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“It
is probably a healthy exercise, when considering the extinction of
species in this age, to remember that many thousands of life forms have
ceased to exist from wholly natural causes -- dinosaurs spring
invariably to mind. And
further that some organisms -- especially primitive forms, which, as it
were, are ‘past their prime’ -- will pass into oblivion, both
without human assistance and in spite of it.” - from The
Birdwatcher’s Companion, page 229, authored by Christopher Leahy of
the Massachusetts Audubon Society, 1982.)
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"When we make critical habitat designations, we just
designate everything as critical, without an analysis of how much
habitat an evolutionary significant unit needs." - Donna Darm, the
acting NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) Regional Administrator
for the Northwest, in a 1998 intra-agency memorandum.
"In 30 years of implementing the Endangered
Species Act, the Service has found that the designation of critical
habitat provides little additional protection to most listed species,
while preventing the Service 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 Endangered
Species Act 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 Partners for Fish and Wildlife program also
restore habitat. Habitat for endangered species is provided on many
national wildlife refuges managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and state lands administered by the Department of Land and Natural
Resources." - From: [email protected].
You can cite the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the source of the
critical habitat language. June 23, 2003 (On June 19, 2003, the comment
to my inquiry as to the author of this quote was: "These statements
were written in Interior Secretary Gale Norton's office. I do not know
the exact author.")
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