An economic analysis is prepared for any proposed critical habitat designation. A critical habitat designation only applies to situations where Federal funding, Federal authorization or a Federal permit is involved. Even in cases where private lands are designated, it has no impact on private landowners taking actions on their land that do not involve Federal funding, authorization or permits.
The analysis makes a fine distinction between the economic impacts that result from the designation of critical habitat and those that result from listing a species as threatened or endangered. The Endangered Species Act excludes economics as a deciding factor when listing a species but does require the Service to consider it when designating critical habitat.
Copies of the draft economic analysis are available by contacting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Field Supervisor at Ecological Services Field Offices, c/o TAMU-CC, Campus Box 338, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, Texas, 78412 or by telephone at 361-994-9005. Comments should be mailed to this address or can be sent by facsimile to (361) 994-8262.
A complete description of the proposed critical habitat designation for the Zapata bladderpod was published in the Federal Register on July 19, 2000, and can be found on the web at: http://endangered.fws.gov/frpubs/00fedreg.htm. The public comment extension period notice was published today (October 3, 2000).
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 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 520 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fish and wildlife management assistance offices, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 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 Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
