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<br />f <br /> <br />0027:J2 <br /> <br />W AIS Document Retrieval <br /> <br />effective in providing for the conservation needs of the southwestern <br />willow flycatcher at Camp Pendleton and in portions of San Diego and <br />Orange counties. Unfortunately, due to imposed time constraints and <br />lack of funding, at this time the Service is not able to undertake <br />further analysis with regard to critical habitat designation although <br />such analysis might ultimately negate the need for designation in areas <br />such as these. . <br />Issue 2: Designation of critical habitat would offer no additional <br />protection above listing; critical habitat can only be designated for <br />areas on which essential biological and physical features are currently <br />found. <br />Service Response: The designation of critical habitat may provide <br />some benefits to the southwestern willow flycatcher by identifying for <br />the public areas important to the species' conservation and <br />highlighting areas important to the species until a recovery plan is <br />adopted, including habitat that is not presently occupied by <br />flycatchers and that may require restoration efforts to support <br />recovery. The areas included in this designation are believed to be <br />justified as providing biological and physical features essential to <br />the flycatcher'S conservation. Nevertheless, the Service generally <br />agrees that the protection afforded by the designation of critical <br />habitat is marginal in comparison to the protective measures provided <br />by the species' listing. Regardless of the perceived benefit of this <br />designation, however, the Service is required to comply with the Court <br />order requiring a final determination on designation within a specified <br />time limit. <br />Issue 3: Critical habitat would not improve the status of the <br />southwestern willow flycatcher because cowbirds, rather than habitat, <br />are the limiting factor. <br />Service Response: The Service recognizes that cowbird parasitism is <br />a major threat to the viability of the southwestern willow flycatcher. <br />That threat is exacerbated by the small size and highly fragmented <br />nature of extant riparian habitats. Habitat suitability for cowbirds, <br />and thus cowbird abundance and rates of parasitism, appear to decrease <br />as habitat size and extent increases, ostensibly because patches with <br />higher ratios of interior to edge habitat are more difficult for <br />cowbirds to penetrate. In addition, larger habitat patches should have <br />more host species. Thus, increasing the size and extent of riparian <br />habitat on a local scale should reduce the rate of cowbird parasitism <br />on southwestern willow flycatchers by decreasing habitat suitability <br />for the cowbird and by increasing the number of non-flycatcher host <br />species that can be parasitized. In many of the small riparian stands <br />inhabited by flycatchers the number of cowbirds may outnumber host <br />species, including the flycatcher. In those areas cowbird management <br />programs will be needed to increase flycatcher reproductive success in <br />the short-term. The Service believes, however, that over the long-term <br />the most effective strategy to reduce the rate and extent of cowbird <br />parasitism is to reduce riparian habitat fragmentation on a regional <br />scale and to vastly increase the size and extent of riparian habitat on <br />a local scale. <br />Issue 4: The proposed critical habitat includes areas with little <br />potential for appropriate habitat and omits areas with known flycatcher <br />breeding groups or areas with high potential for occupancy by <br />flycatchers. <br />Service Response: The Service received many comments from Federal, <br />State, and private entities recommending deletions and additions to <br />proposed critical habitat. In response to public comments, some areas <br />that were included in the proposed rule were found to be proposed in <br />error because they have little or no potential for flycatcher habitat, <br />and were omitted from the final designation. These include: <br />Approximately 5 miles of shoreline at Lake Isabella downstream of the <br />South Fork Wildlife Area, removed due to a lack of potential for <br />habitat to develop along the lakeshore (Kern County, CAli Peck's Lake, <br />removed due to a lack of potential for habitat to develop around <br /> <br />Tuesday, July 22, 1997 <br /> <br />Page 13 of21 <br /> <br />2:0S PM <br />