A thorough, peer-reviewed, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assessment of the Tucson shovel-nosed snake has found that the snake warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The species will be added to the federal list of candidate species while the Service works on listing proposals for other species that are at greater risk of extinction. The Service will annually review the finding until a listing proposal is published or new information indicates that ESA listing is not warranted.
The Tucson shovel-nosed snake will be added to the list of candidate species eligible for Endangered Species Act protection. While candidate species receive no statutory protection under the ESA, inclusion on the candidate list promotes cooperative conservation efforts for these species. The Service’s ultimate goal, which is shared by many state wildlife agencies, private organizations and individuals, is to intervene and successfully address the needs of candidate species so that listing is no longer needed.
For example, the Service provides technical assistance and competitive matching grants to private landowners, states and territories undertaking conservation efforts on behalf of candidate species. The Service also works with interested landowners to develop Candidate Conservation Agreements. These voluntary agreements allow citizens to manage their property in ways that benefit candidate species, in some cases precluding the need to list the species. These agreements can also be developed to provide regulatory certainty for landowners should the species become listed under the ESA.
Addressing the needs of candidate species before the regulatory requirements of the ESA come into play often allows greater management flexibility to stabilize or restore these species and their habitats. In addition, as threats are reduced and populations are increased or stabilized, attention can be shifted to those candidate species in greatest need of the ESA’s protective measures.
