Contact: Diane Katzenberger   303-236-4578 or

Wade Fredenberg  406-758-6872
May 3, 2005
 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released an analysis that
estimates costs related to the conservation of the bull trout and its
proposed critical habitat in the Saint Mary River and the Belly River
drainages in northwestern Montana.  Annual costs are estimated to be
$325,000 for the period from 2005 through 2024.  The estimate accounts for
costs associated with reduced water supply to the Milk River Project, a
fish screen at the St. Mary diversion, and future administrative
consultation with Federal and State agencies.  Other activities, including
recreation and mining, were found to have no cost attributable to bull
trout conservation activities.

In releasing the analysis, the Service also reopened the public comment
period on revised proposed critical habitat for the bull trout. The Service
will accept public comments on the critical habitat proposal and the draft
economic analysis until June 2nd.

The bull trout is protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a
threatened species. In June of 2004, the Service released its proposal to
designate 88 miles of streams and 6,295 acres of lakes in the Saint Mary
and Belly river watersheds as critical habitat for the species. The
majority of lands encompassing the proposed critical habitat for this
population are either Federally or Tribally owned.  About 45 percent of the
lands are located within Glacier National Park, managed by the National
Park Service, and another 45 percent are Tribal lands managed by the
Blackfeet Indian Tribe.  Nearly all of the remaining 10 percent are private
lands on the Blackfeet Reservation.

Critical habitat is a term in the ESA. It identifies geographic areas that
contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or
endangered species and may require special management considerations or
protection. The designation of critical habitat does not affect land
ownership or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve, or other
conservation area. It does not allow government or public access to private
lands. Federal agencies that undertake, fund or permit activities that may
affect critical habitat are required to consult with the Service to ensure
such actions do not adversely modify or destroy designated critical
habitat.

“The impact to landowners in Montana from this proposed critical habitat
designation, when it is finalized, is expected to be minimal,” said Ralph
Morgenweck, director of the Service’s mountain-prairie region.  “We
encourage the public to provide comments and any additional information
they believe is relevant.  The Service will consider all available
information before making a final decision.”

Areas proposed to be designated as critical habitat for the bull trout
include the headwaters of the Saint Mary and Belly River systems in
northcentral Montana, along the eastern edge of Glacier National Park.
This area is the only portion of the bull trout range in the lower 48
states that is located east of the continental divide.  The proposed
designation includes 88 miles of streams and about 6,295 acres of six
lakes, the largest of which are Saint Mary and Lower Saint Mary Lakes.  All
of these areas are currently occupied by bull trout.

When specifying an area as critical habitat, the ESA requires the Service
to consider economic and other relevant impacts of the designation. If the
benefits of excluding an area outweigh the benefits of including it, the
Secretary may exclude an area from critical habitat, unless this would
result in the extinction of a threatened or endangered species.

The analysis measures costs associated with potential reductions in water
supply to the Milk River Project occurring as a result of late summer and
winter minimum instream flow needs in Swiftcurrent Creek between Sherburne
Reservoir and the St. Mary diversion as well as the Saint Mary River
downstream.  Such flows could reduce the amount of water available for
transfer to the Milk River Project.  The estimated costs to the project
reflect lost agricultural producer profit.

In 30 years of implementing the ESA, the Service has found that designation
of critical habitat provides little additional protection for most listed
species, while preventing the agency from using scarce conservation
resources for activities with greater conservation benefits.

In almost all cases, recovery of listed species will come through voluntary
cooperative partnerships, not regulatory measures such as critical habitat.
Habitat is also protected through cooperative measures under the ESA,
including Habitat Conservation Plans, Safe Harbor Agreements, Candidate
Conservation Agreements and state programs. In addition, voluntary
partnership programs such as the Service’s Private Stewardship Grants and
the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program also restore habitat. Habitat
for listed species is provided on many of the Service’s National Wildlife
Refuges, and state wildlife management areas.

Comments on the proposed critical habitat and/or the draft economic
analysis may be submitted by June 2, 2005 to: John Young, Bull Trout
Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Branch of Endangered Species,
911 N. E, 11th Avenue, Portland, OR  97232, or by fax to (503) 231-6243.
Copies of the analysis may be obtained by downloading it from
http://pacific.fws.gov/bulltrout/jcs/dea/index.html  or by calling John
Young at (503) 231-6194.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and
plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services
field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the
Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat
such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments
with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance
program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes
on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

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