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Date sent: Fri, 08 Mar 1996 22:54:31 -0500
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Endangered Species Press Release
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The following press release was picked up from the Fish and Wildlife Service:
February 27, 1996 Ken Burton 202-208-5634
Megan Durham 202-208-4685
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a notice of review
for plant and animal species that are candidates for listing as
endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The
revised list of "candidate species"--part of the Administration's
commitment to improve implementation of the Endangered Species
Act--is the result of a thorough review of the scientific
information available on the species. In its notice of review,
published in the February 28 Federal Register, the Service is
asking for any new information on the status of the candidate
species.
"The revisions to the candidate species list strengthen the
scientific basis of the endangered species program," said Service
Deputy Director John Rogers. "The new candidate species list
clearly identifies those species with strong scientific evidence
indicating they are likely to be in need of listing as endangered
or threatened. This will enable the Service, other agencies, and
private partners to focus attention and resources on the species
that most need help and will therefore, ultimately reduce the costs
and increase the effectiveness of species conservation."
The revised candidate notice identifies 182 species as "candidates"
for listing. "Candidate species" are species for which the Fish
and Wildlife Service has enough scientific information to warrant
proposing them for listing as endangered or threatened under the
Endangered Species Act. Identification of candidate species helps
resource managers alleviate threats and thereby possibly remove the
need to list species as endangered or threatened. Conservation
actions for candidate species are often the most effective and
least expensive means for restoring species.
The revised candidate list replaces an old system that listed
nearly 4,000 "candidate" species under three separate categories.
The old system led many people to the mistaken conclusion that the
addition of thousands of species to the endangered list was
imminent. Under the revised list, only those species for which
there is enough information to support a listing proposal will be
called "candidates." These were formerly known as "Category 1
Candidate Species."
With today's announcement, the Service will no longer maintain a
list of species formerly known as "Category 2 Candidates." These
are species for which the Service does not have enough scientific
information to support a listing proposal. The Fish and Wildlife
Service is working with Federal and state agencies, private
conservation groups, and the scientific community to develop data
sharing arrangements and continue to assess the status of these
species.
"The Fish and Wildlife Service remains concerned about many of the
species formerly on the 'Category 2 Candidates' list, and will
continue working with states and others to gather information about
these and other species that may be at risk," Rogers said.
"However, we currently do not have the type of information needed
to warrant a candidate designation for these species."
In the 22-year history of the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and
Wildlife Service has listed 960 U.S. species as endangered or
threatened but has determined that 2,400 others do not warrant
protection at this time. Over 70 percent of all species reviewed
were found not to warrant listing.
None of the current candidate species is likely to be listed as
endangered or threatened in the near future because of an April
1995 Congressional moratorium on adding new species to the official
list. Proposals to list species also have been delayed by
reductions in the Service's endangered species budget. The Service
is continuing efforts to stabilize the status of candidate species
through conservation partnerships but Congress has also cut funding
for this program.
Also in the February 28 Federal Register is a notice explaining the
changes in the status of 96 candidate species under the terms of a
settlement agreement in a lawsuit filed by the Fund for Animals.
This notice explains that scientific review has indicated these 88
plants and 8 animals do not warrant proposal for listing as
endangered or threatened. Most of the species were removed for
taxonomic reasons, because of a lack of scientific information to
support a proposal, or because they are more abundant or less
threatened than previously believed. Several of the species were
removed from "candidate" status as a result of successful
conservation actions that have reduced threats and stabilized their
populations. Two species, both Hawaiian plants, were removed
because they are believed to be extinct.
-FWS-
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Stefanie S. Rixecker
Centre for Resource Management/
Department of Resource Management
Lincoln University
Canterbury
Aotearoa New Zealand
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone: (64) (03) 325-2811 x8377
Fax: (64) (03) 325-3841
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