The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposal to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act for the Carolina heelsplitter, an endangered freshwater mussel, in portions of a river and nine creeks in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Under the Act, critical habitat refers to specific geographic areas that are essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and may require special management considerations or protection. A critical habitat designation does not set up a preserve or refuge and only applies to situations where federal funding, authorization, or land is involved. It has no regulatory impact on private landowners taking actions on their land that do not involve federal funding, authorization, or permits.
