As part of a broad effort to restore threatened and endangered species in the Tennessee River system, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is planning to reintroduce two native fishes ? the threatened ? into Shoal Creek (a tributary to the Tennessee River), which flows through Lauderdale County, Alabama, and Lawrence County, Tennessee.
The reintroduced fishes will be designated as ?nonessential experimental? populations, under the Endangered Species Act. This classification precludes anyone who accidentally kills or harms the fish from being in violation of the law, provided that the ?take? occurs as part of an otherwise lawful activity. Similarly, federal or federally funded projects would not be required to be altered or stopped to protect these fish.
"By reintroducing experimental populations of these species into their historical habitat, and promoting other recovery efforts, we hope to improve the species? status to the point where they no longer need Endangered Species Act protection," said Sam D. Hamilton, the Service's Southeast Regional Director.
These proposed reintroductions are part of a major effort by multiple partners ? including federal and state agencies, conservation groups, and private landowners ? to restore and recover native species in the Tennessee River system.
Conservation Fisheries, Inc., a nonprofit fish conservation organization based in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been working on several efforts in the Tennessee River system including:
- reintroducing the spotfin chub and three other species into Abrams Creek in Blount County;
- augmenting boulder darter populations in the Elk River; and,
- reintroducing the spotfin chub and three other federally-listed species into the Tellico River.
"The nonessential experimental population designation for Shoal Creek is the next step in recovery efforts of the boulder darter and spotfin chub," said Gary Myers, Executive Director of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. "Coupled with habitat improvements and advances in fish propagation technology, this nonessential experimental population designation will allow efforts to re-establish viable populations of boulder darters and spotfin chubs into Shoal Creek. This designation will certainly assist our recovery efforts for these rare fish.?
Support for Conservation Fisheries, Inc.'s reintroduction efforts has come from the Service, National Park Service, , . The reintroduction effort in Shoal Creek, an extension of these other recovery projects, was developed at the request of the Commissioner of the
Questions regarding these reintroductions should be addressed to Timothy Merritt at the Tennessee Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 446 Neal Street, Cookeville, Tennessee 38501, telephone 931/528-6481, Ext. 211, fax 931/528-7075.
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 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources 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 Aid program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.
