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Preventing Endangered Species Listings with the Tongass Conservation Strategy

Preventing Endangered Species Listings with the Tongass Conservation Strategy. Steve Brockmann U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Department of Interior Administer the Endangered Species Act (along with NOAA). Who is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?. National Wildlife Refuges

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Preventing Endangered Species Listings with the Tongass Conservation Strategy

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  1. Preventing Endangered Species Listings with the Tongass Conservation Strategy Steve Brockmann U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

  2. Department of Interior • Administer the Endangered Species Act (along with NOAA) Who is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?

  3. National Wildlife Refuges • Migratory Bird Mgmt • Office of Law Enforcement • Fisheries • Ecological Services U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Programs

  4. Work with Federal agencies and applicants for Federal permits • Identify ways to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife • Review of Timber Sales, etc • Field Offices in Juneau, Anchorage, Fairbanks Ecological Services

  5. Purpose is to preventextinctions • Species are listed if we believe that they are in danger of extinction. • Provides for protection of listed species and the ecosystems upon which they depend The Endangered Species Act

  6. Take of listed species prohibited • No federal actions that would jeopardize continued existence of listed species • No adverse modification of critical habitat allowed • Agencies must consult with USFWS or NOAA if they propose to implement a project that “may affect” listed species Protection of Listed Species

  7. Protect listed species and their habitat, and work with partners to help them recover • Work with our partners to conserve species and their habitat so that listing under the ESA isnot necessary Priority Goals for ESA in Alaska

  8. 1993-Alexander Archipelago Wolf • 1994-Queen Charlotte Goshawk • 2001-Kittlitz’s Murrelet • 2004-Yellow-billed Loon • 2011-Alexander Archipelago Wolf • 2011-Prince of Wales Flying Squirrel Listing Petitions(Southeast Alaska)

  9. 90-Day Finding • Does the Petition present “substantial information”? • Status Review • Best Available Information • Evaluate threats • 5 listing factors • “12-month Finding” • Is listing as warranted? Petition Evaluation Process

  10. Habitat Loss • Overutilization (harvest) • Disease or Predation • Inadequacy of Regulatory Mechanisms • Other Natural or Manmade Factors Five Listing Factors

  11. Designed to avoid the need to list wolf, goshawk and other forest-dependent species • Tailored for Southeast Alaska conditions Development of the Tongass Conservation Strategy

  12. Limited dispersal between islands for many species • Incomplete faunas that vary among islands • Not fully known for the Tongass • Endemic species and subspecies • Unique, locally-adapted, restricted to a specific location • Independent populations • Recruitment from adjacent populations may not occur • Prone to extinctions Island Ecosystems

  13. Strategically located Reserves • Spacing between Large, Medium, and Small reserves • Protect features important to local species • Linked by corridors • Standards and Guidelines for individual species • Applies to all islands and mainland • Recognition of independence of island populations • Reserves in each watershed • Provides for dispersal through timber harvest areas Important features of the TCS

  14. Petition 1994 • Original finding 1995 • Not warranted, based on anticipated TLMP • Series of lawsuits and legal rulings • 1995 to 2004 Queen Charlotte Goshawk

  15. 2012 Finding • Listed as “Threatened” warranted in BC • Listing not warranted in Alaska • Based on amount of mature and old forest remaining into the future Queen Charlotte Goshawk

  16. Original Petition 1993 • 1995 finding: Listing not warranted • Based on anticipated TLMP • Remanded by US District Court • 1997 finding: Listing not warranted • 2011: New petition to list • “90-day” finding expected within a few weeks • Will indicate whether petition presents “substantial information” Alexander Archipelago Wolf

  17. Petitioned in 2011 • Finding published August, 2012 • Petition does not present substantial information indicating that listing is warranted Prince of Wales Flying Squirrel

  18. Species assessment completed 2010 • Population size and trend unknown • Habitat use includes 2nd growth • Threats not great enough to cause extinction Prince of Wales Spruce Grouse

  19. Existing Conservation Strategy has been successful in preventing listings • Opportunity to improve conservation where vulnerabilities have been identified Conservation Strategy Review

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