Newsgroups: bit.listserv.biosph-l
Date:         Tue, 22 Dec 1992 18:32:29 EST
Reply-To:     "Norman C. Saunders" <NYS@NIHCU.BITNET>
From:         "Norman C. Saunders" <NYS@NIHCU.BITNET>
Subject:      F&WS Wins Court Bout

Fish and Wildlife Service
For Release: December 15, 1992


Georgia Parham  202-208-5634


    Agreement Sets Timeframe For Protecting Rare Plants And Animals


     The Interior  Department's U.S.  Fish and  Wildlife  Service  today
announced it has reached out of court settlement of a case involving the
agency's procedures to reduce the backlog of plants and animals awaiting
listing decisions  under the  Endangered Species  Act.   The  settlement
agreement was  reached with The Fund for Animals, Defenders of Wildlife,
In Defense of Endangered Species, and other individuals.

     The agreement supports the Service's existing priority system which
ranks at-risk,  candidate species based on the degree of threat faced by
each candidate, as well as the taxonomic rarity of a species.

     "This agreement  essentially gives  a seal  of approval to the Ser-
vice's existing  method for setting priorities for these species in need
of protection," said John Turner, Service Director.

     Under the agreement, and based on the existing priority system, the
Service will  decide whether  to propose  for listing  approximately 400
"category 1"  candidate plants  and animals  over the  next four  years.
Category 1  species are  those for which the best scientific information
supports listing  but, due to other demands, the Service has been unable
to develop  a listing proposal.  Those species with the highest priority
will be proposed first.

     The Service  has agreed  to decide  whether to  propose for listing
approximately  95   category  1  candidate  species  each  year  through
September 1996,  a commitment  comparable with  the past two years, when
the Service  proposed 215  plants and  animals and listed 144.  In addi-
tion, the Service is to report annually on its progress through 1997.

     The agreement  also formalizes  a Service  commitment to emphasize,
where possible,  multiple species  listings or  proposals  that  address
entire ecosystems,  instead of  a species-by-species approach.  In addi-
tion to  being more  cost-effective, these  methods allow the Service to
focus on  the needs  of plant and animal communities as a whole, not in-
dividually.

     Species petitioned  for listing, that are determined by the Service
to be warranted for listing but precluded by species currently of higher
priority, will  be classified  only as  category 1  species, instead  of
category 1 or 2.  Category 2 candidates are those for which insufficient
information exists  to conclude  that listing is warranted but continued
monitoring will be carried out.

  ====================================================================

This press  release has  been brought to you compliments of The Osprey's
Nest, a  computer bulletin  board for birders and other amateur natural-
ists in  the Washington,  DC area.   The Osprey's Nest may be reached 24
hours per day at 301-989-9036 and answers the phone at 300 to 9600 baud.

The Osprey's  Nest is not associated in any way with the U.S. Department
of the  Interior or  with the  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Opinions
expressed in  these press releases are not necessarily those of the sys-
tem operator of The Osprey's Nest.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU