Critical%20Habitat%20Designation

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Critical Habitat Designation

• for Pacific Salmon and Steelhead

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Scope of the 2005 Designation

• 19 Species or ESUs of
• Pacific Salmon and Steelhead
• 13 in WA, OR, ID
• 7 in CA

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Relevance of Critical Habitat

• Section 7(a)(2) all federal agencies shall
  ensure actions they fund, permit or carry out are
  not likely to
• jeopardize species continued existence
• destroy or adversely modify critical habitat

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What is critical habitat?

• Occupied areas with physical or biological
  features
• essential to conservation
• may require special management
• Unoccupied areas essential for conservation ESA
  3(5)

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Step 1 Identify Critical Habitat

• Map actual fish distribution
• Verify features and special management
• Group by watershed into specific areas
• Identify unoccupied areas essential for
  conservation

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How does it get designated?

• Best scientific data
• Consider economic, national security, other
  relevant impacts
• May exclude if benefits of exclusion outweigh
  benefits of designation
• (Unless exclusion results in extinction)
• ESA 4(b)(2)

Benefits of Designation
Benefits of Exclusion
Avoid Impacts
Conservation
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Step 2 Consider Impacts, Balance Benefits

• Benefit of designation is the protection of
  section 7 (no adverse modification by federal
  agencies)
• Designation also gives notice of areas important
  to species
• Benefits of exclusion (i.e., avoiding impacts)
  may be economic, national security, or other

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Balancing Benefits (Economic)

• Consider for exclusion areas with a relatively
  high economic impact and a relatively low
  conservation value
• Made sense with salmon because
• Large number of habitat areas
• Not all areas are equally important for
  conservation
• Conservation threshold dont exclude if it
  significantly impedes conservation

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Relative Conservation Value of Habitat Areas
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Example Exclusion Scenario
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Balancing Benefits (Other)

• National Security (military readiness during
  global war on terror)
• Conservation partnerships on private land (HCPs)
  net conservation benefit
• Tribal sovereignty and self-determination
  (conservation partnership also relevant)

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August 2005 - Final Critical Habitat for 12 ESUs
of Salmon and Steelhead
Net Occupied Habitat Areas 23,447 miles -
Dept. of Defense Sites - Indian Lands - 4 HCP
Holders - Economic Impacts Net Designated
Habitat Areas 20,630 miles
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Issues

• Can habitat that is not literally occupiable meet
  the definition of critical habitat
• How to determine whether an area is occupied
  (documented vs. BPJ)
• What are special management considerations or
  protection
• Does the definition demand a finding of enough
  habitat for conservation

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More Issues

• What is the real benefit of designation (beyond
  jeopardy)
• What about economic and other benefits of
  designation (such as ecological services)
• How do you balance benefits of exclusion against
  conservation benefits

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Geographical Area Occupied by Species

• Pacific coast from SF Bay to Queen Charlotte
  Islands
• Inland waters of Washington
• Georgia Basin in Canada

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Geographical Area Occupied by Species Data and
Issues

• Extensive record of sightings compiled by Whale
  Museum
• No sightings in Hood Canal within past 20 years
• Shallow water and tides
• In ocean, only 28 sightings over 30 yrs

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Specific Areas

• Area 1- core summer area (feeding, resting,
  socializing)
• Area 2- Puget Sound area (fall feeding)
• Area 3- Strait of Juan de Fuca area (mainly
  migration)

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Particular Areas

• Same as specific areas
• Plus military areas