8/3/2007

Contacts:  Victoria Fox, 505-248-6404, Elizabeth Slown, 505-248-6909

CRITICAL HABITAT PROPOSED FOR THREATENED TEXAS MINNOW

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed designation of critical habitat in Texas for the Devils River minnow on Tuesday, July 31.  The fish has been protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since 1999.

Critical habitat is a term in the ESA, identifying geographic areas that contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and that may require special management considerations or protection. 

The Service proposes designating 47.5 miles of rivers and streams as critical habitat for the species.   This includes portions of the Devils River and San Felipe Creek in Val Verde County and Pinto Creek in Kinney County, Texas.  Most of the area proposed for designation occurs along private lands, except for a portion of the Devils River that flows through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department?s Devils River State Natural Area and portions of San Felipe Creek, owned by the City of Del Rio. The species is also known to have occurred in Las Moras Creek and Sycamore Creek in Kinney County; however, these creeks are not included in the proposed critical habitat designation because the species has not been found in these locations since the 1950s and 1989, respectively.

The Devils River minnow is a small fish (usually less than 3 inches long) with hatched markings along the sides and a lateral line that extends through the upper lip.  The species only lives in spring-fed streams of the western Edwards Plateau in Texas that flow into the Rio Grande.  The species requires perennial streams of clean flowing water where they inhabit shallow areas with moderate to swift currents.  They use gravel bottoms to deposit their eggs for spawning and are most often found in association with aquatic vegetation ? presumably for cover to avoid predators. The primary threats to the species include habitat loss and degradation (water quantity and quality) and impacts from non-native species.

As part of the Devils River Minnow Conservation Team, the Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the City of Del Rio, and private landowners have worked cooperatively to implement voluntary conservation measures and to develop conservation strategies that will benefit the minnow and its habitat.

The designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve, or other conservation area.  It does not allow government or public access to private lands or limit public access to public or private lands and waters.  Federal agencies are required to consult with the Service for any activities they undertake, fund or permit that affect designated critical habitat.

The Service is currently seeking comments on the proposal.  The Service will also be conducting an economic analysis related to this proposed rule for critical habitat and will seek additional public comments when the draft economic analysis is available for review.

Comments on the proposed rule must be received by close of business on October 1, 2007.  Public hearing requests must be received in writing by September 14, 2007.  Comments may be mailed or hand delivered to Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78758; faxed to 512-490-0974; or emailed to fw2_drm@fws.gov.

Copies of the proposed rule and other pertinent materials are available on the internet at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/AustinTexas/ or by writing to Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas, 78758 or by calling 512-490-0057.

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 97-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 548 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.

- http://www.southwest.fws.gov -