Endangered Native Plant Occurs Only in Riverside County, California
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Critical habitat is a term in the Endangered Species Act. It identifies geographic areas that contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and may require special management considerations or protection. The designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve, or other conservation area conservation area
A conservation area or wildlife management area is a type of national wildlife refuge that consists primarily or entirely of conservation easements on private lands. These conservation easements support private landowner efforts to protect important habitat for fish and wildlife. There are 15 conservation areas and nine wildlife management areas in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Learn more about conservation area . It does not allow government or public access to private lands. Federal agencies that undertake, fund or permit activities that may affect critical habitat are required to consult with the Service to ensure such actions do not adversely modify or destroy designated critical habitat.
Munzs onion, a member of the lily family, is restricted to certain clay soils in western Riverside County, California. There are fewer than 19 known populations of Munzs onion. Most of the populations contain fewer than 1,000 individual plants but there are five larger populations that number between 2,000 and 50,000 plants.
Munzs onion was listed as endangered in October 1998, based on habitat loss resulting from urbanization, agriculture, and clay mining. Several lawsuits were filed by the California Native Plant Society, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Building Industry Legal Defense Foundation seeking to compel the Service to designate critical habitat for Munzs onion, which had not been done at the time the species was listed.
In 30 years of implementing the Endangered Species Act, the Service has found that designation of critical habitat provides little additional protection for most listed species, while preventing the agency from using scarce conservation resources for activities with greater conservation benefits.
In almost all cases, recovery of listed species will come through voluntary cooperative partnerships, not regulatory measures such as critical habitat. Habitat is also protected through cooperative measures, including Habitat Conservation Plans, Safe Harbor Agreements, Candidate Conservation Agreements and state programs. In addition, voluntary partnership programs such as the Services Private Stewardship Grants and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program also restore habitat. Habitat for listed species is provided on many of the Services National Wildlife Refuges and state wildlife management areas.
A copy of the final rule, economic analysis, and other information about Munzs onion is available on the Internet at http://carlsbad.fws.gov, or by contacting the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office at telephone number (760) 431-9440.
