They can be reviewed in
chronological order or searc
hed by keyword.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a draft Environmental Assessment July 25 detailing its proposal to allow limited capture of wild American peregrine falcons in the western United States for use in falconry.
The proposed action, if approved, would allow the capture, or "take" of up to 5 percent of the annual production of nestling American peregrine falcons in the 11 states west of the 100th Meridian, where populations are high. The States that would be allowed to take peregrine nestlings are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The proposed action would continue to prohibit the capture, or "take" of nestling juvenile American peregrines in other states, where peregrine populations have not yet increased to the same levels.
With more than 1,650 breeding pairs of peregrines nationwide, productivity goals for the peregrine's recovery from the Endangered Species list have all been met or exceeded. Maximum take of nestlings under the proposed alternative in initial years would be about 82 young. Allowing this level of take would still allow for healthy population growth of about 3 percent per year under existing conditions, according to Service projections. The management plan allows take to be reduced or suspended if populations decline or fail to meet growth projections.
"Falconry is an ancient sport, and falconers played an important role in bringing the peregrine back from the brink of extinction. This proposed action will protect the nation's peregrine falcon population and ensure that the birds don't end up back on the Endangered Species list, while providing falconers with opportunities to continue their sport," said Service Director Jamie Rappaport Clark.
The Environmental Assessment analyzed six separate action alternatives that permit varying numbers of juvenile peregrines to be captured from particular management groups. Alternatives range from an outright prohibition on take, to analysis of the effect of taking 5 percent, 10 percent, 15 percent and 20 percent of the annual production of each Western state, and the effect of having no restrictions on take beyond the existing falconry regulations. After analysis and population modeling, the Service adopted take of 5 percent of each state's annual production as the proposed action.
Under the proposed alternative, states may allow capture of up to 5 percent of their annual nestling production, but are under no obligation to do so. In addition, a state must have a breeding population of at least 14 pairs before falconry take would be allowed. As of 1998, Nevada, with 6 nesting pairs, would be the only western state that did not meet this criterion.
The proposed alternative assumes a level of 20 percent annual mortality for peregrine falcons surviving their first year, a mortality level that is most likely higher than is actually occurring in the wild. Given that mortality rate, allowing a 5 percent level of take would still enable the American peregrine population in the West to reach approximately 6,438 birds in 15 years.
Although captive bred peregrines have been available for falconry since 1983, wild peregrines have not been available due to ESA restrictions, except in Alaska under certain circumstances.
The August 25, 1999 decision to remove the peregrine from the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List had the effect of allowing take of wild peregrines for falconry, raptor propagation, scientific collecting, and other purposes permissible under Migratory Bird Treaty Act regulations. However, the Service has continued the prohibition on take of wild peregrines except in very limited circumstances. The prohibition will remain in place until management plans governing take of peregrines from the wild are completed.
In 1970, the Service listed the American peregrine falcon as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969, the predecessor of the current law. The peregrine population in the eastern United States had completely disappeared, and populations in the west had declined by as much as 80 to 90 percent below historical levels. By 1975, the population reached an all-time low of 324 nesting pairs in North America. The related arctic peregrine also was listed as endangered, but was delisted in 1994. The banning of DDT made the recovery of the peregrine falcon possible. But the protections provided by the Endangered Species Act and the extraordinary partnership efforts of the Service and state wildlife agencies, universities, private ornithological groups, and falcon enthusiasts accelerated the pace of recovery through captive breeding programs, reintroduction efforts and the protection of nest sites during the breeding season. Similar efforts took place in Canada, where the Canadian Wildlife Service and provincial agencies took the lead in a major captive breeding and reintroduction program.
Copies of the Environmental Assessment can be downloaded from the Service's Internet site at: http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/americanperegrines/draftea.html. Public comments on the Environmental Assessment will be accepted until September 23, 2000. Written comments may be submitted to the Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia 22203. Comments may also be sent via fax to 703-358-2272. For further information, contact the Office of Migratory Bird Management at 703-358-1714.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses 525 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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