The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is reopening its 2001 proposal to list the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly as an endangered species with critical habitat. Recently an Environmental Assessment and an Economic Analysis were drafted and are now available for public review and comment. Comments will be accepted until November 29.
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The Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly has a wingspan of about 2 inches. They are checkered with dark brown, red, orange, white, and black spots and lines. The animal inhabits meadows within the mixed-conifer forest at an elevation between 8,000 and 9,000 feet in the vicinity of the Village of Cloudcroft, Otero County. The caterpillars are generally found feeding on New Mexico penstemon or valerian, while the adults nectar primarily on sneezeweed.
The draft economic analysis suggests that the present value of future conservation measures associated with the butterfly is expected to range from $533,000 to $816,000 annually. More than half of these costs result from anticipated project modifications primarily associated with utility projects, agriculture and ranching, and U.S. Forest Service land management. The remaining costs are generally administrative in nature.
The Service is soliciting comments on whether the economic analysis identifies all State and local costs, whether the economic analysis makes appropriate assumptions regarding current practices and likely regulatory changes imposed as a result of the listing of the species or the designation of critical habitat and whether the economic analysis correctly assesses the effect on regional costs associated with land use controls that derive from the designation among other things.
. Copies of the documents can be found on the internet at: http://ifw2es.fws.gov/Library/ or requested from the above address or by calling 505-761-4706.
The Service, Otero County, Village of Cloudcroft, and the U.S. Forest Service recently drafted a conservation plan for the butterfly and are accepting comments through November 8. The goal of this strategy is to establish conservation measures needed for the continued existence of the butterfly.
All of the draft documents and any information submitted during the comment period will be used for making a final determination on whether the butterfly should be considered endangered. The final determination will be based upon the threats to the species and the application of the conservation strategy to evaluate whether the species meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species. The final listing determination will be published in the Federal Register in December.
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 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 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 Assistance program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. Visit the Services website at http://www.fws.gov.
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