The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is holding one additional public meeting at the request of Socorro residents to gather their input for the preparation of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the designation of critical habitat for the Rio Grande silvery minnow.
The meeting will be held Monday, April 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the New Mexico Tech Macey Center (Building #8), off of Bullock Avenue in Socorro. This final meeting offers even more New Mexicans an opportunity to offer comments in person.
Written comments may also be mailed to Joy Nicholopoulos, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2105 Osuna NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87113 or sent by facsimile to (505) 346-2542 or by email to: FW2 ES Mexico@fws.gov">. Comments must be received by June 4 in order to be considered.
The two-inch minnow is a native fish that was listed as an endangered species in 1993. Historically the minnow lived throughout the Rio Grande and Pecos River systems but today it is only found in the middle stretches of the Rio Grande in New Mexico. Critical habitat refers to specific geographic areas essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and which may require special management considerations. These areas do not have to be occupied by the species if considered essential to its recovery. A critical habitat designation does not create a preserve or refuge and only applies to activities where Federal funding or permits are involved.
Environmental Impact Statements analyze the potential environmental impacts of an action proposed or supported by a Federal agency. Information received by the deadline will be used to examine a range of approaches for the designation of critical habitat for the minnow. When complete, the DEIS will be available for public review and comment.
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 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 535 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 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.
