Public comment on the proposal will be accepted until May 11, 2009
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to designate critical habitat for the Oregon chub, a small fish native to Oregons Willamette Valley. The Oregon chub (Oregonichthys crameri) was listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1993.
The proposal would designate 26 units totaling 132.14 acres as critical habitat for the Oregon chub, including land under state, federal, other government, and private ownership. As provided under the Endangered Species Act, all or portions of these units may be considered for exclusion from critical habitat when this rule is finalized. Exclusions are considered based on the relative costs and benefits of designating critical habitat, including information provided during the public comment period on potential economic impacts and other relevant impacts of this proposed critical habitat designation.
The following table illustrates the land area proposed for critical habitat by county and land ownership, in acres.
County | Private | State | Federal | Other Govt. | Area |
Benton | 18.1 | 9.2 | 3 | ||
Lane | 8.6 | 26.5 | 21.6 | 56.7 | |
Linn | 3.6 | 1.0 | 4.6 | ||
Marion | 6.2 | 34.5 | 2.8 | 43.6 | |
TOTAL | 32.9 | 30.11 | 66.3 | 2.8 | 132.1 |
Oregon chub have an olive colored back grading to silver on the sides and white on the belly. Young of the year range in length from 0.25 to 1.25 inches, and adults can be up to 3.5 inches in length. Oregon chub are found in slack-water, off-channel habitats with little or no water flow, silty, organic bottoms, and plenty of aquatic vegetative cover that the fish use for hiding and spawning. Oregon chub can be relatively long-lived, with males living up to seven years and females up to nine years, although less than 10 percent of fish in most Oregon chub populations are older than three years.
The Oregon chub is native only to the Willamette River Valley and was formerly distributed in a constantly changing network of off-channel habitats such as beaver ponds, oxbows, backwater sloughs, low gradient tributaries and flooded marshes. Oregon chub were found in the Willamette River as far downstream as Oregon City, as far upstream as Oakridge, and in a number of tributaries. Historically, Oregon chub would be dispersed and their habitat regularly altered by winter and spring flooding. The dispersal created opportunities for interbreeding between different populations. Installation of flood control projects in the Willamette River basin altered the natural flow regime and flooding no longer creates Oregon chub habitat or provides opportunities for genetic mixing of populations. Floods now threaten Oregon chub populations by spreading non-native species that compete with or prey on Oregon chub.
The Oregon chubs population numbers and range are greater today than at the time it was listed as endangered, but it will take further conservation measures and time for the species to reach full recovery. Based on the recovery goals for Oregon chub outlined in the 1998 Recovery Plan, as well as the extensive data collected through annual surveys for the species from 1992 through 2008, the Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that this critical habitat designation proposal will enhance and expedite the recovery of the species.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting an economic analysis of the impacts of the proposed critical habitat designation and related factors, which will be available for public review and comment. Based on public comment on that document, the proposed designation itself and the information in the final economic analysis, areas may be excluded from critical habitat.
A copy of the proposed rule will be available on the Internet from the Federal Registers website at: www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html on March 10, 2009, or by contacting the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office at 503-231-6179.
A public hearing will be held on this proposal if it is requested by April 24, 2009. Public comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until May 11, 2009. Written comments on the proposal and any request to hold a public hearing on this proposal must be sent to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: 1018-AV8; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is publishing this proposal in response to a lawsuit filed by the Institute for Wildlife Protection. A settlement agreement requires the critical habitat proposal to be submitted to the Federal Register by March 1, 2009, and a final rule submitted to the Federal Register by March 1, 2010.
Critical habitat is a term in the Endangered Species Act. It identifies geographic areas that contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and may require special management considerations. Federal agencies are required to consult with the Service on actions they carry out, fund or authorize that might affect critical habitat. However, 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 or wildlife management 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. There are 15 conservation areas and nine wildlife management areas in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Learn more about conservation area . It does not allow government or public access to private lands.
