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Comment period opens on delta smelt federal uplisting; Formal decision on endangered listing expected next year

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 19, 2008 at 3:19 pm

From the Capital Ag Press:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made an initial finding on a petition to uplist the delta smelt from threatened to endangered and is seeking comments from the public in preparation for a formal decision, which could come sometime in the next year. The service made the finding on July 10 in response to a petition from The Bay Institute, Center for Biological Diversity and Natural Resources Defense Council, Fish and Wildlife reported.

Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Al Donner said the agency is seeking as much information as possible in the 60-day comment period from scientific and commercial interests on the impacts of a potential uplisting. “We’re looking for the data that we can analyze, so that’s the key aspect of it,” he said.

Jeff Miller, a conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the petitioning groups made the request for a change in federal listing in 2006.

While pleased with the latest action by the service, they point out the finding is 25 months late and a final listing determination is already 13 months overdue. “They’ve been delaying quite a bit on processing the petition,” Miller said, which he attributes to the Bush administration. “Their MO has been not to respond to petitions.”

Read more on this story from the Capital Ag Press by clicking here.

July 19, 2008 · Filed Under Delta smelt

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