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Nongame and Endangered Species

Nongame and Endangered Species. Chapter 19. Definition. Game vs nongame Not biological, but political Nongame = everything except game “Nongame” status doesn’t ensure protection Vermin or varmints taken anytime Nongame status not uniform Can vary geographically

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Nongame and Endangered Species

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  1. Nongame and Endangered Species Chapter 19

  2. Definition • Game vs nongame • Not biological, but political • Nongame = everything except game • “Nongame” status doesn’t ensure protection • Vermin or varmints taken anytime • Nongame status not uniform • Can vary geographically • Prairie chickens hunted in KS, protected in IL • Mourning doves the same • Consumptive vs nonconsumptive use • All “use” is consumptive to some degree • Emphasis should be on values • Not game or nongame, but just wildlife

  3. Brief History • Historically game species • 1960’s environmental awakening • First Earth Day 22 April 1970 • Now all species considered, but still a way to go • Ecosystem management • Indicator species • Stenotypic • Key ecosystems

  4. Brief History • Pelican Island (1903) • Teddy Roosevelt’s executive order • Migratory Bird Act (1916) • Endangered Species Preservation Act (1966) • DDT • Birds of prey • Robins • Rachael Carson • Silent Spring (1962)

  5. Brief History • Endangered Species Preservation Act (1966) • National Bison Range (1908) • Bald Eagle Protection Act (1940) • Authorized Sec. of Interior to determine if species were facing extinction • Sponsored research • Acquired habitat through Land and Water Conservation Fund (1965) • National Environmental Policy Act (1969)

  6. ESA • Modified in 1969 to include all vertebrates and some invertebrates • Led to formation of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) • Convention of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

  7. CITES • Appendices • I endangered • II threatened • III trade should be regulated for conservation

  8. ESA 1973 • Extended to cover plants • Only insect pests are excluded • Recognized species as members of ecosystems • Threatened • Likely to become endangered • Endangered • Faced with extinction in all or parts of their distribution • Recognized subspecies • FL panther • Ecologically Significant Units (ESU) salmon in West

  9. ESA • Petition to list by any individual, agency, or group • Requires public notification in Federal Register • Criteria for listing • Habitat destruction • Over exploitation • Threatened eradication by predators or disease • Inadequate regulations for protection

  10. ESA Section 7 • Consultation Process • Requires federal agencies to consult w/ FWS or NMFS if they are proposing an “action” that might affect a listed species of its habitat • Action is broadly defined as funding, permits, etc. • Jeopardy decision • Must ensure action will not jeopardize continued existence of listed species of its habitat • Biological Assessment • Analyze potential effects of action • If adverse effect, then renders a biological opinion with “reasonable and prudent alternatives” to avoid jeopardy

  11. ESA • Bush administration not friendly w/ ESA • Rate of listings • Clinton -- 65/yr, Bush -- 8/yr • Recovery plan completions • Less under Bush than Clinton • Bush administration proposed new regulations to weaken act • Obama administration more environmentally conscious • Over turned Bush rule • Salazar

  12. ESA • Illegal • Trafficking • Take • Harming, wounding,killing, harassing • Recovery Plan • Define critical habitat • Habitat Conservation Plans (1982) • Allows some “incidental take” • Can issue incidental take permit

  13. Snail Darter Case • Snail darter endangered 1975 • Little Tennessee River • Telico dam under construction • 1978 Supreme Court upheld injunction stopping the dam • $100mm already been spent • Congress amended ESA • Creates Exemptions Committee • AKA God Squad

  14. Snail Darter Case • God Squad • Statutory power to exempt projects from ESA • Secretaries of Agriculture, Army (ACE), Interior, Chair Council Econ Advisors, EPA, NOAA, representative from the state where the project is located • Determined exemption was not warranted • Congress passed a law specifically exempting Tellico from federal regulations • God squad returns?

  15. Ben Cone Case • Inherited Cone’s Folly • Pender County, NC • 1991 decided to sell trees • Hired biologist who found 12 RCW colonies • 1-mile circle around each couldn’t be harvested • 22% Cone’s property couldn’t be harvested • Still had to pay taxes • Changed timber management on remainder • Short rotations, large clearcuts • Informed neighbors, and they did the same • Pre HCP and Safe Harbor • Cones HCP • Adverse consequences? • Fix ESA?

  16. Safe Harbor • Provides incentives for private landowners to manage for endangered species • Assures them that no additional restrictions will be imposed as a result of conservation practices • “No surprises” • ESA details

  17. Safe Harbor Process • RCW example • Establish baseline population -- 10 colonies • Do management that enhances habitat • Pop increases by 5, new pop is 15 colonies • Timber harvest can destroy up to 5 colonies • Must maintain baseline population • Safe Harbor by states

  18. Safe Harbor Economics • Landowner A’s 5 “new” colonies can be “sold” • Landowner B wants to develop land with 2 RCW colonies • Couldn’t do so because it would violate ESA • Landowner B could “buy” 2 colonies from A, then A’s baseline would increase to 12 • B could develop the land • Win-win for both landowners

  19. Canada • Species at Risk Act (2003)

  20. Triage • Field hospital in war or large emergency • Identify 3 groups • Likely to die regardless of treatment • Likely to survive regardless of treatment • Likely survive if given care • Thomas Lovejoy advocated applying triage approach to endangered species conservation • Caveat • “Care” might not be possible • Too much land required, genetic variability, “value”

  21. Economics • Lots of $$ spent feeding, observing traveling, etc. that’s not related to game species

  22. Who pays? • License fees • Excise taxes • Pittman-Robertson, Dingle-Johnson • 1937, Federal Aide in Wildlife Restoration • 11% tax on hunting equipment • 50% habitat, 20% acquisition, 25% research • Tax check offs • Many states now have them for a variety of causes • License plates NC • Sales taxes - Missouri

  23. Funding for Nongame • Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (1980) • Funding never appropriated • Teaming With Wildlife Coalition (1990’s) • Push to create funding for nongame • Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) • Off shore oil leases • Didn’t pass Congress (2000-2001) • Passed the House • Never voted on in Senate • Funded one-time $$ 2000 and 2001 • Failed again in 2002

  24. Funding for Nongame • Teaming with Wildlife (1990’s) • State Wildlife Grants (SWG) (2000) • Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan • NC’s was the first in the country to be approved • Fiscal 2009 Bush administration’s request $73.8mm • About the same as 2008 • Fiscal 2010 Obama administration $90 mm

  25. Vulture Restaurants • Feeding bearded vultures in South Africa (1966) • USA CA condor • 1970’s cape griffon threatened in S. Africa • S. Africa vulture restaurant • More • India vulture dieoff • Diclofenac • Tower of silence

  26. Bearded vulture Cape griffon Cape griffon vulture

  27. Vulture Restaurants • Reasons • Contaminants -- Diclofenic • More vulture declines • Ketoprofen • Source of safe and available food • Brush encroachment, restore populations • CA deficiency • Bones crushed by hyenas no longer available because hyenas eliminated • Tourism • Research • Located near feedlots • Fenced to keep out dogs, etc.

  28. Endangered Species • IUCN • Red Data Book (1966)

  29. Endangered Species • Causes • Natural • Part of evolutionary process • Many more extinct than living now • Hunting • Passenger pigeon (??), Dodo • Exotic species • Predators • Cats in islands • Competitors • Goats and pigs in Hawaii, Cervids in NZ. Brown snake Guam • Habitat modification

  30. Predisposing Factors • Narrow habitat requirements (stenoky) • RCW, Black-footed ferret • Economic importance • Blue whale, bison, Atlantic salmon • Large size and threat to man • Grizzly bear, wolf, lions, etc. • Low reproductive potential • Gorilla, CA condor • Highly specialized • Manatee, panda

  31. Whooping Crane • Nested in northern prairies and wintered along Gulf Coast • 23 birds remained in 1941 after establishing Aransas NWR in TX • 15 migrated north, 6 stayed, 2 captivity • Nesting grounds discovered in 1954 • Wood Buffalo Nat Park, NW Territories, Canada • Resident population in TX gone by 1950 • Migratory population varied 25-40 • 73 breeding pairs in 2007

  32. Whooping Crane • Foster parent program began in 1975-1989 when whooping crane eggs were placed in Sandhill crane nests in Idaho • None ever nested, so failure • Meanwhile TX population grew to 176 in 2001 • Raised juvenile cranes at Patuxent and International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, WI • Established a population of 50-100 in FL • No offspring in FL produced to date

  33. Whooping Crane • Ultralight aircraft used to establish new migratory route between WI and Kissimmee, FL • Nested successfully at Necedah NWR, WI • 2006 2 chicks hatched • 2007 53 eastern population • Video

  34. Kirtland’s Warbler • Nest in northern of MI • Young jack-pines -- fire dependent species • 15-20 years old • On the ground • Migrate to Bahamas • Declined to 176 pairs • Cowbird nest parasitism • Cowbirds spread east as forests were fragmented • Controlled cowbirds • 4,000/yr since 1972 • Nest success increased, but population didn’t increase as much as would be expected, why?

  35. Kirtland’s Warbler • Nesting habitat is dependent upon fire • Lake Mack burn (1980) • Created a lot of new habitat, and population increased

  36. Bog Turtle • Small, rare • Disjunct population • Northern -- MD, NY • Southern -- NC • Habitat is small, shallow, spring-fed wetlands • Meadow vegetation of sedges, rushes, etc. • Soft mud and persistent shallow water • Rare plants there too

  37. Bog Turtle • Northern listed as threatened in 1997, but includes southern population too because individuals look the same • “Similarity of appearance” clause • Habitat loss, pet trade • Drained wetlands • Must keep in early successional condition • Light grazing • Manage water flow • Beavers pro or con • NC bog turtle project • NJ bog turtle project

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