falls Fish and Wildlife Office. “The additional surveys show that the range of the species is double what we originally thought – 12.8 square miles instead of just 6 square miles and the population estimates have increased to approximately 20,000 individuals.”
This finding is available at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS–R8–ES–2011–0055 or http://www.fws.gov/klamathfallsfwo/. Supporting documentation used in preparing this finding is available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at: Klamath Falls Fish and Wildlife Office; 1936 California Ave; Klamath Falls, OR 97601; (541) 885-8481; Fax (541) 885-7837. Please submit any new information, materials, comments, or questions concerning this finding to the above street address.
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