The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today designated 13,221 acres in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin as critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act for the endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly.
The Service designated 2,995 acres in Illinois, 1,385 acres in Michigan, and 8,841 acres in Wisconsin as critical habitat for the species. The lands encompass wet meadows and some types of groundwater seeps and associated wetlands overlying dolomite bedrock. These types of wetlands provide breeding and foraging habitat for the dragonfly.
The Service excluded 14,269 acres (12,963 acres in Michigan and all proposed lands in Missouri) from the final critical habitat designation. The Service excluded these areas because public land managers are already working to conserve the species.
Critical habitat, under the Endangered Species Act, identifies geographic areas that contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and that 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.
The Hine’s emerald dragonfly is approximately 2.5 inches in length and has brilliant green eyes. The dragonfly inhabits wetlands and sedge meadows underlain by dolomite bedrock and fed by calcareous groundwater seepage. The larval stage is aquatic, occupying rivulets and seepage areas within wetland systems. Adults are found in wetlands and also feed along shrub and forest edges near wetland habitat.
This critical habitat designation was prepared under a court order resulting from a lawsuit filed against the Service by the Center for Biological Diversity and other organizations.
A copy of the final rule and other information concerning the Hine’s emerald dragonfly is available on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered
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 97-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 548 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.
