The following letter was sent to the Director of the Southeast Regional Headquarters of the US Fish and Wildlife Service by the NANFA Board of Directors. NANFA wants to see the Spring Pygmy Sunfish considered for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act through an emergency process, since the species faces clear and immediate threat of losing the habitat it needs for survival. NANFA urges anyone who cares about this situation also to write to Janet Mizzi at the address immediately below.
Ms. Janet Mizzi
USFWS Southeast Regional Headquarters
1875 Century Blvd., Suite 400
Atlanta, GA 30345
Dear Ms. Mizzi,
The North American Native Fishes Association (NANFA) urges you to initiate an emergency listing process under the Endangered Species Act to protect the Spring Pygmy Sunfish, Elassoma alabamae. We understand that personnel in your office are preparing to consider a petition to list this species within the normal process. The normal process is too slow to save this species from certain near-term extinction.
This species is now found only in and around Beaverdam Creek, a unique limestone karst spring system on the outskirts of Huntsville, Alabama. The habitat of this species suffers from an increasing rate of degradation as this area is now bisected with a new sewer line in preparation for an expansion of both residential and industrial uses. The construction of this sewer line destroyed large areas of riparian vegetation and caused widespread siltation in springs that typically run clear. Field work by Michael Sandel, as a doctoral candidate at the University of Alabama, strongly suggests that the entire species has been reduced to two or three subpopulations as individual springs in the system are destroyed by rapid land use change. These remaining spring systems themselves are sensitive to groundwater withdrawal as unchecked development continues.
The Spring Pygmy Sunfish should have had protection under the ESA 20 years ago. But now the species faces imminent extinction both from habitat destruction and the genetic losses that population fragmentation will certainly cause. We urge the USFWS to contact all landowners in the Beaverdam Creek area to negotiate agreements to protect this species’ habitat, and we especially urge the USFWS to track the listing petition as an emergency listing process. Time is of the essence.
The North American Native Fishes Association, Inc. (NANFA) is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation dedicated to the appreciation and study of the continent's native fishes. NANFA works to promote the conservation of native fishes and the protection/ restoration of natural habitats.
Thank you for your consideration.
Board of Directors, North American Native Fishes Association
NANFA Letter To USFWS About Spring Pygmy Sunfish
Started by
Guest_fundulus_*
, Jun 30 2010 01:52 PM
18 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_Casper Cox_*
Guest_Casper Cox_*
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- Guests
Posted 01 July 2010 - 02:33 PM
Thank you Bruce.
That was well worded.
This is the kind of action that i think NANFA should be at the forefront of.
It does not take long for an individual who is out in streams to see the severe detriment that disturbed ground has upon the fish we admire.
Alabama has already lost the Whiteline Topminnow, hopefully the Spring Pygmy is not next.
That was well worded.
This is the kind of action that i think NANFA should be at the forefront of.
It does not take long for an individual who is out in streams to see the severe detriment that disturbed ground has upon the fish we admire.
Alabama has already lost the Whiteline Topminnow, hopefully the Spring Pygmy is not next.
#3
Michael Wolfe
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- Board of Directors
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- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 01 July 2010 - 02:56 PM
This is the kind of action that i think NANFA should be at the forefront of.
I totally agree and want to add my thanks.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
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#8
Guest_wargreen_*
Guest_wargreen_*
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- Guests
Posted 04 July 2010 - 04:04 PM
Fundulus I am very gratefull to you for writing such a superb letter to the USFWS. This is one of the reasons I joined NANFA was to try to save and preserve our natural heritage; of course NANFA already does so much in the area of educating the public on proper fish keeping and preservation of one of our most precious natural resources, yet sometimes I feel direct action is warranted and indeed needed, so thanks to you and the board of directors for taking that action.
#11
Guest_wargreen_*
Guest_wargreen_*
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Posted 04 July 2010 - 05:41 PM
Looks like Ill be visiting the post office to get some stamps 
.
.No, we never had an email address for Janet Mizzi. I know it's very 20th century, but physical letters still have more of an impact as a mark of seriousness.
#14
Guest_fundulus_*
Guest_fundulus_*
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Posted 26 July 2010 - 03:56 PM
I received a reply to my letter urging emergency listing of the spring pygmy sunfish today, from Patrick Leonard, Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, of the Atlanta office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They aren't moved to do emergency listing of the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). I quote: "We reviewed the information provided in your letter and our files, and do not believe emergency listed [sic] is warranted at this time. This is based on the fact that the meta-population of spring pygmy sunfish within the Beaverdam Creek watershed is under no imminent threat. Also, the City of Huntsville, following the guidance of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, has actively corrected any perceived threats to the spring pygmy sunfish that may have occurred due to the expansion of a sewer line project in the area. Sampling of the population of spring pygmy sunfish in both Moss and Horton Springs has been historically sporadic."
Wow, you can believe what you must believe, I guess. The last sentence is odd; has the act of sampling Moss and Horton Springs been historically sporadic, or has the finding of sunfish in these springs been sporadic? Either way it begs the question of protecting the small areas left of necessary habitat. I'd feel better if they just said they really don't want to be bothered with this because they'd get their Guccis muddy, or whatever. I'll openly laugh at the next clown who mewls about the ESA being overused by an authoritarian government....
Wow, you can believe what you must believe, I guess. The last sentence is odd; has the act of sampling Moss and Horton Springs been historically sporadic, or has the finding of sunfish in these springs been sporadic? Either way it begs the question of protecting the small areas left of necessary habitat. I'd feel better if they just said they really don't want to be bothered with this because they'd get their Guccis muddy, or whatever. I'll openly laugh at the next clown who mewls about the ESA being overused by an authoritarian government....
#15
Guest_gerald_*
Guest_gerald_*
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Posted 26 July 2010 - 05:02 PM
Any clue what Mr. Leonard is referring to in this statement below?
"... the City of Huntsville, following the guidance of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, has actively corrected any perceived threats to the spring pygmy sunfish that may have occurred due to the expansion of a sewer line project in the area. "
Is the City shifting the sewerline corridor farther from the creek? Are they requiring 100+ ft forested riparian buffers on ALL streams and post-construction stormwater controls (to mimic pre-development runoff) on ALL new development in the watershed? What exactly is Huntsville doing to "correct the perceived threat" and under what conditions do these "corrections" apply or NOT apply? If the protective mechanisms only apply to "major projects" e.g. subdivisions > 50 units, or land clearing > 10 acres, then the bulk of development (smaller projects) may not require adequate protection mechanisms.
(If it were up to me, I'd BAN riding lawnmowers in all E.alabamae watersheds. Just imagine how much more forest we'd preserve without riding mowers!)
"... the City of Huntsville, following the guidance of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, has actively corrected any perceived threats to the spring pygmy sunfish that may have occurred due to the expansion of a sewer line project in the area. "
Is the City shifting the sewerline corridor farther from the creek? Are they requiring 100+ ft forested riparian buffers on ALL streams and post-construction stormwater controls (to mimic pre-development runoff) on ALL new development in the watershed? What exactly is Huntsville doing to "correct the perceived threat" and under what conditions do these "corrections" apply or NOT apply? If the protective mechanisms only apply to "major projects" e.g. subdivisions > 50 units, or land clearing > 10 acres, then the bulk of development (smaller projects) may not require adequate protection mechanisms.
(If it were up to me, I'd BAN riding lawnmowers in all E.alabamae watersheds. Just imagine how much more forest we'd preserve without riding mowers!)
#16
Guest_fundulus_*
Guest_fundulus_*
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Posted 26 July 2010 - 05:10 PM
The short answer is, he's snowing any and everybody. If you saw these sites you would be at least amused by this description. Certainly my "perceived threat" is that the City would dearly love to set up something like an autoplant within the swamp's drainage system, along with agricultural pumping of water straight out of the springs for irrigation that's been done against the wishes of a landowner. It's not something as simple as fixing a siltation fence, which I suspect is the very narrow legal view of fixing a perceived threat. So here we go, moving on to Plan B, since I doubt the FWS will do anything without a form of external pressure.
#17
Guest_fritz_*
Guest_fritz_*
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Posted 27 July 2010 - 08:10 AM
attached is the letter NANFA received.
Attached Files
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FWS response.pdf 313.36KB
178 downloads
#18
Guest_EdBihary_*
Guest_EdBihary_*
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Posted 30 July 2010 - 09:16 AM
If they're going to develop the habit and drive these fish into extinction, then maybe somebody should collect some and start a captive breeding program. At least that way, the species will be preserved from extinction, if they are going to become extinct in the wild anyway.
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