WSP03121

• File Number: 8065
• Description: Section D General Statewide Issues - Endangered Species Act - Fisheries
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 9/21/1983
• Author: Federal Register
• Title: Federal Register - DOI-FWS - Endangered and Threatened Species Listing and Recovery Priority Guidelines
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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OJ2931

43104 Federal Register I Vol. 48. No. 184 I Wednesday. September 21. 19S:J I Notices

which, if applicable. elevates the apeciea understood. anll how much management prudent alternatives 10 avoid. negalive (
in priority for development of a recovery Is needed. biological opinion. would be aasigned to
plan and is to be an additional element Priority will be given to those apecies Ihe conflict category and would be given
in detennining what actions are to be and projects that offer the greatest priority over all olher candidates for
implemented for the recovery of a potential for success. The recovery recovery plan preparation and
species. This fourth factor gives priority potential of a species will be determined implementation in the same numerical
within each category in the preparation by consideration of the following category not involving 8 conflict. The
of recovery plans to those species that criteria: Service would also contact other
are. or may be, in conflict with Federal agencies for their identification
construction or other development of listed species that are. or may be, in
projects or other forms of economic H.gh recov...,. Low tfIICDiwy conflict with construction or other
111 polentlal poIentlal
activity. us. the species will retain its development projects or other forms of
numerical rank. and will acquire the 8iolo9aI''''''' WIlllUI'INmoocl._.... Poorly understood. economic activity. Any species
leller designation of "e" indicating _." identified by this process would be
conflict. e.g.. priority 7 would become ~~actorI. w.ll ~ Poorty..merslOOd assigned to the conflict category and
7C. The categories would be assigned as~. eulyal..-led. orl*Y"llV'e and would also be given priority over other
follows:' . em~. :=~e~ candidates for recovery plan
T ~ ManItgIInl8nl ~ ll'\tllnww preparation and implementation within
ABLE 3.-nECOYERY PRIORITY I'IMded '. ~I not ~n8:;~ the same numerical category (see Table
~ wen prababoIlt'f or 3) not involving a conflict.
~~WIttI:=:: A task priority (1-3) is used in
oIlU:C8IS- unknoWn or stin conjunction with species recovery
--tal. numberall-18 or 1e-18C) in ranking
'~1IQr:ISibNI am biclIogcalIy "'SIbIe. datil perlInenl to those tasks that need to be
the recowe<y 01 . pertlCUlar Ibon ",H be .ll'll'apol.lec! from accomplished for the recovery of a
k~ -=oIogcaI rtMPl"~ 01' ~ttecnnoqun
101' cloMly....led lUL species. This combination results in a
two-tiered priority system (species
recovery number-task priority number)
which serves to distribute the resources
of the program equitably for all listed
species. Recovefl' tasks will be aSJ;igne(
priorities based on the following:
1. Priority 1~ An action that must be
taken to preve.nt extinction or 10 prevent
the species from declining irreversibly.
2. Priority 2. An aclion that must be
laken to prevent a significant decline in
species population/habitat quality. or
Borne other significant negative impact
short of extinction.
3. Priority 3. All other actions
necessary to provide for full recovery of
the species. (Recognizing th.1 the
ultimate success of the Program is
species recovery. priority 3 action likely
to lead to full recovery and delisting of a
species in the foreseesble future will
tend to rank higher than other priority 3
actions.)
The highest priority activity (research
proposal. pennit proposal. etc.) is a le-l
priority (species recovery number 1C;
task priority number 1).
This is an action necessary to prevent
extinctiQll for 8 monotypic genus. with a
high recovery potential. under a high
degree of threat and in conflict with a
construction or other development
project. If reSources were channeled into
ac.tiv~ties based solely on the recovery
pr10nty of a species. these resources
would be utilized primarily [or species
with a recovery priority of lC to 6. (
~owev~r, wh~n th~ species' priority is
Viewed In conJunchon with the task
priority. we are able to identify the most
critical activities for all species. This
system would insure that resources are

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Low..___.. - QII"US..._m.. .. .OC. ...
Low........_____ _....__...m........__ 11 11C. 11_
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........---.. -- ~........_. 12 13C. 12.
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lDIr..____.. _.----.----m-.-. 17 .70, 17.
Low......_........_ ",-.---..-.---.- ,. 'OC. .S

Explanation. The first step for the
conservation of any species is to prevent
its extinction. Thus the species with the
highest degree of threat hsve the highest
priority for preparing snd implementing
recovery plans. A species can be put in
either a high. moderate. or low category,
whicb represents the degree of threst.
The high categoI;' means extinction is
almost certain in the immediate future
because of B rapid population decline or
habitat destruction. Moderate means the
species will not lace extinction if
recovery is temporarily held off.
although there is continual population
decline or threat to its habitat. A species
in the low category is rare, or is facing a
population decline which may be a
short-renn, self-correcting fluctuation, or
the impacts of threats of the species'
habitat are not fully known.
Within the above categories,
resources should be used in the most
cost-effective manner. Priority for
preparing and implementing recovery
plans would go to species with the
greatest potential for success. Recovery
potential is based on how well
. biological and ecological limiting factora
and threats to the species' existence are

Taxa that are most genetically distinct
should receive priority within Bny given
category of degree of threat. Monotypic
genera will be given priority over
species. subspecies. or populations. This
last criterion is in recognition that the
loss of lhe most genetically distinct taxa
is of greater significance than the 1099 of
'Iess genetically distinct taxa. That is. for
example. the los. of . full genus ia of
greater significance than the loss of a
single species or population of that
species.
The second requirement concerning
recovery plans mandated by the 1982
Amendments is that priority be given to
those species "that are. or may be. in
conflict with construction or other
development projects or other forms of
economic activity." This requirement
will be satisfied by hsving any listed
species or subspecies, lacking a
recovery plan. and identified as being.
or having B recognizable potential for
being. in conflict with a construction or
development project, automatically
qualify for the conflict column of the
matrix. This species would then be
considered bigh priority for having a
recovery plsn developed.
Conflict with construction or other
development project. would be
identified in large part by consullations
conducted with Federal agencies under
Section 7 of the Act. Any specie.
identified through Section 7
consultations as having generated a
negative biological opinion which
concluded that a given proposed project
would violate Section 7la)(2) of the
Endangered Species Act or resulted in
the recommendation of reasonable and

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