The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today the withdrawal of its 1998 proposal to list the Cow Head tui chub as an endangered species. The decision not to list the chub was made in light of combined conservation efforts of private landowners, state agencies and industry organizations.
In 1998, the Service proposed to list the Cow Head tui chub as an endangered species based on concerns over its small population size, restricted distribution and loss of historic habitat. In response to the proposed listing, a dozen landowners came together with the Service, Bureau of Land of Management, California Department of Fish and Game, Cow Head Irrigation District, California Cattlemans Association, Modoc County Cattlemens Association and the California Farm Bureau to address the needs of the chub, while recognizing the importance of sustaining agricultural practices within the Cow Head watershed.
"The decision not to list the chub is an outstanding example of how partnerships with willing landowners can help fish and wildlife resources," said Curt Mullis, Klamath Falls field supervisor. "Listing a species is the last tool in the tool-box when it comes to preserving a species. These landowners voluntarily came forward and worked with other stakeholders to ensure that listing the species was not needed at this time."
Finding ways to provide for the chub and protect private land interests, the stakeholders devised and implemented a conservation agreement that would study and improve available information on the species. Their efforts identified a number of permanent Cow Head tui chub populations within the watershed, provided a means for separate populations to migrate and intermingle, and outlined measures to maintain the fish populations and habitat conditions.
Cooperation by private landowners allowed the Service to improve existing data on many aspects of Cow Head tui chub ecology and develop a better understanding of fish numbers and population. This information, along with the conservation measures implemented, supports the decision to withdraw the listing proposal.
"While we will keep a watchful eye on the Cow Head tui chub, we believe that the chub is not in danger of becoming extinct in the foreseeable future," Mullis said.
The Cow Head tui chub is a small silvery fish in the minnow family, found only in Cow Head Lake and Cow Head Slough in extreme northeastern Modoc County, California. It was first recognized as a distinct subspecies in 1948 and first described in 1980. About half of the tui chubs current range is privately owned, while the rest is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Cow Head tui chub is marked with a dark lateral stripe and dark speckles on the cheek, the area behind the eye, and its lower body. Less than 4.5 inches long from the nose to the middle of the tail, it can be distinguished from other tui chubs primarily by the number of bony projections in the gills.
