NANFA-- FW: FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES

Nick Zarlinga (njz_at_clevelandmetroparks.com)
Tue, 1 Apr 2003 07:38:49 -0500

fyi

Nick Zarlinga
Aquarium Biologist
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
216.661.6500 ext 4485

For Immediate Release: March 28, 2003
Contacts: Chris Tollefson, (FWS) 202-219-8104
Gordon Helm, (NMFS) 301-713-2370

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE
ANNOUNCE
POLICY FOR EVALUATION OF CONSERVATION EFFORTS WHEN MAKING ESA LISTING
DECISIONS

The Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the
Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries)
announced a policy today that should help guide states, local, Tribal
and
foreign governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals in their
efforts to restore populations of declining species before they require
the
protection of the Endangered Species Act.

The Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts (PECE) will
ensure
consistent and adequate evaluation of current and future conservation
efforts when considering species for addition to the federal list of
threatened and endangered species. The policy identifies certain
criteria
that the two agencies will use in determining whether a future or
recently
implemented conservation effort, such as habitat restoration or
protection,
has contributed to the long-term survival of a species making listing
that
species unnecessary, or has contributed to improving the status of a
species to the extent that it should be listed as threatened rather than
endangered.

"We hope this policy will encourage active conservation efforts
before a species and its habitat are critically imperiled. Such efforts
will increase the likelihood that simple, cost- effective conservation
actions are undertaken to reverse population declines and prevent the
need
to list some species," said Interior Secretary Gale Norton.

"By working closely with local governments, individuals and other
concerned groups, we can encourage faster, more comprehensive protection
for species at risk," Commerce Secretary Don Evans said. "These
conservation efforts will improve our ability to protect marine species
before there is a need to list them under the Endangered Species Act."

In order for a conservation effort to affect the listing decision,
the PECE policy requires the agencies to find that the effort is certain
to
be implemented and sufficiently effective. Such criteria include
identification of explicit conservation objectives and dates for
achieving
them, steps necessary to implement the efforts, and standards for
measuring
progress.

"I am committed to working closely with states and others to
develop
conservation efforts that could eliminate the threats to a species
before
it requires the protections of the Endangered Species Act," said Dr.
Bill
Hogarth, assistant administrator for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) fisheries service. "This policy will let everyone
know up-front how NOAA Fisheries and the FWS will evaluate conservation
efforts."

Early conservation efforts have been a valuable tool in
eliminating
threats to species, preventing the need to add them to the list of
threatened and endangered species. Such efforts prompted the U.S. Fish
and
Wildlife Service to withdraw proposals to list the pecos pupfish in New
Mexico and Texas, the Virgin River spinedace in Utah and the southern
population of the copperbelly water snake in Kentucky, Illinois and
Indiana.

"States have been working in partnership with the Services and
other
organizations and individuals to conserve candidate species for years.
This policy recognizes that they can and do make a real contribution to
the
long-term survival and recovery of declining species," said U.S. Fish
and
Wildlife Service Director Steve Williams.

The Services are committed to working closely with states and
others
to develop conservation efforts that could eliminate the threats to a
species before it requires the protections of the Endangered Species
Act.
More information about the PECE policy can be found on the Fish and
Wildlife Service website at: http://endangered.fws.gov, or on the NOAA
Fisheries website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife
Refuge
System, which encompasses more than 540 national wildlife refuges,
thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also
operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78
ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal
wildlife
laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird
populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and
restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign
governments
with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the federal aid
program
that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on
fishing
and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is the principal steward of
the
nation's living marine resources, protecting marine and anadromous
species
under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
An
agency of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, NOAA Fisheries also regulates the nations commercial and
recreational fisheries and conserving and managing marine species under
the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act throughout
federal
waters which extend 200 miles from the coastline.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national
safety
through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related
events
and providing environmental stewardship of our nation=s coastal and
marine
resources.

For more information online please visit:
U.S Fish and Wildlife Service - http://www.fws.gov
NOAA - http://www.noaa.gov
NOAA Fisheries - http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov
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