The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to designate critical habitat for the piping plover (Charadrius melodus), an imperiled shorebird that inhabits the shorelines of the Great Lakes, southeastern states and Gulf of Mexico. The Service will be holding informational hearings in the affected states this summer and take public comments before finalizing this proposal.
In the wintering areas, critical habitat is being proposed along 1672 miles of coastline in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. These include coastal areas with intertidal beaches and flats and associated dune systems and flats above annual high tide. Intertidal sites offer foraging and roosting sites while areas above high tide provide refuge from high winds and cold weather.
"We do not expect additional regulatory requirements from this designation," said Sam D. Hamilton, Southeast Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "The piping plover is protected, and we already consider the impact of Federal actions on this species and its habitat. Critical habitat should not impact the daily activities of the public as they enjoy beach areas."
A critical habitat designation does not set up a preserve or refuge and only applies to situations where federal funding or a federal permit is involved. For example, designation of critical habitat does not affect a landowner undertaking a project on private land that does not involve Federal funding or require a Federal permit or authorization.
Not all areas found within the boundaries designated as critical habitat are essential for the conservation of the species. For example, roads, lawns, paved areas and other man-made structures would not be considered critical habitat. Only areas containing important components of habitat will receive protection as critical habitat.
Critical habitat for the breeding populations of piping plovers on the Great Lakes is being proposed along approximately 189 miles of shoreline. This includes areas that support, or have the potential to support, open, sparsely vegetated sandy habitats such as sand spits or sand beaches associated with wide, unforested systems of dunes and inter-dune wetlands, and the plover
