7943

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7943
• Author: Getches, D. H.
• Title: As Wildlife Goes, So Goes The West, ‎(for the annual meeting of The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies)‎.
• USFW Year: 1985.
• USFW - Doc Type: July 17, 1985.
• Copyright Material: NO

THROUGH ~J:~RASK^. THAT EXPERIENC~ GI \.ES US HOPE THAT PRACTICAL
SOLUT10NS ARE POSSIBLE.

IF IT IS USED PROPFRL Y, THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT CAN BE A

MEANS OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO SOL\E SERIOUS HABITAT CONSER\ATION

PROBLEMS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL. V/HEN DE \fLOPMENT P~ESSES IN SO HARD

ON THE Nll.TIJRAL ENVIRONMENT THAT SURVI\A'\L OF A SPECIES IS IN JEOPARDY

\t~ NEE!) T:) PAUSE AND ASK WHETHER OUR O\'/N EX I STENCE , OR AT LEAST I)UR

LIFESTYLE THAT IS SO DEPENDENT ON NATURAL AMENITIES, MAY BE IN

JEOPARfW. THE BELLWETHER OF AN ENDANGERED SPECIES CAN PROVIDE A

POIGNANT \'IAR~ING ~'JHEN DE\ELOPMENT SHOULD PROCEED \^lITH SPECIAL CARL

THE PROCESS CAN ALSO ALERT THE DE \.ELOPER ABOUT UN/II SE DE \ELOPMENT

DECISIONS. YET THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF MISUSING THE POWERFUL

f''lEDlCINE OF THE ~NDANGERED SPECIES AcT FOR ULTERIOR r'1OTI \fS.

A MAJOR V-IATER PROJECT HAS BEEN PLANNED TO HELP METROPOLITAN

DEN \fR ~1EET ITS FUTURE WATER NEEDS. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE MONT ANE

SKIPPER BUTTERFLY LI \ES IN A CANYON THAT ~"OULD BE FLOODED UNDER O~IE OF

THE MOST LIKELY PLANS FOR A RESER\OIR. THE LA\'I MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO

BLOCK THE RE SER \0 IR, BUT I TH I NK IT WOULD PER \€ RT THE PURPOSES OF THE

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT TO DO SO. THE AcT SHOULD NOT BE A SHOW STOPPER

FOR H~PORTANT DE \fLOPMENT PROJECTS . ULTIMATELY THE BACKLASH AGAINST

SUCH USE OF THE STATUTE COULD LEAD TO THE LAW'S DEMISE. AND IN THIS

CASE IT IS A DISTRACTION FROM SE\ERAL OTHER GENUINE HABITAT ISSUES.

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