By Center for Biological Diversity, September 9, 2011
TUCSON, Ariz.— A
federal judge today approved a landmark legal agreement between the Center for
Biological Diversity and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requiring the
agency to make initial or final decisions on whether to add hundreds of
imperiled plants and animals to the federal endangered species list by 2018.
The court also approved an agreement with another conservation group that it
had previously blocked based on legal opposition from the Center.
“The court’s approval today will allow this historic agreement to move
forward, speeding protection for as many as 757 of America’s most imperiled
species,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center. “The
historic agreement gives species like the Pacific walrus, American wolverine
and California golden trout a shot at survival.”
The Center wrote scientific listing petitions and/or filed lawsuits to
protect the 757 species as part of its decade-long campaign to safeguard 1,000
of America’s most imperiled, least protected species. Spanning every taxonomic
group, the species protected by the agreement include 26 birds, 31 mammals, 67
fish, 22 reptiles, 33 amphibians, 197 plants and 381 invertebrates.
“With approval of the agreement, species from across the nation will
be protected,” said Greenwald. “Habitat destruction, climate change, invasive
species and other factors are pushing species toward extinction in all 50
states, and this agreement will help turn the tide.”
Individual species included in the agreement include the walrus,
wolverine, Mexican gray wolf, New England cottontail rabbit, three species of
sage grouse, scarlet Hawaiian honeycreeper (‘i‘iwi), California golden trout
and Rio Grande cutthroat trout — as well as 403 southeastern river-dependent
species, 42 Great Basin springsnails and 32 Pacific Northwest mollusks.
The agreement, formalized today with the judge’s approval, was signed
by the Center and the Fish and Wildlife Service on July 12. Already dozens of
species have been proposed for listing, including the Miami blue butterfly, one
of the rarest butterflies in the United States.
While the agreement encompasses nearly all the species on the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service’s official list of “candidates” for Endangered
Species Act protection, two-thirds of the species in the agreement (499) are
not on the list. This corresponds with the conclusion of numerous scientists
and scientific societies that the extinction crisis is vastly greater than
existing federal priority systems and budgets.
“The Endangered Species Act specifically allows scientists,
conservationists and others to submit petitions to protect species,” said
Greenwald. “These petitions play a critical role in identifying species in need
and help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the ever-expanding task of
protecting species threatened with extinction.”
The species in the agreement occur in all 50 states and several
Pacific island territories. The top three states in the agreement are Alabama,
Georgia and Florida, with 149, 121 and 115 species respectively. Hawaii has 70,
Nevada 54, California 51, Washington 36, Arizona 31, Oregon 24, Texas 22 and
New Mexico 18.
An interactive map and a full list of the 757 species broken down by
state, taxonomy, name and schedule of protection are available here.
Highlighted species are below.
Species Highlights
American wolverine:
A bear-like carnivore, the American wolverine is the largest member of the
weasel family. It lives in mountainous areas of the West, where it depends on
late-spring snowpacks for denning. The primary threats to its existence are
shrinking snowpacks related to global warming, excessive trapping and
harassment by snowmobiles.
The Center for Biological Diversity and allies petitioned to list the
wolverine as an endangered species in 1994. It was placed on the candidate list
in 2010. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will
propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2013 and
finalize the decision in 2014 if warranted.
Pacific walrus:
A large, ice-loving, tusk-bearing pinniped, the Pacific walrus plays a major
role in the culture and religion of many northern peoples. Like the polar bear,
it is threatened by the rapid and accelerating loss of Arctic sea ice and oil
drilling.
The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it as an
endangered species in 2007. It was placed on the candidate list in 2011. Under
the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for
protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2017 and finalize the decision
in 2018 if warranted.
Mexican gray wolf:
Exterminated from, then reintroduced to the Southwest, the Mexican gray wolf
lives in remote forests and mountains along the Arizona-New Mexico border. It
is threatened by legal and illegal killing, which has hampered the federal
recovery program, keeping the species down to 50 wild animals.
The Center for Biological Diversity and allies petitioned to list it
as an endangered species separate from other wolves in 2009. It is not on the
candidate list. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2012 and
finalize the decision in 2013 if warranted.
Black-footed albatross: A large, dark-plumed seabird that lives in northwestern Hawaii, the
black-footed albatross is threatened by longline swordfish fisheries, which kill
it as bycatch.
The Center for Biological Diversity and allies petitioned to list this
albatross as an endangered species in 2004. It is not on the candidate list. Under
the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for
protection, determine it does not qualify, or find that it is warranted but
precluded for protection in 2011.
Rio Grande cutthroat trout: Characterized by deep crimson slashes on its throat — hence the name
“cutthroat” — the Rio Grande cutthroat is New Mexico’s state fish. It formerly
occurred throughout high-elevation streams in the Rio Grande Basin of New
Mexico and southern Colorado. Logging, road building, grazing, pollution and
exotic species have pushed it to the brink of extinction.
The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it as an
endangered species in 1998. It was placed on the candidate list in 2008. Under
the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for
protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2014 and finalize the decision
in 2015 if warranted.
403 Southeast aquatic species: The southeastern United States contains the richest
aquatic biodiversity in the nation, harboring 62 percent of the country’s fish
species (493 species), 91 percent of its mussels (269 species) and 48 percent
of its dragonflies and damselflies (241 species). Unfortunately the wholesale
destruction, diversion, pollution and development of the Southeast’s rivers
have made the region America’s aquatic extinction capital.
In 2010, the Center for Biological Diversity completed a 1,145-page,
peer-reviewed petition to list 403 Southeast aquatic species as endangered,
including the Florida sandhill crane, MacGillivray's seaside sparrow, Alabama
map turtle, Oklahoma salamander, West Virginia spring salamander, Tennessee
cave salamander, Black Warrior waterdog, Cape Sable orchid, clam-shell orchid,
Florida bog frog, Lower Florida Keys striped mud turtle, eastern black rail and
streamside salamander.
Only 18 of Southeast aquatic species are on the candidate list. Under
the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will issue initial listing
decisions on all 403 plants and animals in 2011.
Pacific fisher: A cat-like relative of minks and otters, the
fisher is the only animal that regularly preys on porcupines. It lives in
old-growth forests in California, Oregon and Washington, where it is threatened
by logging.
The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list the fisher as
an endangered species in 2000. It was placed on the candidate list in 2004. Under
the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for
protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2014 and finalize the decision
in 2015 if warranted.
Cactus ferruginous pygmy owl: A tiny desert raptor, active in the daytime, the
cactus ferruginous pygmy owl lives in southern Arizona and northern Mexico. It
is threatened by urban sprawl and nearly extirpated from Arizona.
The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it as an
endangered species in 1992. It was protected in 1997, then delisted on
technical grounds in 2006. The Center repetitioned to protect it in 2007. It is
not on the candidate list. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not
qualify) in 2011 and finalize the decision in 2012 if warranted.
42 Great Basin springsnails: Living in isolated springs of the Great Basin and
Mojave deserts, springsnails play important ecological roles cycling nutrients,
filtering water and providing food to other animals. Many are threatened by a
Southern Nevada Water Authority plan to pump remote, desert groundwater to Las
Vegas.
In 2009, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list 42
springsnails as endangered species, including the duckwater pyrg, Big Warm
Spring pyrg and Moapa pebblesnail. None are on the candidate list. Under
the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will issue initial listing
decisions on all 42 species in 2011.
Scarlet Hawaiian honeycreeper (‘I‘iwi): This bright-red bird hovers like a hummingbird and
has long been featured in the folklore and songs of native Hawaiians. It is
threatened by climate change, which is causing mosquitoes that carry introduced
diseases — including avian pox and malaria — to move into the honeycreeper’s
higher-elevations refuges. It has been eliminated from low elevations on all
islands by these diseases.
The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it as an
endangered species in 2010. It is not on the candidate list. Under the
agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection
(or determine it does not qualify) in 2016 and finalize the decision in 2017 if
warranted.
Ashy storm petrel:
A small, soot-colored seabird that lives off coastal waters from California to
Baja, Mexico, the ashy storm petrel looks like it’s walking on the ocean
surface when it feeds. It is threatened by warming oceans, sea-level rise and
ocean acidification.
The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it as an
endangered species in 2007. It is not on the candidate list. Under the
agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection
(or determine it does not qualify) in 2013 and finalize the decision in 2014 if
warranted.
Greater and Mono Basin sage grouse: Sage grouse are showy, ground-dwelling birds that
perform elaborate mating dances, with males puffing up giant air sacks on their
chests. The Mono Basin sage grouse lives in Nevada and California. The greater
sage grouse lives throughout much of the Interior West. Both are threatened by
oil and gas drilling, livestock grazing, development and off-road vehicles.
The Center for Biological Diversity and allies petitioned to list the
Mono Basin sage grouse as an endangered species in 2005. It was placed on the
candidate list in 2010. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in
2013 and finalize the decision in 2014 if warranted.
The greater sage grouse was petitioned for listing in 2002 and placed
on the candidate list in 2010. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not
qualify) in 2015 and finalize the decision in 2016 if warranted.
Miami blue butterfly: An ethereal beauty native to South Florida and possibly the most
endangered insect in the United States, the Miami blue was thought extinct
after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 but rediscovered in 1999. It is threatened by
habitat loss and pesticide spraying.
It was petitioned for listing as an endangered species in 2000 and
placed on the candidate list in 2005. The Center for Biological Diversity
petitioned to list it on an emergency basis in 2011. Under the agreement,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was required to propose it for protection
(or determine it does not qualify) in 2012 and finalize the decision in 2013 if
warranted. In August, the agency protected the butterfly on an emergency basis.
Oregon
spotted frog: The Oregon
spotted frog lives in wetlands from southernmost British Columbia through
Washington and Oregon to northernmost California. It is threatened by habitat
destruction and exotic species.
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