7994

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7994
• Author: Duff, D. A., Tech. Ed.
• Title: Conservation Assessment For Inland Cutthroat Trout, Distribution, Status and Habitat Management Implications.
• USFW Year: 1996.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

PREFACE

This conselVation assessment for inland cutthroat trout focuses on five subspecies found largely
on national forest system (NFS) lands in the Rocky Mountain and Intermountain West in the United
States from the Canadian to Mexican borders. While all cutthroat trout were derived from a common
ancestor, the divergence of these subspecies has occurred at different rates to the extent that
one subspecies was proposed for elevation to full species status (Allendorf and Leary 1988) and
another may be composed of up to three genetically distinguishable groups (Shiozawa and Evans
1994). The USDA Forest SelVice (FS) selected these five subspecies because they have been
designated as species of special concern or sensitive species, and have become increasingly
rare in occurrence throughout their historic range. They occupy lands managed under a variety
of jurisdictions and multiple-use management. Some land management activities continue to
place them at risk and trending toward further decline to extinction. Subspecies already listed
under the Endangered Species Act, even though they may not be stable and secure, and those
of uncertain taxonomic status were not considered.

The primary goal of the assessment is to summarize the current conselVation status, distribution,
and range for each subspecies. Recent treatises (Behnke 1992; Gresswell 1988; Reiman et al
1993; USDA FS 1995) summarized portions of this knowledge dealing with life histories, habitat
relationships, and management and research needs, but this assessment focuses more specifically
on historic and current status and management' needs. The variability in length among these
chapters reflects not only the variability in our knowledge but the degree to which data is available
and cataloged for management use; but, not surprisingly, the most abundant subspecies seem
to be also the best studied. A companion document (USDA FS 1995) identified the current state
of scientific knowledge of each subspecies.

A second goal of the assessment is to help forest and land managers make well informed decisions
on land use activities and management that could have consequences for either placing these
species at further risk or for providing habitat conselVation measures for their recovery. For most
populations of these subspecies, some data is available upon which to base an informed and
coordinated decision making to conselVe the species and its habitat on NFS lands. Inventories to
ascertain fish occurrence, abundance and distribution, coupled with genetic analyses, are currently
underway in each geographic area occupied by these subspecies, and additional inventories will
be necessary to identity the total phenotypic and genotypic variability of each subspecies. to
recognize evolutionarily unique stocks, and to predict their interrelationship and response to
management. Current management and future research must center not only on these information
gaps, but also on the available state of scientific knowledge for these subspecies to perpetuate
their existence.

It is implicit within this document and in each chapter that these indigenous fishes are worth
saving, and that we have an ethical, legal and moral obligation as an agency, and as professional
managers and scientists to prevent them being placed further at risk and accelerated toward
extinction (Frankel and Soule 1981). Though many readers may share that vision, the choice of
tactics to achieve it will not be unanimous, but consensus must be achieved. Agency partners,
individuals, state and federal agencies, and interest groups, will differ in their desire to see federal
listing for these subspecies under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). However, their common
focus should be to maintain stewardship of and for the land. It is the policy and management
objective of the FS to provide adequate habitat and viable populations of these subspecies on
NFS lands to assure their secure and stable or expanding status without tending to place them
at further risk that would lead them toward ESA listing. Because these fish are vulnerable to extinction,

ii