Endangered Species Act

1. Endangered Species Act Species Listing and Critical Habitat Regulations

2. Listing Process How does a species get listed? • Petitions for listing • Surveys conducted by FWS and other agencies • Other substantiated reports on field studies Anyone may petition FWS to have a species listed or removed from the list. Findings are required before any proposal is published in the Federal Register.

3. Listing Process What are the criteria for listing? 5 Main Factors: • Present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of a species habitat or range; • Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; • Disease or predation; • Inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or • Other natural or man-made factors affecting its continued existence.

4. Implications of Listing • Protection from effects from Federal activities • Restrictions on take • Requirement that the FWS develop • Recovery Plans • Critical Habitat

5. Implications of Listing Section 9 • Illegal to take, possess, harm, harass, etc. any listed species   Section 7 • Applies to federal actions - listed species AND Critical Habitat • Consultation with USFWS is required • “Incidental Take” –provided that jeopardy is avoided Section 10 • Applies to non-federal actions • Requires preparation of a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). • “Incidental Take” –provided that jeopardy is avoided

6. Critical Habitat Definition: Areas of habitat believed to be essential to the species' conservation Purpose: Restricts the actions of federal agencies that have the potential to destroy or adversely modify critical habitat – regardless of whether the habitat is occupied.

7. Critical Habitat What are the criteria used in designating critical habitat? • Physical and biological features needed for life processes and successful reproduction of the species. • Space for individual and population growth and for normal behavior; • Cover or shelter; • Food, water, air, light, minerals, or other nutritional or physiological requirements; • Sites for breeding and rearing offspring; and • Habitats that are protected from disturbances or are representative of the historic geographical and ecological distributions of a species

8. Delisting How can species be taken off the endangered and threatened species list? • Extinction • New evidence of additional populations • Recovery • Legislative action

10. Delisting Since 1973, Approximately fifty species out of 2,000 have been delisted • 22 due to recovery • Nine due to extinction (seven of which were extinct prior to being listed) • The remaining due to other changes or listing errors

11. Santa Ana SuckerBiology and Endangered Species Regulations From USFWS From Moyle

12. Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Biology • Appearance • Small , less than 6 inches • “sucker” mouth • Blotchy on the back, silver belly • Food requirements • Algae and some invertebrates (when adult) • Forages by gleaning “sucking” algae off rocks From USFWS From Press Enterprise

13. Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Biology • Reproduction • Produce massive numbers of eggs • Quickly repopulates streams • Life Span • Short-lived: 1-2 years; max of 5 years • Habitat • Small and shallow streams • Cool water • Varying currents : swift to sluggish • Gravel, rubble, boulders • Clean and clear water From Press Enterprise

14. Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Biology • Distribution - historical • L.A. Basin: L.A., San Gabriel, Santa Ana Rivers in L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino Cos • From Pacific Ocean to S.B. National Forest • Distribution – Current • Lower and middle Santa Ana River • East, West, North forks of San Gabriel • Lower Big Tujunga • Also Santa Clara but considered to be introduced From ICE, UCDavis

15. Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Listing History • Historical Population Size • Considered to be “common” in the 1970s • L.A. River: was historically present • San Gabriel: common below Morris Dam • Santa Ana River: abundant • Current population sizes • L.A. River: extirpated • Lower Big Tujunga: fluctuates widely from 0 to 1000s • San Gabriel River: fewer than 5,000 • Santa Ana River: few hundred to few thousand • Lost 75 % of the native range • Listed as Threatened by USFWS in 2000 • Reasons for listing: Massive habitat changes and introduced species

16. Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Listing History • Critical Habitat • Initially 2004 – 21,000 acres • Final 2005 – 8,305 acres • Revised final in 2010 – 9,331 acres • Critical Habitat Includes • Lower and middle Santa Ana River • East, West, North forks of San Gabriel • Lower Big Tujunga

17. Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Critical Habitat • Primary Constituent Elements • Functioning Hydrological system with peaks and ebbs in water flow • Loose sand, gravel, cobble, boulder with riffles, runs and pools • Water depth greater than 3 cm • Velocity greater than 0.03 m/s • Non-turbid • Temperature less than 30 C • Habitat with algae, emergent and riparian vegetation

18. Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)5-year Review • Ranked as 5C on a 1-18 scale • High degree of threat • Low potential for recovery • Taxon is a full species • “C” indicates construction activity is a threat • Threats (per the 5-year review) • Loss of water • Pollution • Urbanized setting of the Santa Ana River From Orange Co. Water Dist.

19. Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Other Protective Actions/Agencies • Western Riverside MSCHP – Species Specific and Landscape Considerations • Main stem Santa Ana River and tributaries: 3,870 acres • Adjacent habitat and vegetation for shade • Assess how to restore connectivity • Assess threats, implement management • Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority • Santa Ana Sucker Conservation Team • Goal is to determine the reasons for the decline • Develop strategies for the recovery