Endangered Species Conservation Endangered Species Act of 1973

O Requires the Secretary of the Interior (through the U.S. and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service) to identify and publish lists of species that are endangered or threatened O The lists include both U.S. and foreign species, and include , plants and invertebrates. O Decision whether to list must be based solely on the biological evidence O Anybody that can provide adequate evidence can make a proposal for listing. O Recognizes that species have aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational and scientific value to the nation and its people. O The Supreme Court has interpreted the ESA to mean that the value of species cannot be calculated, and that listed species should be protected whatever the cost Definitions

•An endangered species means any species which is in danger of throughout all or a significant portion of its range

– other than a species of the Class Insecta determined by the Secretary to constitute a pest whose protection under the provisions of this chapter would present an overwhelming and overriding risk to man.

•A threatened species is one that may soon become endangered if its situation is not improved.

•A candidate species is one that is being considered for listing as an endangered or a threatened species, but is not yet the subject of a proposed rule. This designation does not confer any protection on the candidate species Steps involved in listing a species Endangered species

O Cannot be "taken ". O "Take" means harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in such conduct. O Such activities directed against animals are illegal even on private land (not true for plants!) O A recovery plan must be developed and the recovery of the species must be monitored. O The species or its products cannot be exported or imported. Species, Subspecies, and Evolutionarily Significant Units

• The original ESA applied only to named species and subspecies. • Some species exist as multiple reproductively isolated population segments, that might represent enough evolutionarily significant genetic diversity to make all of the segments worth preserving. • Anadromous fish populations (e.g. salmon) associated with specific rivers represent some of the main examples of such subdivided species. • In 1978 the ESA was amended to allow listing of "distinct population segments" of vertebrates. – populations that are reproductively isolated from other populations of the same species and might provide the genetic raw material for future evolutionary changes • 26 populations of West Coast salmon and steelhead were listed as endangered or threatened. http://www.ocregister.com/news/fish-193070-creek-steelhead.html Species given protection (Endangered + Threatened) Admin. Period Number Species of species per year Ford74-774715 Carter 77-81 126 32 Reagan 81-89 255 32 Bush 1st 89-93 231 58 Clinton 93-01 521 65 Bush 01-08 60 8 Obama 08-09 2 2 Endangered and Threatened Species

(As of 5/14/2008)

U.S. species listed 608 U.S. plant species listed 744 U.S. species with designated critical habitat 506 Animal species candidates for listing 144 Plant species candidates for listing 138 Habitat conservation plans approved 894 Species with approved recovery plans. 1117 Endangered Species Committee (1978): Can decide on extinction

Secretary of the Interior Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of the Army Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors Head of the Environmental Protection Agency Head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration A representative from the affected state. Applications for exemption from the ESA

• Tellico Dam in Tennessee (Snail Darter fish) - exemption refused; later approved by Congress and President Carter. 1979. • Grayrocks Dam, WY (whooping crane) granted in 1979. • Bureau of Land Management for timber harvesting in Pacific Northwest (Northern Spotted Owl) : Led to a compromise: the Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team (FEMAT) 1993 Penguins: 17 species, feed mostly on krill

Center for Biological Diversity sued to get protection for 11 species threatened by loss of sea ice.

USFWS listed seven species:

•African penguin •Yellow-eyed penguin •White-flippered penguin •Fiordland crested penguin •Humboldt penguin •Erect-crested penguin •Some populations of southern rockhopper penguin

USFWS declined to review Emperor Penguin (star of “March of the Penguins”), despite 50% decline in population Island fox subspecies’

<100 Was 15 – now 38 ’ ’’ Was 14 – now 54

Total in 1994: 6,000 Total in 2001: <1,660. ’ San Miguel Island Fox: Historic: 450 ’ 1999: 15 (14 in captivity) ’ • All four subspecies of Island Fox are threatened by introduced diseases, such as canine distemper, habitat alteration related to the introduction of pigs, goats, deer, cattle, sheep, and elk, and predation by golden eagles • 4-17-03: The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for refusing to list the island foxes as endangered species. • 3-4-04: Channel Island Fox listed as Endangered Endangered Species at Upper Newport Bay 3

Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris

Light-footed clapper rail Rallus longirostris levipes FE, SE Least Tern Sterna antillarum

California least tern Sterna antillarum browni FE, SE

Black Skimmer Rynchops niger http://www.arkive.org/black-skimmer/rynchops-niger/video-08.html http://ibc.lynxeds.com/video/black-skimmer-rynchops-niger/several-birds-skimming-canal Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis

Belding’s savannah sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi SE Other Endangered Species of Southern California Santa Ana Sucker

Tidewater Goby California gnatcatcher

Riverside Fairy Shrimp California Gnatcatcher Polioptila californica

Coastal California gnatcatcher Polioptila californica californica FT Santa Ana sucker (Catostomus santaanae), Tidewater Goby

Scientific Name Eucyclogobius newberryi Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp Branchinecta lindahli

(Picture of a close relative) Red Abalone (Cabrillo Marine Aquarium)

Abalone (8 species in E. Pacific) White: Listed as Endangered in 2001 (first federally endangered marine invertebrate). No critical habitat designation (might increase poaching)

Black: Listed as Endangered, January 2009. Declined by 99%, Critical Habitat under review. Sea otter decline in the Aleutian Islands

Alaska

Aleutian Islands Decline Continuing 2000-2003 Status of Sea Otter Stocks

Reintroduced in 1969 and 1970:

2005: (In response to lawsuit from Center for Biological Diversity) Southwest stock listed as Threatened 2006: Center for Biological Diversity sued to compel the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate critical habitat Southeast stock is increasing! Ecosystem collapse in the Aleutian Islands (N. Pacific) 1977-2000

• Overfishing • Decline in Steller sea lions and harbor seals (usual food of Killer whales) • Increased predation on sea otters by killer whales. • Decline in Sea Otters • Population explosion (8x increase) of sea urchins (usual food of sea otters) • Depletion of kelp beds (food of sea urchins) • Depletion of king crabs, shrimp, smelt • Less food for seals and sea lions California Sea Otter •Thought to have numbered 20,000 before exploitation •Thought to be extinct until about 300 discovered in 1938 •Listed as Threatened since 1977 •Slowly recovering: 2007 count: 3,026

The California Endangered Species Act (1970) Reauthorized 1997 • California has the largest number of rare plant and animal species of any State in the nation • California was the first State to establish an Endangered Species Act • Parallels the main provisions of the Federal Endangered Species Act • Administered by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) • Limited to species or subspecies native to California • Consultation: State lead agencies are required to consult with DFG to ensure that any action it undertakes is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered or threatened species or result in destruction or adverse modification of essential habitat

• California law allows the designation of a species as Fully Protected, which is a greater level of protection than is afforded by the California Endangered Species Act. – Such a designation means the listed species cannot be killed, nor can its habitat be destroyed if this would ultimately lead to its death or destruction. – Fully Protected Species has been given to the Southern Sea Otter, California Condor, California Least Tern, Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Bighorn Sheep, Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse and many others. Is the Endangered Species Act Working?

● 52 listed species potentially extinct, but… ● Only 21 (1.5%) disappeared after listing, and… 1. Prevent extinction ● Only 2-5 savable at the time of listing

● ESA at least 99.6% successful by this measure

2. Move toward recovery

3. Achieve full recovery

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Is the Endangered Species Act Working?

● 52 listed species potentially extinct, but… ● Only 21 (1.5%) disappeared after listing, and… 1. Prevent extinction ● Only 2-5 savable at the time of listing

● ESA at least 99.6% successful by this measure

2. Move toward recovery

● 17 species fully recovered and removed from endangered list

3. Achieve full recovery ● ESA only 1.0% successful by this measure

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Is the Endangered Species Act Working?

● 52 listed species potentially extinct, but… ● Only 21 (1.5%) disappeared after listing, and… 1. Prevent extinction ● Only 2-5 savable at the time of listing

● ESA at least 99.6% successful by this measure

● 97.5% not extinct or recovered 2. Move toward recovery ● population trend anecdotes (bald eagle, grizzly bear, etc.), but no comprehensive data…

● 17 species fully recovered and removed from endangered list

3. Achieve full recovery ● ESA only 1.0% successful by this measure Listed species that are reported to be possibly extinct as of the 2002 Report to Congress include: 1. Alani (Melicope balloui). According to the recovery plan, “[s]pecies is rare and known from only 9 collections, the last occurring in 1927…” and there is “…little accurate information regarding size and distribution of population.” 105 2. Alani (Melicope quadrangularis). According to the recovery plan only 13 individuals of species known as of 1994. 106 3. Bachman's warbler (=wood) (Vermivora bachmanii). According to the recovery plan it is “presumed near extinction--no known localities of regular occurrence in since early 1970's (Cuba)” [sic] 107 4. Black clubshell (Pleurobema curtum). According to the recovery plan “fresh dead” specimens were last found in 1989. 108 5. Bridled white-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus conspicillatus). According to the recovery plan it was last observed June 1983. 109 6. Eastern Puma (=cougar) (Puma (=Felis) concolor couguar). According to the recovery plan there have been no breeding cougar populations substantiated since the 1920’s. 110 7. Eskimo curlew (Numenius borealis). 8. Flat pigtoe (Pleurobema marshalli). According to the recovery plan none were found alive during 1987 and 1988 surveys. 111 9. Fosberg's love grass (Eragrostis fosbergii). According to the recovery plan it was thought extinct until 6 individuals were rediscovered in 1991. 112 10. Green blossom pearlymussel (Epioblasma torulosa gubernaculums). 11. Guam broadbill (Myiagra freycineti). (This species was delisted as extinct in 2004.) 113 12. Haha (Cyanea copelandii ssp. copelandii). According to the recovery plan it was last collected 1957. 114 13. Ha`iwale (Cyrtandra crenata). According to the recovery plan a “[p]opulation has not been observed since 1947, and there are no other known individuals.” 115 14. Holei (Ochrosia kilaueaensis). According to the recovery plan it was last collected in 1927 and the last sighting was in the1940s. 116 15. Ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis). This species has been recently rediscovered. 16. Kauai akialoa (honeycreeper) (Hemignathus procerus). According to the recovery plan the species was last seen and collected in late 1960s. 117 17. Kauai o`o (honeyeater) (Moho braccatus). According to the recovery plan there have been no sightings or observed vocalizations since 1987. 118 18. Large Kauai thrush (Myadestes myadestinus). According to the recovery plan the last sighting was in 1989. 119 19. Liliwai (Acaena exigua). According to the recovery plan the species has not been found since 1957. 120 20. Mariana mallard (Anas oustaleti). (This species was delisted as extinct in 2004.) 121 21. Maui akepa (honeycreeper) (Loxops coccineus ochraceus). According to the recovery plan there has been no “reliably detectable population” since 1970. 122 22. Molokai thrush (Myadestes lanaiensis rutha). According to the recovery plan the species was last seen in a “fleeting glimpse” in 1988. 123 23. Molokai creeper (Paroreomyza flammea). According to the recovery plan there have been no sightings since 1963. 124 24. Oahu creeper (Paroreomyza maculate). According to the recovery plan the last “well documented sighting” was in 1985. 125 25. O`u (honeycreeper) (Psittirostra psittacea). According to the recovery plan the last confirmed sightings were in late 1970’s. 126 26. Phyllostegia glabra var. lanaiensis. According to the recovery plan the species was last collected in 1914. 127 27. San Marcos gambusia (Gambusia georgei). According to the recovery plan the last specimen was found 1982. 128 28. Scioto (Noturus trautmani). According to the recovery plan the species is possibly extinct. 129 29. Southern acornshell (Epioblasma othcaloogensis). According to the recovery plan the species has not been found in decades. 130 30. Stirrupshell (Quadrula stapes). According to the recovery plan a fresh dead shell was last found in 1986. 131 31. Tubercled blossom pearlymussel (Epioblasma torulosa torulosa). 32. Turgid blossom pearlymussel (Epioblasma turgidula).

Peregrine Falcon recovery

Video O The fastest animal on earth (180 mph) O American and Arctic subspecies; both affected O 1970: only 39 pairs in lower 48 states, none east of Mississippi. O Caused mainly by eggshell thinning as a result of DDT spraying O Listed as endangered 1970 O Captive breeding program started - 20 chicks hatched in 1973 O 6,000 captive-bred birds released in 34 states 1974-1977 O Over 1960 mating pairs in 1997 O Delisted in 1999 O Successful because the single major threat could be addressed Delisting of California Brown Pelican • Species population plummeted in the 1950s and 60s, largely due to eggshell thinning by DDT • Entire species, including California subspecies, listed as endangered in 1970. • Population recovered after DDT ban in 1972 • Delisted in 2009

DDT Ban GRAY WHALE RECOVERY AND DECLINE Bald Eagle Delisted!

Lower 48 pairs 8000 7,280

6000

4000 DDT Ban

2000 417 0

7 63 67 71 75 79 83 8 91 95 99 03

• Original: 25-75,000 • Suffered from habitat loss, illegal shooting, eggshell thinning by DDT • 1960s: <450 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states (40,000 in Alaska) • In 1967, listed as endangered (under a law that preceded the ESA) • Species saved by new laws against lead shot, plus captive breeding and reintroduction, and banning of DDT in 1972 • 1995: Downlisted to threatened • June 28, 2007: Delisted! • Now breeding on Catalina Island and other Channel Islands California Condor • 1890 – Wild California condor population estimated at 600. • 1940 – Wild population estimate drops to 100. – Species disappears in Mexico. • 1960 – ~ 60 condors estimated to exist in the world. • 1967 – Listed as an endangered species under the precursor to today’s ESA. • 1975: California Condor Recovery Program –USFWS – Audubon Society – U.S. Forest Service – San Diego and Los Angeles zoos – California Department of Fish and Game. 1980: 27 birds. 1982: 22 birds.

1984-85: wild population dropped from 15 to nine.

1987: last nine wild condors captured.

1988: first captive- bred condor chick. Double clutching: Remove first egg – female lays another.

One has to be puppet-reared

Allows higher numbers, BUT after reintroduction these birds show behavior problems: • Tendency to approach humans and human structures • Accept food from humans • Vandalize human property (e.g. tents) 1992: first reintroductions, Sespe Condor Sanctuary, Santa Barbara County. The Pinnacles Flight Pen 1996: reintroductions at Castle Craig, San Luis Obispo County, and at Vermilion Cliffs, Grand Canyon, Arizona

1997: Ventana Wilderness Society (non- profit org.) Reintroduction Program in Big Sur and Pinnacles National Monument

Los Padres National Forest, 9/8/07 Condor chicks hatch in wild - news releases:

• June 22, 2001: Chick hatched in a nest in Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara County. • April 11, 2002: For the first time in 18 years, a condor egg laid in the wild hatched in the wild (Ventura County, CA) • 2002: Six puppet-reared condors released in Baja California • August 2003: Chick hatched in Arizona • April 2004: Three chicks hatched in Ventura County • June 2004: One chick produced at Grand Canyon, another at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. • 2005: Four captive-reared condors released in Baja California • 2007: First egg since reintroduction laid in Mexico • July 2008: 332 California condors, with 156 living in the wild.

• http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-condor.html July 31, 2008

Transmitters and number tags Persistent Threats 1996-2004 in AZ: 54 released; 20 died:

• Lead poisoning is the leading cause of death for reintroduced condors • At least 10 deaths in CA and AZ since 1992 known or strongly suspected to be due to lead poisoning. • Mostly due to condors feeding on carcasses that were killed with lead ammunition. • ~ 75 incidents in which poisoned condors required chelation therapy to remove lead from their blood. • Lead ammunition is also toxic to > 48 other species, including Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles. Legislation on non-lead ammunition • September 2007: AB 821, Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act - requires the use of non-lead ammunition when taking big game or coyotes within condor habitat. – Passed by California Senate and Assembly, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger.

• December 8, 2007: Stronger regulations adopted by the The California Fish and Game Commission. – Bans lead ammunition in .22-caliber or smaller guns – often used to kill smaller animals such as squirrels and rabbits – Smaller guns not included in AB 821because there are no non- lead bullets on the market for them. • Commissioners said they hoped their rule would encourage manufacturers to make alternatives. Condor Recovery Imperiled by Lead and Trash

• Birding Briefs -- December 2005

• Adult condors are carrying microtrash - bits of metal, glass, plastic, and other junk - back to the nest, where their chicks are eating it, with dire consequences. • The problem was illustrated dramatically in August, when biologists discovered a dump's worth of refuse in the crop and gut of a chick taken from a nest in Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in California. • The young condor had ingested bottle caps, remnants of plastic bags, electrical fittings, shell casings, broken glass and plastic, small pieces of fabric and rubber, and other indigestible items. • Three hours of surgery at the Los Angeles Zoo were required to remove it all. • The chick survived and was expected to recover, but another chick in California died after eating trash. Criteria for Downlisting to Threatened

1. At least two non-captive populations (one in California, one in Arizona) and one captive population must be established.

2. Each population must consist of at least 150 birds and contain at least 15 breeding pairs.

3. Each population must have a positive growth rate and must contain individuals descended from each of the 14 founding birds to ensure maximum genetic diversity.

4. The non-captive populations must occupy separate territories and not interact with each other. 40 species delisted: Why?

Eastern Population of American Peregrine Falcon: Gray Whale: Brown Pelican Recovery due to Recovery due to Recovery due to Banning of DDT Hunting restrictions Arctic Peregrine Falcon Banning of DDT Captive breeding and (mostly prior to ESA) Recovery due to reintroduction Banning of DDT Brown pelican Pelecanus Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus anatum SE occidentalis SE

Tinian monarch: Hoover’s woolly-star American Alligator: Corrected status Corrected status Corrected status ESA and Habitat Protection

•ESA protects habitats by requiring that federal agencies, through their own actions or actions funded or permitted by them, must not jeopardize the continued existence of an endangered species or its habitat.

•Before any federal agency can begin a project or provide funds or permits for a project that might affect a listed species or its habitat, they are required to consult with U.S. Fish and Wildlife or NMFS over ways to avoid jeopardizing endangered species.

•Jeopardy can be avoided by rejecting the project, modifying it, or mitigation Endangered species - protecting habitats

California gnatcatcher - coastal sage scrub in southern California

Least Bell's Vireo - riparian wetlands in southern California

Stephens kangaroo rat - desert areas of Riverside County

Louisiana black bear - hardwood forests in Louisiana

Red-cockaded woodpecker - eastern pine forests

Mt. Graham red squirrel - mountaintop forest islands in Arizona

Delta smelt - Sacramento river delta

Northern spotted owl - old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest Critical Habitat

• ESA amendment 1978 • Designated minimal area for species survival • Can include private property • Cannot be destroyed • No federally permitted or funded project (including large private developments) are allowed in critical habitat areas (Filling of wetlands and drainages require federal permits). • Economic factors are considered

Review: http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal_register/fr5071.pdf http://www.fws.gov/sacramento/ea/news_releases/2005%20News%20Releases/CRLF_re-pCH_2005_NR.htm Economic factors may be considered when designating critical habitat: For example, economic impacts considered on:

• Hydropower dams • Non-hydropower dams and other water supply structures • Federal lands management, including grazing • Transportation projects • Utility line projects • Instream activities, including dredging • EPA NPDES-permitted activities • Sand and gravel mining • Residential and commercial development

Example: Salmon Critical Habitat Designations and Recovery Plans affecting Orange County, CA

• Six Plants from the mountains surrounding the Los Angeles Basin in Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange counties • Riverside fairy shrimp: 12,060-acre area in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Ventura counties. • Santa Ana sucker: Los Angeles, San Gabriel, and Santa Ana River drainages. • Coastal California gnatcatcher: ~ 513,650 acres in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties. • Tidewater goby: 10 coastal stream segments in Orange and San Diego Counties, California, totaling ~9 linear miles of streams. • Arroyo toad: ~182,360 acres in Monterey, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego Counties • Quino checkerspot butterfly: ~301,010 acres in Riverside and San Diego Counties (Orange County could be involved in recovery plan). Coastal California Gnatcatcher Critical Habitat 2002

http://crithab.fws.gov/ Arroyo Toad critical habitat (500,000 acres proposed June 1, 2000; Final rule 02/06/01protects 182,360 acres)

Map of proposed critical habitat Arroyo Toad Critical Habitat 2005 The arroyo toad (Bufo californicus): in the path of the proposed extension of the Foothills Toll Road San Mateo creek (as is the California gnatcatcher) Critical Habitat Designated in Southern California

Critical Habitat Metropolitan areas

Economic Impact of Critical Habitat Designation • California Coastal Gnatcatcher, $915 million over 20 years; • California tiger salamander, $105 - 411 million; • Inyo California towhee, <$100 million"; • San Bernardino Merriam's kangaroo rat, $4.4 - 28.2 million; • Quino checkerspot butterfly, $3.5 - 14.1 million; • Bay checkerspot butterfly, $6.5 million; Critical Habitat Reversals March 2002: Withdrawal of Critical Habitat designation for Salmon and Steelhead More Critical Habitat Reversals

• March 8, 2002: A federal judge in Los Angeles, responding to a Bush administration request, invalidated the critical habitat designation for the Riverside fairy shrimp

• and the Coastal California gnatcatcher •May 9, 2003: A federal judge threw out critical habitat designation for Alameda whipsnake (Homebuilders Association of Northern California v. USFWS).

•June 2007: San Bernardino kangaroo rat: Critical Habitat proposed reduced from 33,295 acres to 9,079 acres November 2004: Proposal for Critical Habitat designation for Salmon and Steelhead (this time, economic impacts – on development, logging and grazing - were considered)

BUT: The area is reduced to only 20% of what was originally proposed! – This proposal includes ONLY occupied areas, NOT additional areas important for species recovery! Color = Final designation Gray = Proposed but excluded

Sep. 2004: Under court order, USFWS designated Critical Habitat for Endangered Bull Trout: 1,748 miles of streams and 61,235 acres of lakes BUT: Originally proposed: 18,450 miles of streams and 532,700 acres of lakes

Expensive! USFWS Litigation workload (2005): 35 active lawsuits with respect to 57 species, 42 court orders involving 87 species, and 36 notices of intent to sue involving 104 species

• Cost projection for the 283 current candidate species exceeds $150 million.

• These activities are followed by other program actions like recovery, consultation and law enforcement that consume a much larger share of the implementing agencies’ budgets.

AnAn alternativealternative approach:approach:

Natural Communities Conservation Planning (NCCP) NCCP Act, 1991 California Department of Fish and Game •Provides for voluntary cooperation among DFG, landowners, and other interested parties to develop NCCPs which provide for early coordination of efforts to protect listed species or species that are not yet listed. •Purpose is to preserve species and their habitats, while allowing reasonable and appropriate development to occur on affected lands. •Set aside large areas of habitat to protect multiple species (both endangered and not endangered) •In return, the landowners are allowed to develop outside the conservation area even if it means killing endangered species. •The first one was established to protect Coastal Sage Scrub in Orange and San Diego counties Natural Community Conservation Planning:

Subregional Planning areas OrangeOrange CountyCounty Central/CoastalCentral/Coastal NCCPNCCP •Partnership including federal and state wildlife agencies, county and city governments, major landowners and the environmental community

•Approved by the Orange County Board of Supervisors in April 1996.

•Creates reserves of more than 38,000 acres

•Protects 12 major habitat types and 42 species including the three "target species" (the federally listed California gnatcatcher, the Coastal Cactus Wren, the Orange-throated whiptail lizard), and 39 others (including three mammals, eleven birds, six reptiles, three amphibians, and nine plants).

•Managed and monitored by The Nature Reserve of Orange County, a non-profit corporation. •Polar bearsare threatened with extinction because global warming is causing melting of the polar bear’s Polar Bear sea ice habitat. • February 2005: Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace and the Natural Resources Defense listing Council, sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to force them to list polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. • February 8, 2006: Status review. • January 9, 2007: Proposed Rule To List the Polar Bear as Threatened. Final Rule to be published within one year after close of the comment period • January 9, 2008: Interior Department MISSED THE DEADLINE! • Conservation groups claim the Administration delayed the ruling to avoid addressing global warming AND to allow oil leases in the Chukchi Sea to proceed. Filed suit on March 10, 2008 to end the delay. • April 28, 2008: District Court orders the Interior Department to decide by May 15.

Kempthorne announcement

1979 2003 1979 to 2000 1979 to 2000

Arctic Ocean could be entirely ice-free during the summer months by 2013

Distribution of Polar Bear Populations in the Arctic

http://nsidc.org/news/press/2007_seaiceminimum/20070810_index.html Thursday May 15, 2008

Listing Rule 1. Threatened status is effective immediately 2. “scientific data currently available does not draw a causal •NoCritical Habitat connection between GHG designation emissions resulting from a specific •NoRecovery Plan (it Federal action and effects on listed would have to address the climate change Problem) species or critical habitat by climate change” - the listing would not lead to restrictions on Polar Bear Listing emissions of greenhouse gases from any specific source such as power plants, cars or Views of the Oil Industry oil drilling in Arctic waters.

Challenges for the Obama Administration • Backlog of almost 300 candidate species •“Mass listing petition” to list 681 species under the Endangered Species Act, from WildEarth Guardians, March 2008 • These 681 species represent species in only 12 states, include no subspecies, and are only the "most imperiled" in the U.S. • Estimated total is 6,000-9,000 endangered species in the United States today.