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<br />Reports Indicate Slowdown In Wetlands Loss: On Jan. 9 Interior Secretary Babbitt and Agriculture
<br />Secretary Dan Glickman released two new reports indicating a dramatic slowdown in the loss of wetlands over
<br />the past decade.
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<br />The new report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Status and Trends of Wetlands in the
<br />Conterminous United States 1986 to 1997, shows the rate of wetland loss in the United States has decreased
<br />down to an estimated annual loss of 58,500 acres - an 80 percent reduction compared to the previous decade.
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<br />USDA's National Resources Inventory, a report on the health of America's private lands, also shows
<br />significant reduction in wetland losses. Prepared by the department's Natural Resources Conservation Service,
<br />the report found an average annual net loss from all sources of32,600 acres of wetlands from 1992 to 1997. The
<br />western half of the United States is nearing no net loss while the eastern part saw the largest wetlands loss.
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<br />The DOI Status and Trends report is available on the web at
<br />htto://wetlands.fws.govlbhalSandT/SandTReoort.html ; and the USDA National Resources Inventory is
<br />available at htto://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.govlNRI .
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<br />BLM Publishes Final Rule on Activities in Wilderness Areas: On Dec. l4 the BLM published a final
<br />rule that revises and updates management regulations relating to Wilderness Areas. The final rule applies to 5.5
<br />million acres. The rule does not govern activities in Wilderness Study Areas. The rule takes effect January l6.
<br />Copies of the final wilderness management rule can be obtained from any of the BLM's State Offices or
<br />accessed from the Bureau's national Internet Home Page (at
<br />htlp:/ /www.blm.gov/nhp/news/regulatoryI2000f.html#6300/8560- final).
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<br />Babbitt Speaks at Colorado River Water Users Association Meeting: Secretary Babbitt's remarks
<br />are attached.
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<br />USFWS's Annual Review of Petitioned Species: On Jan 8 the USFWS announced that its annual
<br />review of findings on species petitioned for ESA listing shows that 21 species continue to warrant listing but are
<br />precluded by the need to take higher-priority listing actions first. In addition, five petitions to reclassify species
<br />from threatened to endangered remain warranted, but action is also precluded by the need to address higher-
<br />priority listing actions. The Service determined from the review that one species, the swift fox (U.S. population)
<br />no longer warrants listing under the Act.
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<br />The species petitioned for listing that remain warranted but precluded are: sheath-tailed bat (American
<br />Samoa population), Washington ground squirrel, band-rumped storm petrel (Hawaii population), lesser prairie
<br />chicken, Cagle's map turtle, California tiger salamander, Columbia spotted frog (Great Basin population),
<br />Oregon spotted frog (formerly spotted frog (West Coast population), boreal toad (Southern Rocky Mtns.
<br />population), Arctic grayling (Upper Missouri fluvial population), Gila chub, Sicklefin chub, Sturgeon chub,
<br />Chupadera springsnail, Gila springsnail, New Mexico springsnail, Roswell springsnail, Koster's tyronia snail,
<br />Pecos assiminea snail, coral pink sand dunes tiger beetle, and San Fernando Valley spineflower.
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<br />The five species petitioned for reclassification that remain warranted but precluded are spikedace, loach
<br />minnow, the North Cascades Ecosystem, and the Cabinet- Y aak and Selkirk grizzly bear populations.
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<br />Bush Transition Teams: While alll4 cabinet members have been selected and confirmation hearings
<br />have begun, according to Bush spokesman Ari Fleisher, the transition office has received some 42,000 resumes
<br />for about 7,000 positions. Reportedly, nearly 500 people make up President-Elect Bush's transition advisory
<br />teams, under Clay Johnson, the Executive Director. A 38-member Interior transition advisory team is said to be
<br />led by Ann Klee, Chief Counsel to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Others reportedly
<br />include: Montana Governor Marc Racicot; former Interior secretaries Wally Hickel and Don Hodel; Jim Souby,
<br />Western Governors' Association Executive Director; Gary Taylor, International Association ofFish and Wildlife
<br />Agencies; Tom Kierman, President, National Parks Conservation Association; John Turner, President, The
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