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Protections to be reconsidered for endangered Riverside fairy shrimp and two plants

Posted by: Maven on November 18, 2009 at 6:48 am

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:

“Federal wildlife officials have agreed to consider additional protection for the Riverside fairy shrimp and two Southern California plant species to settle lawsuits by an environmental group trying to undo decisions made by the George W. Bush administration.

The shrimp, one of the rarest freshwater crustaceans, lives in seasonal pools between Perris and Hemet.

Also at issue are the Coachella Valley milk vetch, a plant with showy purple-pink flowers found only in sandy areas of eastern Riverside County near Palm Springs, and the willowy monardella, a perennial unique to San Diego County. All three are on the endangered list.

The dispute centers on habitat considered critical for the species’ survival. A federal “critical habitat” designation affords additional scrutiny of proposed developments. In the Bush years, many critical habitats were reduced in size or eliminated.

The new agreement, reached Monday, “bodes well for the recovery of these species that are teetering on the brink of extinction, to have a second hard look taken at what’s essential to really conserve them,” Ileene Anderson, a biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity, said Tuesday. … “

Read more from the Riverside Press-Enterprise by clicking here.

November 18, 2009 · Filed Under Southern California

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