The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has sent to the Federal Register a draft economic analysis (EA) for the proposed critical habitat for the Central population of the California tiger salamander, opening a public comment period which closes August 3.
Critical habitat was proposed for the threatened species on Aug. 10, 2004 for 382,666 acres in 20 California counties, from Yolo to Kern. The final critical habitat rule is due to be completed by Aug. 10, 2005.
The draft EA projects an expected loss of $367 million due to lost development opportunities over the next 20 years, according to the analysis prepared by Charles River Associates, an Oakland-based consulting firm. The projected impacts occur almost entirely in urbanizing areas, with six counties accounting for 94 percent of the impact.
Alameda County impacts alone are projected at $131 million, or 36 percent of the total. The South Pleasanton-South Livermore census tract, where housing prices average $1.9 million, is where the study predicts the highest impact on housing prices, projecting an increase of $27,623.
The other high impact counties, according to the study are Contra Costa ($91 million), Monterey ($67 million), Santa Clara (23 million), San Benito ($18 million) and Fresno ($15 million). In the Federal Register notice the Service advises that it is considering excluding portions of Alameda, Contra Costa and Monterey counties from critical habitat because of potentially disproportionate impacts on them.
It further notes that it is considering excluding the portion of eastern Contra Costa County that is covered by the draft East Contra Costa Habitat Conservation Plan, which soon will be available for public review.
When specifying an area as critical habitat, the ESA requires the Service to consider economic and other relevant impacts of the designation. If the benefits of excluding an area outweigh the benefits of including it, the Secretary may exclude an area from critical habitat, unless this would result in the extinction of a threatened or endangered species.
The analysis also notes that the proposed critical habitat will have little impact on the regional economy. Looking at impacts on Contra Costa, San Benito and Monterey counties, the study concludes that the impact on their output will be only 0.01 percent, largely in construction and related services.
As part of the listing 11 months ago, the Service also established a 4(d) rule under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), to protect ranchers from jeopardy for incidental harm to salamanders that occurs in the course of normal ranching operations. In the economic analysis, no costs are ascribed to impacts of critical habitat designation on ranching operations. The 4(d) rule was established because ranch stock ponds have become valuable breeding area for salamanders. The special rule helps ranchers preserve rangeland that is critical to the California tiger salamander's survival. The rule conserves salamander habitat by keeping compatible uses such as ranching economically viable.
The Central population of the California tiger salamander includes populations throughout the Central Valley, the Central Coast and the San Francisco Bay Area. As part of the review of the Central population the Service reviewed the Santa Barbara and Sonoma listings and made a determination to list the entire species rangewide on Aug. 10, 2004.
The distinct population of salamanders in Santa Barbara County had been listed as endangered in 2000. Critical habitat for that area was designated on Nov. 24, 2004.The Sonoma County population had been listed as an endangered species under an emergency rule in 2002. A separate critical habitat determination for Sonoma County is due to be made by Dec. 1, 2005, under a judicial deadline.The California tiger salamander, a stocky terrestrial amphibian with a broad rounded snout, is threatened by a variety of factors. The Service proposed 47 critical habitat units for the Central population, in portions of 20 Central California counties: Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Yolo.reas proposed as critical habitat for the salamander species may be found at the following link: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/sacramento/ea/news_releases/2004%20News%20Releases/CTS_final%20listing_NR_7-26-04.htm
In 30 years of implementing the ESA, 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 under the ESA, including Habitat Conservation Plans, Safe Harbor Agreements, Candidate Conservation Agreements and state programs. In addition, voluntary partnership programs such as the Service's Private Stewardship Grants and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program also restore habitat. Habitat for listed species is provided on many of the Service's National Wildlife Refuges, and state wildlife management areas.
omments on the proposed critical habitat and/or the draft economic analysis may be submitted until Aug. 3, 2005 to: fw1Central_cts_pch@fws.gov or by fax to: 916/414-6710, or by mail to: Field Supervisor, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825 Copies of the analysis and the Federal Register notice may be obtained by downloading it from http://sacramento.fws.gov and following the directions..
