This document is made available electronically by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library as part of an ongoing digital archiving project. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/sonar/sonar.asp STATEMENT OF NEED AND REASONABLENESS In the Matter of Proposed Amendment to and Repeal of Rules Governing Minnesota’s List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species in Minnesota Rules, Chapter 6134: Endangered and Threatened Species STATE OF MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF ECOLOGICAL AND WATER RESOURCES August 10, 2012 Conclusion Based upon the following, the proposed amendments to and repeal of rules are both needed and reasonable. Dated: August 15, 2012 /S/ Tom Landwehr, Commissioner Department of Natural Resources STATE OF MINNESOTA Proposed Amendment of Minnesota Rules, Chapter 6134: Endangered and Threatened Species Statement of Need and Reasonableness: August 10, 2012 Page 1 DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF ECOLOGICAL AND WATER RESOURCES In The Matter Of Proposed Amendment to and Repeal of Rules Governing Minnesota’s List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species in Minnesota Rules, Chapter 6134: Endangered and Threatened Species STATEMENT OF NEED AND REASONABLENESS General Statement Introduction Minnesota’s List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species (List) was created in 1984, amended in 1996, and has remained unchanged since. The List, established under the authority of Minnesota’s Endangered and Threatened Species Statute, draws attention to species that are at greatest risk of extinction within the state; special regulations are applied to those listed as endangered or threatened. By alerting resource managers and the public to species in jeopardy, activities can be reviewed and prioritized to help preserve the diversity and abundance of Minnesota’s flora and fauna. Because of the importance of this List in influencing resource use and management activities in Minnesota, it is critical that it reflect the most current information regarding the distribution, abundance, and security of species within the state. In this document, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) describes and explains the changes it proposes to make to the status of 302 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish, mollusks, jumping spiders, butterflies and moths, caddisflies, tiger beetles, leafhoppers, dragonflies, vascular plants, lichens, mosses and liverworts, and fungi. History of Minnesota’s Endangered and Threatened Species Statute Minnesota law pertaining to endangered species dates to Laws of Minnesota 1971, Ch. 825, which listed several animal species as endangered, and granted authority to the DNR’s commissioner to add or delete animals by rule. Laws of Minnesota 1974, Ch. 465 added a threatened category to the statute and dropped the listing of specific species in statute. Laws of Minnesota 1981, Ch. 285 added a special concern category to the statute, and added plants to the statute’s protection. The statute, entitled Protection of Threatened and Endangered Species was codified into its current form (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895) in 1986 (Laws of Minnesota 1986, Ch. 386, art. 4, s. 9). Content of Minnesota’s Endangered and Threatened Species Statute and Associated Rule Minnesota's Endangered and Threatened Species Statute provides protection to species at risk of extinction within Minnesota, and reflects the Legislature’s intent that the DNR manage these species in such a way as to prevent their extinction and restore their viability within the bounds of the state, and thus maintain all elements of the state’s native flora and fauna. The statute identifies those activities from which an endangered species is protected (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 1), specifies that violation of this prohibition is a misdemeanor (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 9), and authorizes peace officers or conservation officers to enforce the statute (Minn. Stat., secs. 84.0894 and 84.0895, subd. 6). It authorizes the DNR commissioner to conduct studies to support species conservation (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 4), to develop programs, orders, and rules to recover species from threatened or endangered status (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 5), and to designate species as endangered, threatened, or of special concern (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 3, see below). While the statute and associated rule provide protection from prohibited acts to all endangered or threatened species, species of special concern receive no such protection. The statute also provides exemptions from its stated prohibitions for: 1) plants on land classified for property tax purposes as class 2a or 2b agricultural land, or on ditches and roadways; 2) noxious weeds designated as such under statute or weeds otherwise designated as troublesome by the Department of Agriculture; 3) noxious weed control; 4) the application of pesticides or other agricultural chemicals on land adjacent to class 3 or 3b agricultural land; and 5) the accidental taking of endangered and threatened plants where the existence of the plant is not known at the time of the taking (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 2). It also provides for the capture or destruction of a protected species, without permit, to avoid an immediate and demonstrable threat to human life or Proposed Amendment of Minnesota Rules, Chapter 6134: Endangered and Threatened Species Statement of Need and Reasonableness: August 10, 2012 Page 2 property (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 7(c)). Further, the statute authorizes the DNR commissioner to issue permits, including general permits, that allow the prohibited acts if: 1) the act is for purposes of zoological, educational, or scientific study; 2) the act enhances the propagation or survival of the affected species; 3) the act prevents injury to persons or property (provided that all alternatives, including live trapping and transplantation, have been evaluated and rejected); or 4) the social and economic benefits of the act outweigh the harm caused by it (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 7). The statute also authorizes the DNR commissioner to prescribe conditions to propagate a species or subspecies (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 7(b)), and allows the commissioner to issue permits for forest management (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 7(d)). Finally, the statute specifies that it does not apply retroactively to, or prohibit importation into the state of species (or their parts) that are legally acquired from elsewhere (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 8). Rules governing permits for the taking, possession, and disposition of endangered species were first promulgated in 1974 (Commissioners Order No. 1901; July 31, 1974). These were substantially expanded in 1985, and extended protection and permit requirements to threatened species as well (Commissioners Order No. 2204; May 30, 1985). The provisions of Commissioners Order No. 2204 were codified into rule in 1993 (18 S.R. 83; July 12, 1993), and are found at Minn. Rules, parts 6212.1800 to 6212.2300. The permit scheme, including the application process, limits on possession of specimens or their offspring, reporting, and expiration or cancellation of permits is detailed in Minn. Rules, part 6212.1800. Permitting for the rehabilitation of living specimens, possession of previously acquired specimens or specimens acquired as a result of emergency taking, and other activities otherwise prohibited is detailed in Minn. Rules, parts 6212.1900 to 6212.2300. Note that Minn. Rules, parts 6212.1800 to 6212.2300 are not the subject of this rulemaking. History of Minnesota’s List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species The authority to designate state endangered animals by rulemaking was first given to the DNR commissioner in Laws of Minnesota 1971, Ch. 825, although this authority was not exercised until 1984. However, the 1971 law listed several species as endangered, and provided that an “endangered” designation by the Secretary of the Interior (pursuant to federal endangered species law) would be prima facie evidence for a state designation by the commissioner. The category of threatened animals was added to the authority to designate species in Laws of Minnesota 1974, Ch. 465. The 1974 amendment reaffirmed the DNR commissioner’s authority to designate state endangered and threatened animals, and dropped the statutory list of species created in 1971, but provided that “...until the commissioner adopts such a regulation, those species designated as endangered by Section 4(c)(3) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-205) at the time of enactment thereof shall be considered endangered within the meaning of this section.” The special concern category was added to the statute in 1981, as was the application of all three categories to plants (Laws of Minnesota 1981, Ch. 285). The 1981 amendment once again directed the DNR commissioner to promulgate by rule a state List, required the convening of a voluntary Technical Advisory Committee to assist in developing the List, and specified that the List be promulgated by January 1, 1984. The 1981 amendment also provided that this committee would terminate upon adoption of the resulting rule, but in no event later than January 1, 1984. As a result, the advisory committee provision is not a part of the current statute. Minnesota’s List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species was adopted on March 5, 1984. Promulgation of this List resulted in the legislature deleting the language incorporating the federal list into Minnesota law (Laws of Minnesota 1986, Ch. 386). The 1981 amendment also added the requirement that “The commissioner shall reevaluate the designated species list every three years after it is first adopted and make appropriate changes.” (Minn. Stat., sec. 84.0895, subd. 3(c)) In 1987, the DNR published a notice in the State Register stating (in part) that “the 1984 list remains an accurate statement of the status of Minnesota’s native fauna and flora and therefore the current list will remain in effect through 1990.” (12 S.R. 1266, December 21, 1987) Revision of the List was initiated in 1990 and the resulting revised rule became effective on July 1, 1996.