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Critical Habitat Designation

Critical Habitat Designation. Pacific Salmon and Steelhead Southern Resident Killer Whales. Scope of the 2005 Designation. 19 Species or “ESUs” of Pacific Salmon and Steelhead 13 in WA, OR, ID 7 in CA. Relevance of Critical Habitat .

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Critical Habitat Designation

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  1. Critical Habitat Designation Pacific Salmon and Steelhead Southern Resident Killer Whales

  2. Scope of the 2005 Designation • 19 Species or “ESUs” of • Pacific Salmon and Steelhead • 13 in WA, OR, ID • 7 in CA

  3. Relevance of Critical Habitat • Section 7(a)(2): all federal agencies shall ensure actions they fund, permit or carry out are not likely to: • jeopardize species’ continued existence • destroy or adversely modify critical habitat

  4. What is critical habitat? • Occupied areas with physical or biological features • essential to conservation • may require special management • Unoccupied areas essential for conservationESA §3(5)

  5. Step 1: Identify “Critical Habitat” • Map actual fish distribution • Verify features and special management • Group by watershed into “specific areas” • Identify unoccupied areas essential for conservation

  6. How does it get designated? • Best scientific data • Consider economic, national security, other relevant impacts • May exclude if benefits of exclusion outweigh benefits of designation • (Unless exclusion results in extinction) ESA §4(b)(2) Benefits of Designation Benefits of Exclusion Avoid Impacts Conservation

  7. Step 2: Consider Impacts, Balance Benefits • Benefit of designation is the protection of section 7 (no adverse modification by federal agencies) • Designation also gives notice of areas important to species • Benefits of exclusion (i.e., avoiding impacts) may be economic, national security, or “other”

  8. Balancing Benefits (Economic) • Consider for exclusion areas with a relatively high economic impact and a relatively low conservation value • Made sense with salmon because: • Large number of habitat areas • Not all areas are equally important for conservation • Conservation threshold – don’t exclude if it significantly impedes conservation

  9. Relative Conservation Value of Habitat Areas

  10. Example Exclusion Scenario

  11. Balancing Benefits (Other) • National Security (military readiness during global war on terror) • Conservation partnerships on private land (HCPs) = net conservation benefit • Tribal sovereignty and self-determination (conservation partnership also relevant)

  12. August 2005 - Final Critical Habitat for 12 ESUs of Salmon and Steelhead Net Occupied Habitat Areas = 23,447 miles - Dept. of Defense Sites - Indian Lands - 4 HCP Holders - Economic Impacts Net Designated Habitat Areas = 20,630 miles

  13. Issues • Can habitat that is not literally occupiable meet the definition of critical habitat • How to determine whether an area is occupied (documented vs. BPJ) • What are special management considerations or protection • Does the definition demand a finding of “enough” habitat for conservation

  14. More Issues • What is the real benefit of designation (beyond “jeopardy”) • What about economic and other benefits of designation (such as ecological services) • How do you balance benefits of exclusion against conservation benefits

  15. Southern Resident Killer Whales • Very different species, very different habitat • Marine versus fresh water • Habitat less affected at small scales by human actions

  16. Geographical Area Occupied by the Species Pacific coast from SF Bay to Queen Charlotte Islands Inland waters of Washington Georgia Basin in Canada

  17. Geographical Area Occupied by the Species: Data and Issues Extensive record of sightings compiled by Whale Museum No sightings in Hood Canal within past 20 years Shallow water and tides In ocean, only 28 sightings over 30 yrs

  18. Specific Areas Area 1- core summer area (feeding, resting, socializing) Area 2- Puget Sound area (fall feeding) Area 3- Strait of Juan de Fuca area (mainly migration)

  19. Particular Areas Same as specific areas Plus military areas

  20. Exclusions • No exclusions based on economic impacts • No overlap with tribal lands (waters deeper than 20 feet) • Exclusions based on impacts to national security

  21. Future Actions and Issues • Increased monitoring in coastal waters has resulted in many more sightings • Slightly more information about preferred prey in coastal waters (Chinook salmon) • More analysis of concentrations of prey (Chinook salmon) • National security exclusions?

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