Laserfiche WebLink
Q. How does designation of critical habitat affect Native American water <br />rights and projects? <br />A. Designation of critical habitat does not take water rights away from <br />anyone. <br />The Endangered Species Act applies to all of the United States. No area <br />or entity within the boundaries of the United States is exempt from the <br />Act. Section 7 of the Act applies to any Federal action involving private <br />or tribal lands. Section 9 of the Act, which applies to listed species on <br />private and tribal lands, prohibits "take" of listed species, including <br />destruction of habitat on tribal lands, that results in the take of one <br />or more of the four endangered fish species. In addition, if there is a <br />Federal action involving tribal lands that may affect critical habitat, <br />consultation must be initiated pursuant to CFR 402.14. <br />The Service will work with the tribes to live up to the Federal <br />government's trust responsibility and to maintain compliance with the <br />Act. <br />Q. Do these decisions about critical habitat for endangered fish mean the <br />Fish and Wildlife Service places a greater importance on fish than <br />people? <br />A. Saving endangered species benefits people. Wildlife species are <br />disappearing from the earth at an alarming rate. For example, the Fish <br />and Wildlife Service has listed nearly 900 animal and plant species as <br />endangered or threatened since the Act was passed. This loss of species <br />is a warning that the ecosystems we live in and depend on are unraveling. <br />By saving endangered species, we can help maintain balance in nature, <br />preserve species for future generations, provide opportunities for <br />wildlife watching that can boost local tourism, solve environmental <br />problems that also impact human health and conserve unique genetic <br />material that one day could improve the quality of our lives. <br />The endangered Colorado squawfish, razorback sucker, bonytail chub and <br />humpback chub exist in the Colorado River and nowhere else on earth. <br />Their decline mirrors a larger trend in which 40 species and subspecies <br />of fish have become extinct in North America this century. Recovering <br />these fish means maintaining for the future the Colorado squawfish, which <br />is believed to have evolved 3 million years ago and has been known to <br />grow up to 6 feet long and migrate 200 or more miles to spawn. It also <br />means saving part of the heritage of the West. <br />In addition, the Recovery Program is aimed at saving these fish while <br />also providing for future water development. This successful program has <br />prevented the need for water - related litigation on upper Colorado River <br />Basin projects and has enabled the Fish and Wildlife Service to issue <br />favorable biological opinions on 125 water projects with a potential to <br />deplete 176,000 acre -feet of water. <br />