Bush Administration Sued for Not Protecting Endangered Species in National Forests

On March 11, environmental groups throughout the U.S. challenged the federal government’s decision to exclude all national forest land from a recent endangered species ruling in federal court. The suit was filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Center for Biological Diversity, Northwoods Wilderness Recovery, Michigan Nature Association, Door County Environmental Council (DCEC) and [...]

On March 11, environmental groups throughout the U.S. challenged the federal government’s decision to exclude all national forest land from a recent endangered species ruling in federal court. The suit was filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Center for Biological Diversity, Northwoods Wilderness Recovery, Michigan Nature Association, Door County Environmental Council (DCEC) and the Habitat Education Center. The suit states that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s designation of critical habitat for the Hine’s emerald dragonfly violates the federal Endangered Species Act by excluding all 13,000 acres in Michigan’s Hiawatha National Forest and the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, arguing that the Endangered Species Act should be addressed to extend the full legal protections in the excluded areas.

While much of the dragonfly’s most important habitat lies on these national forest lands, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service chose not to extend them full legal protections, arguing that the Forest Service would be more cooperative if the National Forest land were excluded.

“The feds are playing loose with the law here,” said Andrew Wetzler, director of the Endangered Species Project for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “The Forest Service has a legal obligation to do everything it can to cooperate with the Fish and Wildlife Service. But the Bush Administration is insisting on treating the Forest Service like it is a private corporation; it’s completely inappropriate. And, it is dangerous.”

“These striking insects are named for their amazing green eyes. But those good looks will not be enough to protect them as they cling to habitats in Michigan and Missouri, thanks to one governmental agency that does not want to hold another to its legal obligations,” said John Buse, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity.

“The recovery plan says the dragonfly is endangered due to fragmentation and destruction of its habitat. But excluding the Forest Service from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversight diminishes protection for the unique wetlands needed to keep the Hine’s emerald dragonfly from going extinct,” said Doug Cornett, executive director of Northwoods Wilderness Recovery. “We want to see them in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for generations to come.”

“This species used to be referred to as the Ohio emerald. Now they do not exist anywhere in that state,” noted Jeremy Emmi, executive director of the Michigan Nature Association. “If the feds do not step up like they should, we might not see them in Michigan or Missouri anymore.”

”This ruling makes no sense,” said Ricardo Jomarron, president of the Habitat Education Center. “The federal government is holding itself to a lower standard than the law requires, to the detriment of this species’ chances of survival.”

The Hine’s emerald dragonfly is the only dragonfly species on the federal endangered species list, and is recognized as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The species can only be found in small areas of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri.

The designation of critical habitat document can be read at: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/insects/hed/hedfchFR.html.