Source: CVDaily Feed
SALT LAKE CITY – Conservation advocates are saying the federal government’s proposed plan to protect two nearly extinct wildflowers that grow in Utah and Colorado doesn’t do enough to ensure their survival.
Lori Ann Burd, endangered species campaign director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering limited protection for the Graham’s and White River beardtongues. She said she’s convinced the only move that can save the flowers from disappearing entirely is to list them under the Endangered Species Act.
“The Endangered Species Act is 99 percent effective at preventing extinction,” she said. “But a species must be listed under the act in order for the act’s protections to work. And these species have been sitting on the list awaiting protection, in one case for almost four decades, and in the other case for three decades, and during that time, they’ve become more and more imperiled.”
Burd said the beardtongues are found only in oil-shale outcroppings in northeastern Utah’s Uinta Basin and an area of northwestern Colorado.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently released its draft conservation plan to protect the wildflowers, but Burd said she sees it as a major problem that the plan would end the protections after 15 years. An ESA listing lasts until the species population is restored. Burd said she thinks the wildflowers’ habitat can be protected while also allowing for oil and gas development in the region.
“Listing would not preclude economic activity, would not preclude oil and gas drilling,” she said. “It would just mean that Fish and Wildlife would have to take a look at the activity, if a federal agency has to permit it, and determine whether there might be impacts to the species. If there might be impacts to these wildflowers, then they would have to determine how to minimize the impacts.”
Burd said oil and gas development, and animals grazing, are among the factors that have led to the decline of the Graham’s and White River beardtongues.
The FWS conservation plan is online at fws.gov.
"Mwanamke huyo wa zamani wa California, C.D.A.L.E. alisema: ""Wadhibiti wa mazingira wanasema mpango wa serikali ya shirikisho wa kulinda maua mawili ya mwituni ambayo yamekaribia kutoweka ambayo hukua Utah na Colorado haifanyi vya kutosha kuhakikisha kuokoka kwao." Lori Ann Burd, mkurugenzi wa kampeni ya spishi zilizo hatarini mwa kutoweka kwa Kituo cha Tofauti ya Kibiolojia, alisema: Huduma ya Samaki na Wanyama wa Pori inatoa ulinzi mdogo kwa Graham's na White River beardtongues. Alisema anaamini hatua pekee ambayo inaweza kuokoa maua kutoka kutoweka kabisa ni kuorodhesha chini ya Sheria ya Spishi Zilizohatarishwa. "Sheria ya Spishi Zilizokabili Hatari ni yenye ufanisi wa asilimia 99 katika kuzuia kutoweka", alisema. <unk>Lakini spishi lazima iorodheshwe chini ya sheria ili ulinzi wa sheria ufanye kazi. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, aina hii ya ""bearded tongue"" imewekwa kwenye orodha ya aina za wanyama wanaosubiri ulinzi, katika kesi moja kwa karibu miongo minne, na katika kesi nyingine kwa miongo mitatu, na wakati huo, wamekuwa hatarini zaidi na zaidi. ""Burd alisema bearded tongue hupatikana tu katika mafuta-shale outcrops kaskazini mashariki mwa Utah, Uinta Basin na eneo la Colorado kaskazini magharibi." Marekani Huduma ya Uvuvi na Wanyamapori (FWS) imetoa rasimu ya mpango wake wa uhifadhi wa maua ya mwituni, lakini Burd alisema anaiona kama tatizo kubwa kwamba mpango huo utaishia ulinzi baada ya miaka 15. Orodha ya ESA inadumu hadi idadi ya spishi imerudishwa. Burd alisema anafikiri mazingira ya maua ya mwituni yanaweza kulindwa wakati pia kuruhusu maendeleo ya mafuta na gesi katika mkoa huo. "Uorodhesho haungezuia shughuli za kiuchumi, haungezuia uchimbaji wa mafuta na gesi", alisema. "Lakini, kwa mujibu wa taarifa hiyo, shirika la Ulinzi wa Samaki na Wanyamapori (Fish and Wildlife) limesema kuwa, ""hakuna haja ya kuamua ikiwa kuna athari kwa jamii za samaki.""" "Kama kuna athari kwa maua haya ya mwituni, basi watalazimika kuamua jinsi ya kupunguza athari hizo. ""Burd alisema maendeleo ya mafuta na gesi, na wanyama kuchunga, ni miongoni mwa sababu ambazo zimesababisha kupungua kwa Graham na White River beardtongues." Mpango wa Uhifadhi wa FWS uko mtandaoni kwenye fws.gov.