The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released an analysis that estimates costs related to the conservation of the federally threatened Navarretia fossalis (spreading navarretia) on 31,086 acres of essential habitat in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties, California, could range from $48.6 to $129 million over the next 20 years, based on a three percent discount rate. Between $13.9 and $32.1 million of the total estimated costs apply to the 4,301 acres of land the Service proposed to designate as critical habitat.
According to the draft analysis, between 1998 - when the plant was listed under the Endangered Species Act - and 2005, costs associated with conservation of the species totaled about $7.9 million.
Most of the potential costs are associated with development activities. Other activities that could incur costs include flood control and transportation projects. The draft analysis estimates costs to acquire, restore and manage habitat for spreading navarretia, conduct consultations with the Service, and comply with environmental regulations such as the California Environmental Quality Act.
"Although 31,086 acres of essential habitat have been identified for spreading navarretia, a large portion of those lands are not proposed as critical habitat because they are already covered by approved Habitat Conservation Plans or Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans," said Steve Thompson, Manager of the Services California/Nevada Operations. "However, in the interest of providing a robust economic analysis, all essential habitat was analyzed to determine potential impacts that could result if all those areas were to be designated as critical habitat."
Lands proposed for critical habitat designation are in portions of Los Angeles and San Diego counties, and are separated into five geographic units.
Public review and comment on the draft economic analysis and proposed critical habitat rule will be accepted until September 14, 2005.
Spreading navarretia, a member of the phlox family, is found in vernal pools, and alkali grasslands, alkali playas, and alkali sinks. The Service listed spreading navarretia as threatened under the ESA in 1998. As a result of lawsuits filed against the Service challenging its failure to designate critical habitat for the plant at the time of listing under the ESA, the Service published a proposed critical habitat rule on 0October 7, 2004.
Critical habitat is a term in the ESA. 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 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 and major migration corridors while helping to keep agricultural lands in production.
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.
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.
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.
Comments on the proposed critical habitat and/or the draft economic analysis may be submitted in writing to the Field Supervisor, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, 6010 Hidden Valley Road, Carlsbad, California 92011, or transmitted by facsimile to 760-431-9618. Electronic comment submissions may be sent to fw1cfwo_nafo@fws.gov.
Copies of the draft analysis and proposed rule are available on the Internet at http://carlsbad.fws.gov, or by calling the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office at 760-431-9440.
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