The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the Marble butterfly, a recently-rediscovered species thought to have been extirpated for more than 90 years, will not be added to the Federal list of threatened and endangered species. Following a 12-month status review, the Service concluded that the species does not warrant listing at this time because threats to the species are not as great as previously thought and the National Park Service (NPS) - the primary landowner of Marble habitat - is implementing actions, outlined in a Conservation Agreement with the Service, to ensure the conservation of the butterfly.
"The Park Service efforts, and actions taken by private landowners, have reduced the threats to the species," said Ren Lohoefener, Director of the Services Pacific Region.
Regional Director Lohoefener said he is committed to maintaining the positive momentum of voluntary conservation actions by making Marble butterfly conservation a priority for Service partnerships in the Pacific Region. Working with Federal and non-Federal partners through a West Coast Butterfly Initiative, the Service will focus attention on the plight of more than a dozen declining species of West Coast butterflies and provide support for implementing positive conservation actions.
The Service made its determination not to list the Marble butterfly in response to a petition received in 2002 from the Xerces Society, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the San Juans and the Northwest Ecosystem Alliance requesting emergency listing of the species and designation of critical habitat. In an earlier 90-day petition finding the Service determined that an emergency listing was not warranted because the species occupied a larger area than was originally known. As part of the petition process the Service initiated a comprehensive status review, known as a 12-month petition finding. Todays announcement concludes that process.
To assess the status and range of the species the Service conducted extensive public outreach and 325 surveys in six northern Washington counties, including 16 of the San Juan Islands. The surveys found 26 distinct Marble butterfly locations and discovered at least four new populations on San Juan and Lopez Islands.
The Marble butterfly is a non-migratory, highly endemic species that lives its entire life within suitable habitat found on San Juan and Lopez Islands in Washington State. Adults fly for a short period in the spring, utilizing native and non-native plants of the mustard family. The butterfly inhabits upland grasslands, sand dunes and coastal lagoon habitat.
Information about the status and conservation needs for the Marble butterfly can be submitted to the Service by writing to Manager, Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102, Lacey, Washington 98503 or by fax to 260-753-9008, or e-mailed to islandmarble@fws.gov. Please include Marble Butterfly in the title line for faxes and e-mails.
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 fishery resources 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.
