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BLM/AP file photo This undated image provided by the Bureau of land Management shows the Sand Mountain blue butterfly at the Sand Mountain Recreation Area east of Fallon.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Tuesday it will initiate a 12-month status review of the Sand Mountain blue butterfly, following its 90-day finding on a petition filed by several environmental groups seeking to list the butterfly as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
The announcement of the status review does not immediately affect the Sand Mountain Recreational Area, said Bob Williams, Nevada field supervisor for the USFWS in Reno.
"This finding carries no regulatory power under the ESA. We're just letting folks know there was a positive finding," Williams said.
In a release from the USFWS, Steve Thompson, manager of the California/Nevada operations office said, "Our finding is based on scientific information contained in the petition to list the butterfly. The finding does not mean that the service has decided it is appropriate to list the Sand Mountain blue butterfly. It is the first step in a process that triggers a more thorough review of all the biological information available. We encourage the public to submit any relevant information about the butterfly and its habitat."
The announcement of the status review does not immediately affect the Sand Mountain Recreational Area, said Bob Williams, Nevada field supervisor for the USFWS in Reno.
"This finding carries no regulatory power under the ESA. We're just letting folks know there was a positive finding," Williams said.
In a release from the USFWS, Steve Thompson, manager of the California/Nevada operations office said, "Our finding is based on scientific information contained in the petition to list the butterfly. The finding does not mean that the service has decided it is appropriate to list the Sand Mountain blue butterfly. It is the first step in a process that triggers a more thorough review of all the biological information available. We encourage the public to submit any relevant information about the butterfly and its habitat."
A petition to list the butterfly as threatened or endanger was submitted to the Department of the Interior by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Xerces Society, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the Nevada Outdoor Recreation Association in April 2004.
The groups submitted a 26-page petition which lists the species of the blue butterfly, its host plant the Kearney buckwheat and evidence of the plant's declining habitat at Sand Mountain. The petition contains satellite photos showing an increase in the number of trails at the site as well as photos taken over a 26-year span that illustrates the decline in the buckwheat. The petition extrapolated that since the buckwheat habitat has declined, the butterfly is threatened.
Daniel Patterson, ecologist and director of the Deserts and Endangered Species Outreach for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the positive result of the 90-day finding is a benefit to the butterfly.
"From a conservation perspective, we will consider this a very good thing to prevent it from going extinct," he said. "Without some real protection, the Sand Mountain blue could be lost forever."
The groups submitted a 26-page petition which lists the species of the blue butterfly, its host plant the Kearney buckwheat and evidence of the plant's declining habitat at Sand Mountain. The petition contains satellite photos showing an increase in the number of trails at the site as well as photos taken over a 26-year span that illustrates the decline in the buckwheat. The petition extrapolated that since the buckwheat habitat has declined, the butterfly is threatened.
Daniel Patterson, ecologist and director of the Deserts and Endangered Species Outreach for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the positive result of the 90-day finding is a benefit to the butterfly.
"From a conservation perspective, we will consider this a very good thing to prevent it from going extinct," he said. "Without some real protection, the Sand Mountain blue could be lost forever."
Patterson said there are only 1,000 acres left "on the whole planet" for the Sand Mountain blue and conservation groups would like to see it protected.
Off-road groups, however, see the positive 90-day finding as a step closer to listing the butterfly as endangered. Jon Crowley, owner of DuneGuide.com and past president of the Friends of Sand Mountain off-road vehicle group, said in a prepared statement the blue butterfly is just a subspecies of a larger group of butterflies found in the Great Basin with slight color and genitalia differences.
Crowley also said "classification of a subspecies is arbitrary, artificial and subjective depending on who's in charge. But once this new subspecies has been recognized, it can then have the same full protection under the Endangered Species Act as a bald eagle.
"Are these minor geographical variances worthy of federal protection and the enormous cost associated with protecting it? The Endangered Species Act has fallen victim to unintended consequences, politics, and counter-productive lawsuits filed by environmental extremists."
Off-road groups, however, see the positive 90-day finding as a step closer to listing the butterfly as endangered. Jon Crowley, owner of DuneGuide.com and past president of the Friends of Sand Mountain off-road vehicle group, said in a prepared statement the blue butterfly is just a subspecies of a larger group of butterflies found in the Great Basin with slight color and genitalia differences.
Crowley also said "classification of a subspecies is arbitrary, artificial and subjective depending on who's in charge. But once this new subspecies has been recognized, it can then have the same full protection under the Endangered Species Act as a bald eagle.
"Are these minor geographical variances worthy of federal protection and the enormous cost associated with protecting it? The Endangered Species Act has fallen victim to unintended consequences, politics, and counter-productive lawsuits filed by environmental extremists."
Crowley ended his statement by calling for the reform of the Endangered Species Act.
Williams said the conservation plan, which was agreed upon by Lahontan Valley Environmental Alliance, the Bureau of Land Management, the city and county, the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe and two off-road vehicle groups, will be taken into consideration by the USFWS when conducting the 12-month status review.
Williams said he was pleased to see the various groups working together to help mitigate the threats against the butterfly. He said the 12-month status review will be conducted by a USFWS staff botanist and will be concluded by April 2007. The 90-day finding is calculated into the 12-month review.
Williams said the conservation plan, which was agreed upon by Lahontan Valley Environmental Alliance, the Bureau of Land Management, the city and county, the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe and two off-road vehicle groups, will be taken into consideration by the USFWS when conducting the 12-month status review.
Williams said he was pleased to see the various groups working together to help mitigate the threats against the butterfly. He said the 12-month status review will be conducted by a USFWS staff botanist and will be concluded by April 2007. The 90-day finding is calculated into the 12-month review.
