The draft plan proposes to develop partnerships with federal and state agencies, organizations, and private landowners that will provide mechanisms for protecting Illinois cave amphipod populations through voluntary and incentive-driven stewardship efforts.
Recovery plans are developed for federally endangered or threatened species. They present a blueprint or action by federal and state agencies, as well as other organizations, and private landowners interested in helping to restore and recover imperiled species. The goal of this draft recovery plan is to bring populations to a point that protection of the Endangered Species Act is no longer necessary. "The draft recovery plan identifies strategies and research needs that will help recover the species and preserve the values of the unique southwestern Illinois karst topography," said Joan Bade, Illinois Cave Amphipod Recovery Team Leader and biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "In order to accomplish this," she said, "we will need strong support from the local landowners, organizations and governments."
Presence of the Illinois Cave Amphipod has not been confirmed at one site in Monroe County and it appears to be extirpated from another site in St. Clair County. Additional populations have been found within the known range of the species in two additional groundwater systems in Monroe County. The quality and condition of groundwater in the amphipods habitats are tied to land use practices within cave recharge areas. Surface activities may contribute to the degradation of groundwater and cave habitats.
A copy of the draft recovery plan may be obtained by contacting the Field Supervisor, Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4469 48th Avenue Court, Rock Island, Illinois 61201, by contacting the Fish and Wildlife Reference Service, 5430 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 110, Bethesda, Maryland 20814 (telephone: 301-492-6403 or 800-582-3421), or by accessing the Services website at: http://midwest.fws.gov/endangered TTY users may contact the Fish and Wildlife Reference Service through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.
The Service will collect written public comments on the draft recovery plan over the next 30 days. Public comments must be received by September 4, 2002, at which time they will be considered while developing the final plan. Comments should be addressed to the Services field supervisor at the address noted above.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses nearly 540 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.
For further information about programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, visit our website at " facehttp://midwest.fws.gov
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