Species Listing and Critical Habitat Regulations
Endangered Species Act
Listing Process
How does a species get listed?
Petitions for listing
Surveys conducted by FWS and other agencies
Other substantiated reports on field studies
Anyone may petition FWS to have a species listed or removed from the list.
Findings are required before any proposal is published in the Federal Register.
Listing Process
What are the criteria for listing?
5 Main Factors:
Present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of a species habitat or range;
Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes;
Disease or predation;
Inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or
Other natural or man-made factors affecting its continued existence.
Implications of Listing
Protection from effects from Federal activities
Restrictions on take
Requirement that the FWS develop
• Recovery Plans
• Critical Habitat
Implications of Listing
Section 9 Illegal to take, possess, harm, harass, etc. any listed species
Section 7 Applies to federal actions - listed species AND Critical Habitat
Consultation with USFWS is required
“Incidental Take” –provided that jeopardy is avoided
Section 10Applies to non-federal actions
Requires preparation of a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).
“Incidental Take” –provided that jeopardy is avoided
Definition: Areas of habitat believed to be essential to the species' conservation
Purpose: Restricts the actions of federal agencies that have the potential to destroy or adversely modify critical habitat – regardless of whether the habitat is occupied.
Critical Habitat
Critical Habitat
What are the criteria used in designating critical habitat?
Physical and biological features needed for life processes and successful reproduction of the species.
• Space for individual and population growth and for normal behavior;
• Cover or shelter;
• Food, water, air, light, minerals, or other nutritional or physiological requirements;
• Sites for breeding and rearing offspring; and
• Habitats that are protected from disturbances or are representative of the historic geographical and ecological distributions of a species
Delisting
How can species be taken off the endangered and threatened species list?
Extinction
New evidence of additional populations
Recovery
Legislative action
Delisting
Since 1973, Approximately fifty species out of 2,000 have been delisted
22 due to recovery
Nine due to extinction (seven of which were extinct prior to being listed)
The remaining due to other changes or listing errors
Santa Ana SuckerBiology and Endangered Species Regulations
From USFWS
From Moyle
Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Biology
Appearance
• Small , less than 6 inches
• “sucker” mouth
• Blotchy on the back, silver belly
Food requirements
• Algae and some invertebrates (when adult)
• Forages by gleaning “sucking” algae off rocks
From USFWS
From Press Enterprise
Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Biology
Reproduction
• Produce massive numbers of eggs
• Quickly repopulates streams
Life Span
• Short-lived: 1-2 years; max of 5 years
Habitat
• Small and shallow streams
• Cool water
• Varying currents : swift to sluggish
• Gravel, rubble, boulders
• Clean and clear water
From Press Enterprise
Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Biology
Distribution - historical
• L.A. Basin: L.A., San Gabriel, Santa Ana Rivers in L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino Cos
• From Pacific Ocean to S.B. National Forest
Distribution – Current
• Lower and middle Santa Ana River
• East, West, North forks of San Gabriel
• Lower Big Tujunga
• Also Santa Clara but considered to be introduced
From ICE, UCDavis
Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Listing History
Historical Population Size
• Considered to be “common” in the 1970s
• L.A. River: was historically present
• San Gabriel: common below Morris Dam
• Santa Ana River: abundant
Current population sizes
• L.A. River: extirpated
• Lower Big Tujunga: fluctuates widely from 0 to 1000s
• San Gabriel River: fewer than 5,000
• Santa Ana River: few hundred to few thousand
• Lost 75 % of the native range
Listed as Threatened by USFWS in 2000
• Reasons for listing: Massive habitat changes and introduced species
Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Listing History
Critical Habitat
• Initially 2004 – 21,000 acres
• Final 2005 – 8,305 acres
• Revised final in 2010 – 9,331 acres
Critical Habitat Includes• Lower and middle Santa Ana
River
• East, West, North forks of San Gabriel
• Lower Big Tujunga
Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Critical Habitat
Primary Constituent Elements
• Functioning Hydrological system with peaks and ebbs in water flow
• Loose sand, gravel, cobble, boulder with riffles, runs and pools
• Water depth greater than 3 cm
• Velocity greater than 0.03 m/s
• Non-turbid
• Temperature less than 30 C
• Habitat with algae, emergent and riparian vegetation
Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)5-year Review
Ranked as 5C on a 1-18 scale
• High degree of threat
• Low potential for recovery
• Taxon is a full species
• “C” indicates construction activity is a threat
Threats (per the 5-year review)
• Loss of water
• Pollution
• Urbanized setting of the Santa Ana River
From Orange Co. Water Dist.
Santa Ana Sucker (Catastomus santaanae)Other Protective Actions/Agencies
Western Riverside MSCHP – Species Specific and Landscape Considerations
• Main stem Santa Ana River and tributaries: 3,870 acres
• Adjacent habitat and vegetation for shade
• Assess how to restore connectivity
• Assess threats, implement management
Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority
• Santa Ana Sucker Conservation Team
• Goal is to determine the reasons for the decline
• Develop strategies for the recovery