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Wildlife Service Ordered to Halt No Surprises Policy WASHINGTON, DC, June 15, 2004 (ENS) - A federal judge has blocked the federal government from using a Endangered Species Act implementation practice known as "No Surprises."Under the policy, the Fish and Wildlife Service had given private landowners exemptions from the Endangered Species Act in exchange for a commitment to enact a Habitat Conservation Plan along with the assurance that the terms of plan, once granted, would not be revised. In December 2003, Judge Emmet Sullivan of U.S. District Court for the Capital District found the process by which the Interior Department adopted the 1998 rule violated federal law to the detriment of endangered species. Last week, Judge Sullivan ordered the government to suspend the process for at least the next six months and to devise a new policy, with public input, by December 10, 2004. The decision is a victory for environmentalists who challenged the legality of the rule and contend that the Endangered Species Act is supposed to provide assurances to endangered species - not developers and other permit holders. But developers and the Bush administration say the ruling will harm, rather than help, efforts to protect endangered species. The policy is "a fundamental covenant with citizen stewards of our natural resources," said Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Craig Manson. "Simply put, the policy embodies the American value of a deal's a deal. The policy gives landowners certainty and an incentive to take affirmative measures that they would not otherwise be required to do." Manson, who announced the suspension of the policy, said that the inability to give such assurance to landowners is a "serious impediment to our ability to conserve and enhance habitat for imperiled wildlife." Some 400 Habitat Conservation Plans are in place, covering more than 500 species and roughly 38 million acres.
Atlantic Salmon Show Signs of Longtime Virus Exposure WASHINGTON, DC, June 15, 2004 (ENS) – Federal scientists say Atlantic salmon in two New England rivers may have been exposed to a salmon virus known as ISAv as early as 1995.Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Fish Health Research Laboratory at the Leetown Science Center in West Virginia tested archived serum samples from more than 1,200 salmon. They found ISAv antibodies in serum from four Penobscot River and 10 Merrimack River sea-run salmon taken between 1995 and 2002. Serum from Connecticut River salmon tested negative. The presence of antibodies suggests that the fish were either exposed to ISAv or vaccinated against the disease. The aquaculture industry in the United States began vaccinating salmon in 1999. The first indication of infectious salmon anemia virus in sea-run fish in this country was previously thought to be in 2001 when viral material was found in a Penobscot River salmon in Maine, according to scientists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USGS. The same year, the state of Maine reported the first confirmed case of ISAv in the United States in a salmon raised in a sea-pen on a fish farm. "Our hatchery fish have not been infected with ISAv, but we remain concerned that the virus can be destructive under the right conditions," said the Fish and Wildlife Service's Northeast Regional Director Marvin Moriarty. "ISAv poses a threat to Atlantic salmon restoration in New England and the recovery of endangered Atlantic salmon in Maine," Moriarty said. Populations of wild Atlantic salmon have declined from an estimated half million adult salmon returning to U.S. rivers each year in the early 1800s to perhaps as few as 1,000 in 2001. Atlantic salmon were listed in 2000 as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. More than one million Atlantic salmon at aquaculture sea-pens in Scotland, Canada and Maine have been destroyed and the sites left fallow for six months or longer in an effort to contain or limit the spread of ISAv. There is no treatment for fish infected with ISAv. The virus can cause death in salmon, although not all infected fish die. The virus does not infect humans, and people cannot contract the disease from eating or handling infected fish, said John Coll of the Fish and Wildlife Service's Fish Health Center at the Northeast Fishery Center in Lamar, Pennsylvania.
Biologists Puzzled by Disappearing White Pelicans MEDINA, North Dakota, June 15, 2004 (ENS) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to determine what caused the disappearance of thousands of white pelicans from nesting sites at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in late May, and where the pelicans may have gone.The 4,385 acre refuge, located north of Medina, North Dakota, is the largest nesting colony of white pelicans in North America. Population counts conducted by federal biologists on two of the three nesting sites at the refuge revealed a drop from about 27,000 pelicans on May 20 to 80 birds on May 28. A reconnaissance flight over the surrounding area on June 2 did not find any large numbers of pelicans. A third nesting site on the refuge is reportedly normal, with about 2,500 pelicans present. "This situation has puzzled many wildlife professionals," said Refuge manager Mick Erickson. "The Service is working closely with state and other federal agencies to determine exactly what occurred, but at this point we do not have conclusive answers." The refuge also contains some of the most productive duck breeding habitat in the lower 48 states and provides important habitat for other migratory bird species such as Canada geese, shorebirds and dozens of songbird species including some rare grassland sparrows. In 2003, the American Bird Conservancy declared the refuge a Globally Important Bird Area. Although biologists found a small number of sick and dead pelicans at the refuge, preliminary tests did not indicate the presence of any toxins or diseases, including West Nile virus. Additional testing is taking place at the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The probe has not ruled out harassment by animals or humans. Federal officials have contacted refuges and other areas around the United States that have nesting pelican colonies, but none of these sites report similar abandonment, unusual hikes in pelican populations, or abnormal mortality rates. Biologists found a coyote den relatively close to one of the nesting sites, and there is ongoing scientific research on the refuge. The Fish and Wildlife Service is urging residents of the surrounding area to report sightings of any large number of pelicans - more than 100 birds - but warns people not to touch any sick or dead ones. Sightings should be reported to the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge at 701-752-4218.
Conservationists to Sue for Protection of Threatened Corals SAN FRANCISCO, California, June 15, 2004 (ENS) - The Center for Biological Diversity filed on Monday a notice of intent to sue the Bush administration to protect three coral species native to Florida and the Caribbean under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).The three species, Elkhorn, Staghorn, and Fused-Staghorn coral, were the primary components of coral reef ecosystems throughout the Caribbean for nearly 500,000 years. But since the 1970s these species have declined some 80 percent to 98 percent throughout significant portions of their range - an unprecedented rate of loss unmatched in the known history of the Earth. Scientists fear that if these losses are not arrested and reversed, these species could go extinct within the foreseeable future. The decline of these coral species is due to the combined effects of disease, thermally induced bleaching, physical destruction from storms, predation, competition, and activities that degrade habitat and water quality. In addition, there is ample evidence that each of these threats has been worsened and accelerated by a driving force - global climate change. The Center filed a petition to protect the coral reefs surrounding Florida in March 2004. Under the Endangered Species Act, the federal government was required to respond to the petition the first week of June, but to date has failed to take any action to protect these species. The Center for Biological Diversity hopes its actions will put added pressure on the Bush administration to more aggressively tackle the issue of climate change, something the White House has steadfastly opposed. "The Bush administration has openly rejected the best available science on global climate change, leaving our coasts vulnerable to destruction, our pocket books vulnerable to enormous expenses, and our marine wildlife threatened with extinction," said Brent Plater, staff attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. "It should thus be no surprise that the Bush administration openly defies the Endangered Species Act, preferring to abdicate its responsibilities until a court orders the administration to protect Florida and its reefs," Plater said. Listing these coral species under the Endangered Species Act will prohibiting taking of the corals, protect their critical habitat and force the federal government to develop a recovery plan. The Center believes that because greenhouse gas emissions are the major cause of global warming, the listing of these corals would require industries that emit greenhouse gases to consider the wellbeing and recovery of these corals before they are given permits to pollute. Such a requirement is "is not only right in principle but also eminently sensible," Plater added. "The destruction and loss of these coral species and therefore the loss of major portion of the Florida reef tract ecosystem will result in the loss of billions of dollars to our economy, the loss of an unknown number of medicines, and decimate local biodiversity. It is just common sense to consider these impacts before it is too late."
Grizzly Poacher Handed Minimal Penalty MISSOULA, Montana, June 15, 2004 (ENS) - A convicted felon who shot two grizzly bear cubs and hid them in the woods has been fined $3,840, a penalty conservationists insist is far less than he deserved.The maximum penalty for killing a grizzly is $25,000 and/or six months jail time for each bear, because the grizzly bear is federally protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Grizzly bears were listed as threatened in the lower 48 states in 1975. The carcasses of the 18 month old male and female bears were recovered in late May on Owl Loop Road near Condon, Montana. The shooter was charged with failing to report the killing of a grizzly bear and waste of game. "While we are relieved that the bear killer was prosecuted for this illegal act, we are disappointed at the slap on the wrist he received." said Minette Johnson, Northern Rockies field representative for Defenders of Wildlife. "Until it becomes clear that there are severe penalties for poaching grizzlies, people will continue to ruthlessly kill them," said Johnson. "The loss of even one grizzly bear can harm the local bear population. This guy killed two and tried to conceal them." The loss of bears to poachers is of great concern to conservationists because the species reproduces very slowly, making each bear death a critical event. Females do not breed until they are five years old and usually have cubs only once every three years. Four grizzly bears have been illegally killed in the Seeley-Swan area in Northwest Montana within the last two years. Defenders of Wildlife is offering a reward of $2,500 and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward of $1,000 - a total of $3,500 - for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for the most recent killing, a two year old male grizzly shot near Goat Creek just off Highway 83 between Seeley and Swan Lake. The bear was found at the end of April with a bullet in his head and his paws cut off. "Controlling mortality is the key to recovering grizzly bears," says Chris Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "If people keep illegally killing grizzlies, they will be on the endangered species list forever."
Pacific Groundfish Assessments Need Improvement WASHINGTON, DC, June 15, 2004 (ENS) - The reliability of the federal government's population assessments of five species of Pacific groundfish is questionable, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) said Monday.The GAO, which is the investigative branch of Congress, noted that the government's assessments were based on the best information available at the time they were conducted. Only 24 of the 82 species of Pacific groundfish have had a full quantitative stock assessment by the end of 2003. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), also called NOAA Fisheries, has declared that nine species are overfished, including the five species reviewed in the GAO's report. The report cited NOAA Fisheries officials and a National Research Council report which both said reliable stock assessments should include at least one NMFS data source of sufficient scope and accuracy, because such data are derived from unbiased statistical designs. But the GAO found that in the yelloweye rockfish assessment, no NMFS data were used, and in the assessments of three other rockfish - darkblotched, canary and bocaccio - the NMFS data were limited because the agency's surveys were conducted in trawlable waters only. The fifth species reviewed for the report was Pacific hake. The GAO determined that for all five species the agency lacks a standard approach for ensuring the reliability of non-NMFS data used in stock assessments. NOAA Fisheries has taken steps to implement recommendations, according to the GAO, but "much remains to be done." The GAO says the agency has concentrated its efforts on improving data quantity, but because of staffing and funding limitations has not yet implemented many of the recommendations aimed at obtaining more types of data and improving data quality. NOAA Fisheries records indicated at least $8.9 million is needed to complete ongoing and planned stock assessment improvements, but the GAO says this could be higher because the estimates reflect the amount agency officials "believed could be realistically obtained, rather than what improvements might cost."
U.S. Streets, Parking Lots, Buildings Would Cover Ohio BOULDER, Colorado, June 15, 2004 (ENS) - The combined size of all highways, streets, buildings, parking lots and other solid structures within the lower 48 states and the District of Columbia is some 43,480 square miles, roughly the size of the state of Ohio.The finding comes from a study by Christopher Elvidge of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, who along with colleagues from several universities and agencies produced the first national map and inventory of impervious surface areas in the United States. The study appears in the June 15 issue of "Eos," which is published by the American Geophysical Union. The researchers note the new map is important because impervious surface areas affect the environment. The qualities of impervious materials that make them ideal for construction also reduce heat transfer from Earth's surface to the atmosphere, creating urban heat islands. In addition, the replacement of heavily vegetated areas by impervious surface areas reduces sequestration of carbon, which plants absorb from the atmosphere. Both effects can play a role in climate change. Within watersheds, impervious surface areas alter the shape of stream channels, raise the water temperature, and sweep urban debris and pollutants into aquatic environments. These effects are measurable once 10 percent of a watershed's surface area is covered by impervious surface areas, Elvidge says. An increase in impervious surfaces means fewer fish and fewer species of fish and aquatic insects, as well as a general degradation of wetlands and river valleys. The researchers found the impervious surface area of the Lower 48 states is already slightly larger than that of its wetlands, which cover 38,020 square miles. Elvidge notes that few areas have impervious surface area maps, because they are difficult and expensive to create. He used a variety of data sources to produce the map accompanying his article, including nighttime lights observed by satellite, Landsat images, and data on roads from the U.S. Census Bureau, along with aerial photography. The map should provide a useful benchmark to track the growth of impervious surface areas, in particular because the U.S. population is increasing by some three million people each year. In addition, roughly one million new single family homes and 10,000 miles of new roads are added annually.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Opens New Oceans Center MONTEREY, California, June 15, 2004 (ENS) - The Monterey Bay Aquarium has established a new Center for the Future of the Oceans and has named marine conservationist Michael Sutton as its first director.Sutton, who for the past five years has headed the Marine Fisheries Conservation Program of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, will start work in July. Prior to his work with the Marine Fisheries Conservation Program, Sutton founded and directed the Endangered Seas Campaign for the World Wildlife Fund and co-founded the Marine Stewardship Council, the international fisheries certification program. The new Center for the Future of the Oceans has been created to play a key role in marine conservation through efforts to empower individuals and influence public policy. The Center will encompass all of the aquarium's marine conservation policy programs, including:
The Center will support comprehensive ocean policy reform at the state and federal levels, as recommended by the federally mandated U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy as well as the independent Pew Oceans Commission. "Creation of the Center is the next step in advancing the aquarium's mission to inspire conservation of the oceans," said Aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard, who served on the Pew Oceans Commission. "We can't sit on the sidelines when the future of the oceans is at stake. Right now, we have an unprecedented opportunity to build support for real policy reform on behalf of our oceans." Packard said the Center will complement the aquarium's renowned exhibit and education programs, which reach more than 1.7 million visitors a year. "We can inspire, engage and empower people when they visit the aquarium - and we have to do even more," she said.
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