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News Release

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Invites Comment on Implementation Plans for Bull Trout Recovery

Focus of 6 Plans is Conservation of Native Fish’s Core Areas

For Immediate Release

June 2, 2015

Credit: Joel Sartore/ National Geographic & Wade Fredenberg/ USFWS

BOISE, Idaho – Efforts to conserve a key cold-water fish species got a boost today when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) released draft Recovery Unit Implementation Plans (Implementation Plans) that will be part of a final recovery plan outlining the conservation actions needed to recover bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). The six draft Implementation Plans are available for public comment during a 45-day period, which closes July 20, 2015.

Bull trout are a cold-water salmonid of relatively pristine stream and lake habitats in western North America. Once abundant in Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Idaho and Montana, bull trout are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the lower 48 states. The draft Implementation Plans were developed in collaboration with interested and knowledgeable federal, tribal, state, private, and other parties. Each of the six draft Implementation Plans identifies recovery unit-specific conservation actions needed to address threats such as loss of habitat connectivity and passage barriers, non-native fish competition and predation, and the sometimes adverse effects of land-management practices such as road building, forest management and land conversion.

“We’re drawing on the extensive expertise and conservation efforts of our partners in preparing the draft Implementation Plans to ensure that primary threats to bull trout habitat are identified and addressed appropriately,” said Mike Carrier, state supervisor for the Service’s Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office. The Idaho office leads the Service’s five-state planning effort.

The overarching goal of the Bull Trout Recovery Plan is to conserve bull trout so that the fish are geographically widespread with stable populations in each of the six recovery units. Accordingly, the plan’s recovery criteria focus on effective management of known threats to bull trout. The Coastal, Columbia Headwaters, Klamath, Mid-Columbia, Saint Mary and Upper Snake are the six designated recovery units that are home to the threatened population in the lower 48 states.

Electronic copies of the draft recovery unit implementation plans, the revised draft recovery plan of September 2014 and a summary of newly proposed recovery criteria are available at www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html and www.fws.gov/pacific/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/plans.html. These documents are also available by request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Room 368, Boise, ID 83709; telephone (208) 378–5345. You may mail or hand-deliver written comments and materials to Bull Trout Recovery, Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office, at the above Boise address, or fax them to (208) 378–5262, or via email to fw1bulltroutrecoveryplan@fws.gov.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/pacific, or connect with us through facebook.com/USFWSPacific, twitter.com/USFWSPacific/, tumblr.com/blog/usfwspacific, flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/ and youtube.com/user/USFWS

– FWS –