In a notice published on Aug. 4, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service affirmed that previous critical habitat designations for the threatened marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) were warranted, despite controversy. This notice follows a lawsuit by the American Forest Resource Council in 2012, which claimed that USFWS violated the Endangered Species Act by designating habitat areas which were unoccupied by the bird at the time of its listing.
After the lawsuit was filed, the Obama administration agreed to withdraw the critical habitat designation — a decision widely opposed by conservation groups. In response, USFWS requested and was granted the opportunity to revise the controversial designation. The existing habitat protections remained in place during the revision.
In their most recent notice, USFWS addressed concerns about areas of old growth forest that had been designated as critical habitat despite the current lack of use by marbled murrelets. Twenty-three areas within the critical habitat designation — totaling over 350,000 acres — did not have marbled murrelets present at the time of the bird’s listing. However, all of those areas contained elements deemed by USFWS to be crucial for the birds’ recovery, particularly their preferred nesting areas — flat platforms located on large branches in old growth trees. Furthermore, USFWS asserts that all areas designated in their original assessment existed within the bird’s historic range.
Under these criteria, USFWS affirmed that their previous designations “met the statutory definition of critical habitat” as defined by the Endangered Species Act. The agency stressed that the contested habitat areas provide potential nesting How an emoji can help pollinators
By Dr. Becky Langer, manager of the Bayer North America Bee Care Program
Posted on July 15, 2016
The Feed a Bee initiative will aim to plant 25 million wildflowers this fall for pollinators who are struggling to find food. ©Rockin’Rita
Pollinators play an important role in our everyday lives, contributing to the cultivation of our favorite fruits and vegetables and the beautiful landscapes we enjoy. As an organization that’s responsible for helping manage and conserve some of these very landscapes, TWS was one of the first groups the Bayer Bee Care Program approached to help with a lofty goal set earlier this year for Bayer’s Feed a Bee program — planting millions of wildflower seeds to increase forage and nutrition options for pollinators to counteract an increasingly limited menu.
Protecting and expanding pollinator habitats has an added bonus, as well — establishing additional forage acreage supports healthier bees that, in turn, help to pollinate the same ecosystems that groups like TWS work so hard to protect. Working with TWS to provide sustainable solutions for the wildlife and habitat surrounding us allows us to double our efforts to protect pollinators and conserve our outdoor spaces — it’s truly a win-win!
Since 2015, more than 500,000 individuals have participated in a variety of ways in the Feed a Bee initiative, a critical part of the Bee Care Program, to plant 150 million flowers across the United States. One of the ways people can be involved this year is through “Tweet a