Most impacts are on Federal lands
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released a draft analysis of the potential economic impacts of a proposal to designate critical habitat for bull trout in the Columbia and Klamath river basins.
Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) are protected under the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species. In 2002, in accordance with a court settlement, the Service proposed to designate critical habitat for the species.
The draft economic analysis, prepared by Bioeconomics Incorporated of Missoula, Montana, estimates that protecting bull trout and their habitat in the Columbia and Klamath basins could potentially have economic impacts of $230 million to $300 million over the next 10 years (about $23 million to $30 million per year), mostly on Federal lands. The critical habitat proposal for the Columbia River Basin includes parts of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. The proposal for bull trout in the Klamath River Basin includes a small part of the Klamath basin in Oregon.
Most of the estimated cost already is occurring due to the listing of bull trout and protective measures already in place for listed salmon and steelhead. More than 60 percent of the area proposed for bull trout critical habitat has previously been classified as salmon and steelhead critical habitat, although much of that designation was recently withdrawn for re-analysis by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The draft economic analysis does not separate costs associated with the designation of critical habitat from those already incurred by the listing of bull trout in the Columbia and Klamath basins in 1998.
The draft analysis will be available for public comment until May 5, 2004. The Service also is reopening the comment period on its proposal to designate critical habitat for bull trout in the two river basins and will accept comments until that date. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they will be incorporated into the public record as part of this comment period and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.
A series of public information meetings also is planned. The schedule is:
Kalispell, Montana: April 17, noon to 4 p.m., Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Office, 490 North Meridian Road
" COLOR: red
Bend, Oregon : April 20, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. , Bend Armory, 875 S.W. Simpson Avenue
LaGrande , Oregon : April 21, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. , National Guard Armory, 404 12th Street
Boise, Idaho: April 14, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Boise Centre on the Grove, 850 Front Street
Salmon, Idaho: April 16, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Salmon City Chambers, 200 Main Street
Lewiston, Idaho: April 19, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 621 21st Street
Yakima, Washington: April 21, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Oxford Suites Hotel, 1701 Yakima Avenue
