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News Release
April 22, 2009
Georgia Parham 812-334-4261 x 1203
Kris Lah 847-381-2253 x 15
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Considers Change to Critical Habitat
for Endangered Dragonfly
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reopening the comment period on a 2006 proposal to designate critical habitat for the endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly. The Service is reconsidering its decision to exclude some Federal lands in Michigan and Missouri that were included in the 2006 proposal, but were excluded in the 2007 final designation. Comments will be accepted by the Service through June 22, 2009.
Critical habitat is defined in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as geographic areas that contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and may require special management considerations or protection.
Reopening the comment period is part of a settlement agreement for a complaint that challenged the Service’s exclusion of Federal lands in Michigan and Missouri from the 2007 final designation of critical habitat. In that designation, the Service excluded land in Michigan’s Hiawatha National Forest and in Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest because ongoing conservation efforts by public land managers were thought to provide similar benefits.
The Service is now reconsidering those exclusions, as well as considering including additional land on Mark Twain National Forest that was not known to contain the dragonfly at the time of the 2007 designation. Lands under consideration total about 13,295 acres in Michigan and Missouri.
The Service’s current designation of 13,221 acres of critical habitat in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin for the Hine’s emerald dragonfly will remain in effect. A final decision on whether to revise the designation will be made by April 15, 2010.
In reopening the comment period on its original 2006 proposal, the Service is seeking comments on the benefits of now including these additional lands; specific information about Hine’s emerald dragonfly numbers and distribution in Hiawatha and Mark Twain national forests; economic and other impacts of adding these lands to the designation; and information on effectiveness of management plans geared toward conserving the dragonfly on U.S. Forest Service lands.
Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Please note that we will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any personal information you provide.
• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: RIN 1018-AU74; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
We will not accept e-mail or faxes.
The Hine’s emerald dragonfly is approximately 2.5 inches in length and has brilliant green eyes. The dragonfly inhabits wetlands and sedge meadows underlain by dolomite bedrock and fed by calcareous groundwater seepage. The larval stage is aquatic, occupying rivulets and seepage areas within wetland systems. Adults are found in wetlands and also feed along shrub and forest edges near wetland habitat.
Threats to the species include destruction of its habitat, pollution and changes in groundwater. Once found in several states including Indiana, Arkansas and Ohio, the Hine’s emerald dragonfly now occurs only in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov
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