Australia has 1,800 threatened species but has not listed critical habitat in 10 years

Only five habitats put on critical habitat register since national environmental laws enacted

Lisa Cox

Mon 5 Mar 2018 17.00 GMTLast modified on Mon 5 Mar 2018 22.59 GMT

Australia has not listed any critical habitat for the protection of threatened species on the federal critical habitat register for more than a decade.

And only five places have been registered on the database since Australia’s national environmental laws – the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act – were enacted.

A new Guardian investigation shows that Australia is set to clear 3m hectares of native forest by 2030. Conservationists say the data shows that Australia’s environment laws are failing to protect the habitat necessary for the survival of the more than 1,800 plant and animal species and ecological communities listed as threatened nationally.

 “We have provisions to protect critical habitat under the current laws but they’re not being used effectively and they’re not strong enough,” the Australian Conservation Foundation healthy ecosystems campaigner Jess Abrahams said.

Habitat loss is a main driver of species extinction.

Under the EPBC Act, the federal government can identify land critical to the survival of a species and put it on the national critical habitat register.

Continued  

Critical Habitat Established For The Endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Gerard LeBlond for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), in conjunction with the Department of Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), has designated two final rules for the critical habitat of the loggerhead sea turtle.

The turtle is a threatened species, and their habitat includes the Atlantic Ocean and coastal beaches along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. NOAA has designated the area – near shore breeding sites, nesting beaches, migratory corridors and areas where juvenile turtles are found, from North Carolina through Mississippi – a critical habitat for the turtle.

According to Reuters, there are 88 nesting beaches in the coastal counties of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. This accounts for an estimated 685 miles of the 1,531 miles of coastal shore line and 84 percent of nesting areas that are used by the loggerhead sea turtle within these states.

“Protecting endangered and threatened species, including loggerhead sea turtles, is at the core of NOAA’s mission. Given the vital role loggerhead sea turtles play in maintaining the health of our oceans, rebuilding their populations is key as we work to ensure healthy and resilient oceans for generations to come,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for fisheries, in a recent statement.

Read more at

USFWS to hold public meeting on jaguar critical habitat on July 30

July 29, 2013

USFWS to hold public meeting on jaguar critical habitat on July 30

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a public information session and public hearing on the proposal to designate critical habitat for jaguars on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 in Sierra Vista.

The meeting will be held at Buena High School Performing Arts Center at 5225 Buena School Blvd., Sierra Vista. The informational portion of the meeting will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m., and the public hearing will occur from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

In 2012, the Arizona Game and Fish Department submitted comments to the Service on the jaguar critical habitat proposal. Because lands in Arizona and New Mexico make up less than one percent of the species' historic range and are not essential to the conservation of the species, the department has asked that the proposal be withdrawn.

Conservation of the species is entirely reliant on activities in the jaguar's primary habitat of Central and South America to be successful. The six areas identified as proposed jaguar critical habitat in Arizona already offer protection to the species through the Endangered Species Act. The vast majority of the proposed critical habitat area is public land that is already under federal management jurisdiction or federally-approved conservation plans.

Game and Fish believes that the unwarranted designation of critical habitat for jaguars would likely result in denial of access to lands for jaguar conservation and research efforts; fewer observations of jaguars being reported; and, less timely sighting reports from people that do choose to report a jaguar.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above. 

U. S. F. & W. S Announces Availability of Draft Economic Analysis for Four Central Texas Salamanders – via Herp Digest

Press Release 1/25/13--The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced today the Notice of Availability of the draft economic analysis (DEA) for the proposed critical habitat for the Austin blind salamander, Jollyville Plateau salamander, Georgetown salamander, and the Salado salamander. The DEA provides estimated costs of the foreseeable potential economic impacts of the proposed critical habitat designation for the four central Texas salamanders over the next 23 years. The Service is also announcing the reopening of the comment period on the proposed critical habitat for four central Texas salamanders for 45 days. 

On August 22, 2012, the Service proposed to list the four central Texas salamanders as endangered and to designate 5,983 acres (2,440 hectares) of critical habitat in 52 units in Bell, Travis and Williamson counties. Based upon information received during the first 60-day comment period, the Service is proposing to revise the proposed critical habitat units and acreage. In addition, the revised proposal includes an amended required determinations section, an amended exclusions section and the availability of a refined impervious cover analysis. 

The current proposal revises the proposed critical habitat for both the Georgetown salamander and the Jollyville salamander. The revised rule includes an additional 474 acres (192 hectares) of proposed critical habitat for the Jollyville salamander; however, the numbers of critical habitat units for the Jollyville salamander are reduced from 33 to 30. Critical habitat revisions for the Georgetown salamander include adjustments to the critical habitat boundaries which does not change the overall proposed acreage. In total, this rule proposes to designate 6,457 acres (2,613 hectares) of critical habitat in 49 units. 

Critical habitat is a term in the Endangered Species Act that identifies geographic areas containing features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species, and which may require special management considerations or protection. Designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership, establish a refuge or preserve and has no impact on private landowners taking actions on their land that do not require federal funding or permits. 

When specifying an area as critical habitat, the Endangered Species Act requires the Service to consider economic and other relevant impacts of the designation. If the benefits of excluding an 

area outweigh the benefits of designating it, the Secretary may exclude an area from critical habitat, unless that would jeopardize the existence of a threatened or endangered species. 

The draft economic analysis quantifies economic impacts of the four central Texas salamanders conservation efforts associated with the following categories of activity: development, water management activities, transportation projects, utility projects, mining and livestock grazing. The draft economic analysis estimated impacts for development, transportation, mining and species and habitat management activities. No impacts are forecasted for water management activities, utility projects and livestock grazing activities. Total present value impacts anticipated to result from the critical habitat designation of all units for the four central Texas salamanders are approximately $29 million over 23 years. All incremental costs are administrative in nature and result from the consideration of adverse modification in section 7 consultations and re-initiation of consultations for existing management plans. 

In releasing the draft economic analysis, the Service is also reopening the public comment period on the proposed listing of the four central Texas salamanders and the revised critical habitat proposal. The Service will accept public comments received or postmarked on or before March 11, 2013. For more information on this proposal, what to comment on, or how to submit comments, see the Federal Register notice on our web site athttp://www.fws.gov/southwest. 

For further information contact Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78758; by telephone at 512-490-0057 x248; or by facsimile at 512-490-0974. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339. 

America’s fish, wildlife and plant resources belong to all of us, and ensuring the health of imperiled species is a shared responsibility. We’re working to actively engage conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species. To learn more about the Endangered Species program, go to http://www.fws.gov/endangered/. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Public Affairs Office 

PO Box 1306 

Albuquerque, NM 87103 

505/248-6911 

505/248-6915 (Fax) 

Contacts: Adam Zerrenner, (512) 490-0057 

Lesli Gray, (972) 569-8588

Gopher Frog Habitat Designation Called ‘Land Grab'– via Herp Digest

Posted: Oct 2, 2012 5:56 AM by Janet McConnaughey/CS

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A property rights nonprofit says the federal government made an illegal land grab by designating 1,500 acres of private land in St. Tammany Parish as critical habitat for the endangered dusky gopher frog.

An estimated 100 to 200 gopher frogs live in the wild in Mississippi, and fewer than 900 in zoos.

The Pacific Legal Foundation says it will sue unless the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service overturns its decision, which requires the agency's consultation for federal permits.

A "demand letter" says the service cannot know what areas are essential because it hasn't decided how many frogs would be needed to repopulate the wild or the minimum area they would need. And it says the land is unsuitable for the frog.

USFW to revisit leatherback nesting designation

Corridor is important spawning place for turtle by The Daily Sun staff

Revisions should be made to the endangered leatherback sea turtle's current critical habitat designation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined.

The critical habitat for the leatherback is one of several species to be studied in depth by the Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to determine how best to protect it.

However, because it enjoys international protections, it is being left towards the end of the study, which could be critical for some of the five species under scrutiny.

The decision is the result of a 90-day finding and a 12-month determination on a petition to designate critical habitat for the leatherback in Puerto Rico. A comprehensive status review for this species, federally listed as endangered since 1970, will be completed, and critical changes in habitat policy will be considered.

Until then, the current critical habitat designation remains in effect.

Areas within the designation, as well as areas that support leatherback sea turtles outside of the designation, continue to be subject to conservation actions under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.

In March 1978, the Service designated as critical habitat for the leatherback beach area in St. Croix, now the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. The Sierra Club petitioned for the critical habitat designation to
be revised to include the coastline of the Northeast Ecological Corridor of Puerto Rico, a 132-foot stretch of beach from Luquillo to Fajardo including the beaches known as San Miguel I and II, Paulinas, El Convento
Norte, and Seven Seas, all of which are over five miles long.

Beaches along the Corridor are important nesting grounds for the leatherback, with an average of 213 nests, according to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Together, Puerto Rico
beaches hosted between 469 and 882 leatherback nests each year between 2000 and 2005. The adult leatherback turtle population in the North Atlantic Ocean is estimated at 34,000 to 94,000.

Critical habitat for the leatherback will be fully assessed when the Service and the NMFS conduct the status review for the leatherback.

Following five-year reviews for sea turtle species in 2007, the agencies decided to review five of the federally listed sea turtles to determine the application of the distinct population segment policy. The recommended
status reviews will be conducted on the loggerhead sea turtle, green sea turtle, olive ridley sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, and hawksbill sea turtle, in that order. The leatherback was selected as one of the last
species to receive a full status review because as an endangered species it receives full protection under the ESA.

Critical habitat is a term in the Endangered Species Act that identifiesareas with features essential for the conservation of a threatened orendangered species, and which may require special management or protection. Designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership or establish a refuge or preserve. A reminder to federal agencies to protect these areas, it has no effect on private landowners taking actions on their land that do not require federal funding or permits. The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. Visit http://www.fws.gov/southeast/ or http://www.fws.gov/.

http://www.prdailysun.com/index.php?page=news.article&id=1312518834

Alaska polar bears given 'critical habitat'

The US has designated a "critical habitat" for polar bears living on Alaska's disappearing sea ice.


The area - twice the size of the United Kingdom - has been set aside to help stave off the danger of extinction, the US Fish and Wildlife Service said.

The territory includes locations where oil and gas companies want to drill.

Environmentalists hope the designation will make it more difficult for companies to get permits to operate in the region.

"This critical habitat designation enables us to work with federal partners to ensure their actions within its boundaries do not harm polar bear populations," said Tom Strickland, assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks.

Any proposed economic activity in the area, which covers 187,000 sq miles (almost 500,000 sq km) must now be weighed against its impact on the polar bear population, Mr Strickland said in a statement.

Most of the designated habitat is sea ice and includes some of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, where the oil company Shell wants to drill.

Shell was due to start drilling in the Arctic earlier this year, until the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico brought the plans to a temporary halt. It is now aiming to start drilling in 2011.

Environmentalists welcomed the move.

"Now we need the Obama administration to actually make it mean something so we can write the bear's recovery plan - not its obituary," said Kassie Siegel from the Center for Biological Diversity.

Ms Siegel urged the US government to impose a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in bear habitat areas.

Environmentalists also want the polar bear to be listed as an endangered species. Currently the US interior department describes them as "threatened" or likely to become endangered because the sea ice on which they live and hunt is melting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11836156