9586

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9586
• Author: Desert Fishes Council.
• Title: Proceedings of the Desert Fishes Council Volume XXVI 1994 Annual Symposium.
• USFW Year: 1994.
• USFW - Doc Type: Furnace Creek, CA.
• Copyright Material: NO

PROCEEDINGS OF THE DESERT FISHES COUNCIL, 1994 SYMPOSIUM
the Salton Sea National Irrigation Water Quality
Program.
IDAHO STATE OFFICE - In an unprecedented
decision, an Idaho district judge removed the Bruneau
Hot Springsnail (Pyrgulopsis bruneauensis) from the
endangered species list on December 14, 1993. The
district court set aside the January 1993 listing of the snail
as endangered because of procedural and due process
violations. However, the district court affirmed the
scientific basis for the listings concluding that "the Fish
and Wildlife Service articulated a rational connection
between the factors identified and the choice made." An
appeal of the district court decision was filed in May 1994
by the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies (LAW Fund);
a decision of this appeal is expected later this year. Also,
the LAW Fund submitted a petition to re-list the
springsnail early in 1994 which the Service is currently
reviewing.
Monitoring of Bruneau Hot Springsnail populations
and the regional ground water aquifer continues
throughout 1994.
The Service received a petition to list the interior
redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdnen) in the
Kootenai drainage as a threatened or endangered species
on April 4, 1994. The 90-day finding for this listing
petition, prepared by the Idaho State office, is currently
under review by the Service. The Idaho State Office has
also received notice that a petition to list the desert
redband trout is likely to be filed in the near future. In
response to this notice, the Idaho State Office is initiating
a status review of the redbands of southwest Idaho.
The Idaho State Office is: (1) working with the
Caribou National Forest to implement management
measures that protect the remaining pure-strain
populations of the Bonneville cutthroat trout
(Oncorhynchus clarki utah) in Idaho, (2) convened an
interagency working group to develop a Conservation
Agreement for long-term protection, and (3) participating
with Region 6 (Service) in a status review of the
sub-species throughout its range. This species of cutthroat
trout is native to the Bonneville basin, similar to the
Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Differences are mainly in
larger, more evenly distributed spots on the sides of the
body and in generally fewer scales in the lateral series.
Found primarily in small headwater streams, they
generally range in size from 2 to 9 in., with lake
populations reaching 30 in.
The Bonneville cutthroat trout is included as a
category 2 candidate (C2) species in the November 21,
1991 Animal Notice of Review (56 FR 58804). In Idaho,
only a few pure-strain stream and one lake populations of
the species remain. This species has declined dramatically
throughout its historic range, especially in Idaho. This
decline has paralleled the introduction of non-native trouts
and continued habitat alteration and destruction of
VOLUME XXVI - published 1995
preferred habitats from grazing and logging practices.
Remaining stream populations occur on the Caribou
National Forest primarily within in the Thomas Fork
drainage; most are located within the Montpelier Elk
Valley Cattle Allotment. The Caribou National Forest in
cooperation with the Caribou Livestock Association,
Idaho Soil Conservation Commission, and Idaho
Department of Fish and Game have finalized a
Conservation Agreement (CA). The CA is being routed
for signature to the cooperating agencies.
In March 1985, the Service (Region 6) prepared a
Proposed rule to list the Bonneville cutthroat trout as
threatened with critical habitat. In subsequent discussions
of the proposed rule with the Forest Service and Idaho,
Utah, and Wyoming Fish & Wildlife staff, the Service
determined that further information was needed prior to
any listing decision. As a prototype for two CA's being
finalized for this species, the Service will be closely
monitoring the implementation and compliance of this
CA. In Idaho, the Caribou Livestock Association
represents 17 livestock permittee for the Montpelier Elk
Valley cattle allotment. The Association intends to sign
the CA.
The Idaho State Office initiated a letter to the
Regional office requesting that regional coordination of
bull trout issues be conducted out of the Idaho State
Office. This request also means establishment of a
regional coordinator for these issues. The Idaho
Department of Fish and Game is considering the
establishment of a comparable position for Idaho. The
intent of these two positions will be to work with all
entities to implement the April 4, 1994 Conservation
Strategy for Bull Trout (CSBT).
The CSBT, which was written by a interagency
team from Idaho, has been recognized as a key document
for recovery by all State Fish and Wildlife agencies, the
U.S. Forest Service, and the BLM Districts that are
affected by the species candidate status. Other State Fish
and Game agencies, the Forest Service, and BLM are
adopting the CSBT and modifying it to local conditions.
It remains to be seen just how pervasive implementation
will be done. By implementing the CSBT through a
sub-basin approach, manageable Conservation
Agreements can be developed that will allow for annual
compliance and review. This will put the Service in a very
strong position to judge whether threats are being reduced
and the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms are
being addressed when conducting the annual review of the
status of bull trout under a Cl category. In Idaho, the
Idaho Department of Fish and Game does not want to
loose its authority to manage fish resources in streams and
rivers where bull trout are found. The BLM and Forest
service do not want to address another listed fish species
which has a broad range in Idaho. All these agencies
appear to be motivated to implement the CSBT.
9