The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a new proposal
for critical habitat for
bull trout throughout its five-state range. The
proposal includes 21,694 miles of
stream habitat in Montana,
Idaho, Washington,
Oregon and Nevada,
985 miles
of marine shoreline in the Olympic peninsula and Puget Sound in
western
Washington,
and 533,426 acres of reservoirs and lakes. Unlike the previous critical
habitat
designations that were challenged by Friends of the Wild Swan and Alliance
for
the Wild Rockies because they were sparse and fragmented, this proposal
includes federal lands, reservoirs and unoccupied habitat that is necessary
for
migration and foraging.
Bull trout need cold, clean water with little fine
sediment to successfully spawn
and rear. At about two years of age they migrate
from their spawning stream and
mature in lakes or rivers, traveling as far as
150 miles. They return to their natal
stream to spawn but unlike salmon make
the journey between stream and lake
many times in their life. Their stringent
habitat requirements make them an
excellent indicator of water quality. A
critical habitat designation that incorporates
the five C's: Clean, Cold,
Complex, Connected and Comprehensive will facilitate
the survival and recovery
of bull trout. The current proposal will go a long way
towards that goal.
Please take a minute to contact the Fish and Wildlife
Service.
• Let them know that you support the proposed critical
habitat designation.
If areas are not included but should be - give them as
much information as you
can about the stream, river or lake such as bull trout
current status and
habitat threats.
• Let them know that federal lands MUST be included in a
final designation.
Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management plans are not a
surrogate for
critical habitat.
• Tell them you support unoccupied habitat in the final
designation.
Maintaining connectivity or reconnecting core areas is crucial to
recovering
bull trout.
A comprehensive critical habitat for bull trout provides
benefits to
other aquatic species and protects or restores water quality for
people.
For more information go to: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/bulltrout or http://www.wildrockiesalliance.org
To submit comments by March 15, 2010:
Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: RIN
1018-AW88; Division of Policy
and Directives Mgmt.; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive,
Suite 222;
Arlington, VA 22203
Federal eRulemaking Portal:
http://www.regulations.gov. In the "Enter Keyword
or ID" box enter the docket
number which is FWSR1-ES-2009-0085. Check the
"Open for Comment/Submission" box
and then click the Search button.
You should then see an icon that reads
"Submit a Comment."
