Critical Habitat Critical Habitat DesignationDesignation

for Pacific Salmon and for Pacific Salmon and SteelheadSteelhead

Scope of the 2005 Scope of the 2005 DesignationDesignation

19 Species or “ESUs” of19 Species or “ESUs” ofPacific Salmon and SteelheadPacific Salmon and Steelhead• 13 in WA, OR, ID13 in WA, OR, ID• 7 in CA7 in CA

Relevance of Critical Habitat Relevance of Critical Habitat

• Section 7(a)(2): all Section 7(a)(2): all federal agencies federal agencies shall ensure actions shall ensure actions they fund, permit or they fund, permit or carry out are not carry out are not likely to:likely to:

– jeopardize species’ jeopardize species’ continued existencecontinued existence

– destroy or adversely destroy or adversely modify critical modify critical habitat habitat

What is critical habitat?What is critical habitat?

• Occupied areas Occupied areas with physical or with physical or biological featuresbiological features– essential to essential to

conservation conservation – may require special may require special

managementmanagement• Unoccupied areas Unoccupied areas

essential for essential for conservationconservation ESA ESA §§3(5)3(5)

Step 1: Identify “Critical Step 1: Identify “Critical Habitat”Habitat”

• Map actual fish Map actual fish distribution distribution

• Verify features and Verify features and special managementspecial management

• Group by watershed Group by watershed into “specific areas”into “specific areas”

• Identify unoccupied Identify unoccupied areas essential for areas essential for conservationconservation

How does it get designated? How does it get designated?

• Best scientific dataBest scientific data

• Consider economic, Consider economic, national security, national security, other relevant impactsother relevant impacts

• May exclude if May exclude if benefits of exclusion benefits of exclusion outweigh benefits of outweigh benefits of designationdesignation

• (Unless exclusion (Unless exclusion results in extinction)results in extinction)

ESA ESA §4§4(b)(2)(b)(2)

Benefits of Designation

Benefits of Exclusion

ConservationAvoid

Impacts

Step 2: Consider Impacts, Step 2: Consider Impacts, Balance BenefitsBalance Benefits

• Benefit of designation is the Benefit of designation is the protection of section 7 (no adverse protection of section 7 (no adverse modification by federal agencies)modification by federal agencies)

• Designation also gives notice of Designation also gives notice of areas important to speciesareas important to species

• Benefits of exclusion (i.e., avoiding Benefits of exclusion (i.e., avoiding impacts) may be economic, national impacts) may be economic, national security, or “other”security, or “other”

Balancing Benefits Balancing Benefits (Economic)(Economic)• Consider for exclusion areas with a Consider for exclusion areas with a

relatively high economic impact and a relatively high economic impact and a relatively low conservation valuerelatively low conservation value

• Made sense with salmon because:Made sense with salmon because:– Large number of habitat areasLarge number of habitat areas– Not all areas are equally important for Not all areas are equally important for

conservationconservation

• Conservation threshold – don’t exclude if it Conservation threshold – don’t exclude if it significantly impedes conservationsignificantly impedes conservation

Relative Conservation Value of Relative Conservation Value of Habitat AreasHabitat Areas

Example Exclusion ScenarioExample Exclusion Scenario

Balancing Benefits (Other)Balancing Benefits (Other)

• National Security (military readiness National Security (military readiness during global war on terror)during global war on terror)

• Conservation partnerships on private Conservation partnerships on private land (HCPs) = net conservation land (HCPs) = net conservation benefitbenefit

• Tribal sovereignty and self-Tribal sovereignty and self-determination (conservation determination (conservation partnership also relevant)partnership also relevant)

Net Occupied Habitat Areas = 23,447 miles - Dept. of Defense Sites - Indian Lands - 4 HCP Holders - Economic ImpactsNet Designated Habitat Areas = 20,630 miles

August 2005 - Final Critical Habitat for 12 ESUs of Salmon and Steelhead

IssuesIssues

• Can habitat that is not literally Can habitat that is not literally occupiable meet the definition of occupiable meet the definition of critical habitatcritical habitat

• How to determine whether an area is How to determine whether an area is occupied (documented vs. BPJ)occupied (documented vs. BPJ)

• What are special management What are special management considerations or protectionconsiderations or protection

• Does the definition demand a finding Does the definition demand a finding of “enough” habitat for conservationof “enough” habitat for conservation

More IssuesMore Issues

• What is the real benefit of What is the real benefit of designation (beyond “jeopardy”)designation (beyond “jeopardy”)

• What about economic and other What about economic and other benefits of designation (such as benefits of designation (such as ecological services)ecological services)

• How do you balance benefits of How do you balance benefits of exclusion against conservation exclusion against conservation benefitsbenefits

Geographical Area Occupied Geographical Area Occupied by Speciesby Species

• Pacific coast from Pacific coast from SF Bay to Queen SF Bay to Queen Charlotte IslandsCharlotte Islands

• Inland waters of Inland waters of WashingtonWashington

• Georgia Basin in Georgia Basin in CanadaCanada

Geographical Area Occupied Geographical Area Occupied by Species: Data and Issuesby Species: Data and Issues

• Extensive record of Extensive record of sightings compiled sightings compiled by Whale Museum by Whale Museum

• No sightings in No sightings in Hood Canal within Hood Canal within past 20 yearspast 20 years

• Shallow water and Shallow water and tidestides

• In ocean, only 28 In ocean, only 28 sightings over 30 sightings over 30 yrsyrs

Specific AreasSpecific Areas

• Area 1- core Area 1- core summer area summer area (feeding, resting, (feeding, resting, socializing)socializing)

• Area 2- Puget Area 2- Puget Sound area (fall Sound area (fall feeding)feeding)

• Area 3- Strait of Area 3- Strait of Juan de Fuca area Juan de Fuca area (mainly migration)(mainly migration)

Particular AreasParticular Areas

• Same as specific Same as specific areasareas

• Plus military areasPlus military areas