The
Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies supports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service’s decision to officially withdraw its 2013 recommendations to list the
wolverine as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The
Association believes that the Service did responsibly consider the “best
available science” concerning wolverine management, which could not reasonably
predict the impact climate change would have on wolverine populations using
today’s climate models.
State
fish and wildlife agencies recognize that a changing climate is one of the many
stressors currently impacting populations of fish and wildlife and the habitats
upon which they depend. However, future ESA listings must meet the statutory
definitions of either a “threatened species” or an “endangered species” to
receive protection under the ESA. Any premature listings—whether based on
uncertain results from climate change modeling or other circumstances—sets a
bad precedent for conservation.
Association
President Dan Forster thanks the USFWS for working with the states that
developed the Wolverine Conservation Plan to ensure the specie’s long-term
viability. Pro-active conservation programs to keep species off the list are
more successful and considerably less costly to American taxpayers than the
“emergency room” approach that goes into effect under the ESA.
