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The Western Mining Alliance ● www.westernminingalliance.org ●
[email protected]
Impact This designation may impact
all activities within the critical
habitat including hiking, fishing,
camping, off‐road vehicles,
rafting, logging, mining and ranching. While simply hiking or fishing may not specifically require an Endangered Species review and permit, the
trail you walk on would require
a review. While the individual
fishing may not require
an Endangered Species review,
the designation of areas open to fishing would require a review by the Federal government. While the Federal Register wording attempts to downplay the significance of the designation, the reality is far different. All activities within these areas are subject to review.
This designation may
impact people directly – by applying
for a permit to graze,
log or mine; or indirectly by the State requiring authorization from the Federal government to allow access. Access to these areas may be restricted. Roads and trails may be closed. The maintenance of roads within these areas may require authorization and approval. As shown in Table 1 a significant amount of land is being withdrawn for critical habitat. In Alpine County 42% of the total acreage of the county will be designated critical habitat.
This is not simply a
logging or mining issue.
The rationale provided
in the Federal Register for the species decline includes: Recreation, grazing, logging, climate change and habitat degradation.
Why this is Important
For many of these counties this is the first designation of critical habitat within their boundaries. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designation
is in response
to a 2011 settlement with
the Center for Biological Diversity
[Center
for Biological Diversity v. Salazar; Case
1:10‐mc‐00377‐EGS Document 42‐1 Filed
07/12/11]. In this settlement
agreement the USFWS agreed to
review over 477 species and
subspecies for listing as
threatened or endangered
(including over 42 subspecies of
Pacific Northwest snails).
This settlement was quickly followed in 2012 by another petition by the CBD to list 54 separate amphibians and reptiles. The Mountain Yellow Legged Frog and the Yosemite Toad designations are simply the first in a long list of species proposed for listing. We must act now
to stop this
tide of critical habitat that’s
rolling towards us. This
issue affects all public and rural
lands, not
just California. Slated for review in 2013 is also the North American Wolverine; the Oregon Spotted Frog and the Yellow Billed Cuckoo.
What You Can Do
The comment period is open until 24 June 2013. Comments received after this point will not be considered. You may submit your comments in writing to: Submit by U.S. mail to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R8–ES–2012–0074 Division of Policy and Directives Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042–PDM Arlington, VA 22203. Cover the following topics in your letter: (1) Why critical habitat for a specific area should not be designated (use specific examples and data – not just opinion). (2) Economic impacts on small business, local governments and communities (3) Existence of current activities
(land use) that will be
impacted. Again use specific
examples such as logging, mining,
farming or ranching. Do
not generalize. (4)
Proposed areas that should be excluded.
Use specific designations and explain why they should be excluded.
(5) The likelihood of adverse social reactions to the ruling.
For More Information We have the Federal Register notices posted at www.westernminingalliance.org under the Hot Topics tab. With a withdrawal this large it will take us a few days to analyze each area and post the maps. You can follow the links we have posted to download the specific shape files. We will be posting over the next few days the specific maps and mining claim numbers affected.
Cover LetterMapFact Sheet