Contacts: Victoria Fox, (505) 248-6455, Elizabeth Slown, (505) 248-6909
Jerry Brabander (918) 581-7458 x224 or Ken Collins (918) 581-7458 x230
DRAFT ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF PROPOSED CRITICAL HABITAT FOR ARKANSAS RIVER SHINER AVAILABLE
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a draft economic analysis and draft environmental assessment for the proposal to designate certain areas as critical habitat for the Arkansas River Basin population of the threatened Arkansas River shiner. All comments must be received by August 31, 2005.
The draft economic analysis forecasts cost impacts from the conservation of the shiner totaling approximately $198 million over the next 20 years and ranging between $9 to $11 million annually. These costs include both the costs arising from the listing of the shiner under the Endangered Species Act and those from the possible designation of critical habitat, pursuant to court orders that the Service examine all costs associated with critical habitat designations, even if they are co-extensive with other elements of the ESA.
Congress has directed the Service to examine the economic impact of all proposals to designate critical habitat, and provided that the Secretary of the Interior may exclude an area from designation if she determines that the economic, national security or other impacts resulting from the designation outweigh the benefits of the designation. Concentrated animal feeding operations, oil and gas production, and water management activities are expected to experience the greatest economic impacts related to shiner conservation activities.
The environmental assessment, conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act focuses on the effects to the natural and human environment that may result from critical habitat designation.
Public information sessions are scheduled from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. followed by public hearings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. as follows:
August 15th - Oklahoma City Zoological Park, Conservation Education Center Auditorium, 2101NE 50th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111
August 17th - Texas A&M Experiment Station Auditorium, 6500 Amarillo Boulevard West, Amarillo, Texas 79106
August 18th - Seward County Activity Center, 810 Stadium Road, Liberal, Kansas 67901
Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they are already part of record. All new comments must be submitted on or before August 31, 2005, or at the public hearings. All comments will be considered in preparation of the final rule
The proposed critical habitat rule, draft economic analysis and the draft environmental assessment for the proposed critical habitat as published in the Federal Register are available on the Service?s website at http://ifw2es.fws.gov/Oklahoma/shiner.htm. Copies also can be requested by calling (918) 581-7458 or writing to Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 222 South Houston, Suite A, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74127. Written comments may be hand delivered or mailed to the Oklahoma Ecological Services Office, sent by facsimile to 918-581-7467 or by electronic mail to r2arshinerch@fws.gov.
The Arkansas River Shiner has been listed as a threatened species. Critical habitat identifies geographic areas that contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species that may require special management considerations or protection.
In 30 years of implementing the Endangered Species Act, the Service has found that the designation of critical habitat provides little additional protection to most listed species, while preventing the Service from using scarce conservation resources for activities with greater conservation benefits.
In almost all cases, recovery of listed species will come through voluntary cooperative partnerships, not regulatory measures such as critical habitat. Habitat is also protected through cooperative measures under the Endangered Species Act including Habitat Conservation Plans, Safe Harbor Agreements, Candidate Conservation Agreements and state programs. In addition, voluntary partnership programs such as the Service?s Private Stewardship Grants and Partners for Fish and Wildlife program also restore habitat. Habitat for endangered species is provided on many national wildlife refuges, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and on state wildlife management areas.
The critical habitat proposal was completed in response to a September 30, 2003, court decision in a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association and 16 other plaintiffs. A Final Rule is due by September 30, 2005. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. Visit the Service?s website at http://www.fws.gov.
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