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