Plan seeks to limit
'critical habitat' cases
By Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune
WASHINGTON -- The Bush
administration issued new guidance Wednesday
seeking to limit the cases in which it will
designate "critical habitat" meant to preserve
endangered animals but which often infuriates
Western landowners.
Under the letter sent to Fish and Wildlife
field offices, the restrictions associated with
critical habitat will be imposed only when they
are supported by sound science and economic
analysis and will be used only in limited areas
that are vital to species conservation.
The new guidelines also instruct the field
offices not to designate critical habitat if other
conservation steps already are in place.
"The present system for designating critical
habitat is broken," Craig Manson, the Interior
Department's assistant secretary in charge of
endangered species programs, told the House
Resources Committee.
He said court orders stemming from
environmental lawsuits are now consuming the bulk
of the Fish and Wildlife Service's resources, and
the process often bears little fruit for the
endangered animals and breeds ill-will among
private landowners.
The group Defenders of Wildlife agreed that
the system for protecting habitat is broken, but
said the administration has failed to offer a
credible alternative.
In the 30 years since the Endangered Species
Act was passed, 1,304 plants and animals have been
listed and only a dozen have recovered, according
to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Manson said those numbers show that the goal
of the Endangered Species Act -- the recovery of
the species -- is not being met.
Utah has 19 animal species and 24 types of
plants listed as threatened or endangered,
including the bald eagle, the black-footed ferret
and the California condor. Wayne County alone has
habitat for 19 different threatened or endangered
species.
In recent years, there have been heated
disputes about protected critical habitat for the
desert tortoise, Mexican spotted owl and
southwestern willow flycatcher in southern Utah,
where the designations have restricted land use by
ranchers and off-road recreationists.
The House committee debated a proposal
Wednesday that would require the Fish and Wildlife
Service to weigh the direct and indirect economic
impact of protecting areas as critical habitat.
It also requires the agency to prepare a
recovery plan before designating critical habitat,
a proposal that has been pushed by both the Bush
and Clinton administrations. The change would
postpone the protection of the land, but would
ensure there is a scientific basis for closing off
areas.
Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, said that state and
local governments and private landowners have been
burdened by critical-habitat designations that are
not supported by sound science.
"Clearly, many changes to the ESA and the
process of designating critical habitat are
needed," he said in a statement. "It is time to
bring science and common sense to the ESA. By
allowing local governments and landowners into the
designation process, we will reduce the amount of
litigation clogging our courtrooms and protect
needed areas."
