Landowner Protections Already in Place; Recovery Progress Continues
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today concluded that no specific areas qualify for designation as formal critical habitat for four subspecies of endangered Channel foxes off the Southern California coast because the foxes use a mosaic of habitats on the islands that can not be singled out specifically as critical habitat and their habitat range is already being protected and managed. At the same time, the Service determined that strong, cooperative progress is being made to restore the species.
The islands already are being protected and sensitively managed by their owners, the National Park Service (NPS), the Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Catalina Conservancy (CIC). Moreover, fox populations are being strengthened through captive breeding programs that now regularly release foxes back into the wild, and by the removal of other threats. In the last year there have been additional releases of foxes on Santa Rosa and San Miguel islands, and the wild foxes there are successfully reproducing.
"The foxes habitats already are well protected and managed by several Federal and non-profit organizations," said Steve Thompson, manager of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services California/Nevada Office. "This decision acknowledges the strong cooperative effort under way to recover the foxes. Designating critical habitat would not improve that effort in any way."
Under court order, a year ago the Service issued its critical habitat proposal. In that proposal the Service recommended that no critical habitat be designated because the foxes use their entire islands, which are already protected.
In concluding its critical habitat process, the Service explained that the four fox subspecies, each limited to a single island, are habitat generalists that use the entire range of habitats on their islands, from coastal dunes to grasslands and woodlands, as they seek food and shelter, and raise their young. Thus there are no portions of their limited range that could be singled out as habitat over some other areas, as is required under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
"All habitat available on the islands where the fox is found are used by the fox," the Service explains in its final rule. "The foxes thrived in these habitats prior to the dramatic declines that led to their endangered status. These declines were not the result of threats to any of the habitats used by the four subspecies. It wasnt until golden eagles became established on the islands that fox numbers declined dramatically on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands. Similarly, the population of Santa Catalina fox did not decline until a severe outbreak of canine distemper occurred."
Each subspecies of fox (Urocyon littoralis) inhabits a separate island. The subspecies are: Santa Cruz fox (U.l. santacruzae), San Miguel fox (U.l. littoralis), Santa Rosa fox (U.l. santarosae), and Santa Catalina fox (U.l. catalinae). Portions of Santa Cruz, San Miguel and Santa Rosa islands are managed by the National Park Service. The Nature Conservancy manages lands on Santa Cruz Island. Most lands on Santa Catalina are overseen by The Santa Catalina Conservancy while others are privately owned.
foxes are one of the worlds smallest canid species, no larger than a typical house cat. They are inquisitive, and they generally show little fear of humans. Their backs are grayish-white and black, and their underbellies are dull white. The base of their ears and sides of their necks and limbs are cinnamon-rust colored.
Critical habitat is a term in the ESA for areas designated by the Service that have features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and may require special management considerations. 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.
The final rule was prepared pursuant to a court order resulting from a lawsuit filed against the Service by the Center for Biological Diversity. A proposed rule was released in October 2004.
In 30 years of implementing the Endangered Species Act, the Service has found that the designation of critical habitat provides little additional protection to most listed species, while preventing the Service 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 Endangered Species Act 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 Partners for Fish and Wildlife program also restore habitat.
Habitat for endangered species is provided on many national wildlife refuges, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife management areas.
The rule can be obtained by downloading the document from the Federal Register Web site or from: http//ventura.fws.gov, by writing to the address above, or by calling (805) 644-1766.
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 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the ESA, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.
