Santa Rosa Plain Conservation Strategy is key to protecting salamander
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared today that a consensus-driven local conservation strategy is the key to the protection and recovery of the endangered California tiger salamander in Sonoma County, and that it has decided against designating critical habitat for the species.
In a decision published in todays Federal Register, the Service identifies a 17,418-acre area of the Santa Rosa Plain that meets the criteria for critical habitat for the Sonoma County population of the California tiger salamander. The Service is excluding all of the acreage from the critical habitat designation based on conservation measures being implemented by local agencies and because of potentially adverse economic impacts.
This action complies with a court-directed deadline to complete a final critical-habitat rule by Dec. 1, 2005 (the decision was submitted on Dec. 1 to the Federal Register, which sets the schedule for publication). The exclusions fall within the discretionary authority of the Secretary of the Interior under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).Local agencies and stakeholders last week completed the Santa Rosa Plain Conservation Strategy, and the Service has confidence that the plan will be implemented on a timely basis. At the same time, if the conservation strategy fails, the Service could revisit the need for critical habitat.
Even without critical habitat, the California tiger salamander is protected as an endangered species. Under the ESA, a protected species may not be harmed wherever it occurs. The Fish and Wildlife Service must be consulted if projects are proposed that may result in an adverse impact to a species.
The Santa Rosa Plain Conservation Strategy would streamline the approval process for projects, and avoid the need for habitat mitigation on a project-by-project basis. It would provide a comprehensive commitment to provide sufficient protection for the salamander and four protected Federally and State-listed plant species.
More information on the Santa Rosa Plain Conservation Strategy can be found at http://www.fws.gov/sacramento/es/santa_rosa_conservation.html.
On Aug. 2, 2005, the Service proposed 74,223 acres as critical habitat for the Sonoma population of the California tiger salamander. A draft economic analysis was released on Oct. 25. On Nov. 17, the Service advised that it was considering a final designation of 21,298 acres of critical habitat, about 28 per cent of the 74,223 acres proposed in August. The Service received public comment for a total of 91 days on the proposed critical-habitat designation.
An economic analysis prepared for the Service estimated the economic impact of designating the 17,418 acres as critical habitat would be $128 million over the next 20 years, even if land within the urban growth boundaries was excluded from the designation. That is about 40 per cent of estimated $336 million economic impact projected for designating 74,223 acres as critical habitat. The economic impact would be $196 million if land within the urban limit was not excluded.
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 545 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 Endangered Species Act, 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.
