9552

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9552
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Title: Management Plan for the Big-River Fishes of the Lower Colorado River Basin
• USFW Year: 2004.
• USFW - Doc Type: amendment and supplement to the Bonytail, Humpback chub, Colorado pikeminnow, and Razorback sucker Recovery Plans.
• Copyright Material: NO

System or National Wildlife Refuge System are excluded from the
' requirements of section 7(a)(2) of the Act. For such species, Federal
agencies would only be required to informally confer with the Service, as
delineated in section 7(a)(4). The 10(j) status for Colorado pikeminnow
' extends from Roosevelt Dam upstream in the Salt River and from
Horseshoe Dam upstream to Perkinsville in the Verde River. Restoration
of the Colorado pikeminnow to the Lake Mohave subunit in the fu#ure can
' be accomplished, but will require addressing specific concerns of Arizona
and Nevada. These concerns and issues are identified below.
' In Arizona, AGFD proposed 10(j) populations of Colorado pikeminnow for
the lower basin in the past Future proposals would require AGFD to
complete an Arizona Game and Fish Commission-approved 12-step
' process for developing and approving reestablishment proposals for
nongame and endangered wildlife. In addition to biological, feasibility,
and financial issues, principal concerns with proposals to repatriate this
' species to the lower river would likely focus on effects to cities,
communities, and affected interests along or served by the River. The
Department has not given a position on repatriation of the Colorado
' pikeminnow in the Colorado River mainstem, but it already manages 10(j)
repatriation efforts for the species in Central Arizona. In addition to the
12-step process, any repatriation proposal or implementation effort in
' Arizona would be guided by recovery objectives and objective scientific
evaluation of opportunities to achieve recovery objectives. Collaborative
state-federal development of a 4(d) rule would allow states to address
' incidental take or eventual management of repatriated populations as a
sports fishery.
' In Nevada, Colorado pikeminnow is classified as "Protected Endangered"
under NAC 503.065 (2)(a). Because Colorado pikeminnow may be at
substantially higher risk of incidental take by sport anglers than other "big-
"
' ~ river
fishes, a 10Q) designation for pikeminnow released into areas of the
lower Colorado River mainstem is necessary. As an alternative strategy,

' range wide downlisting to threatened status based on positive progress
and recovery in the upper basin, could be combined with a 4(d) rule that
would allow states to address possible incidental take by anglers.
' Reclassification under NAC to allow sport harvest or catch-and release
angling for Colorado pikeminnow, if the species were to be downlisted to
threatened with appropriate 4(d) rule implementation, would require the
a

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