Crowdog
04-25-2004, 04:06 PM
Petition filed to list Sand Mt. butterfly as endangered
Cory McConnell
April 24, 2004
A year-long battle over a rare butterfly in Churchill County reached a new level Friday, when a coalition of conservationists petitioned the federal government to protect the insect under the Endangered Species Act.
Environmentalists say the Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly, which has so far only been found at the popular recreation area 30 miles east of Fallon, is on the verge of extinction under the wheels of off-road vehicles.
"The majority of Americans don't feel it's alright to drive something into extinction. And (off-road vehicles) are literally driving the butterfly into extinction," said Daniel Patterson, a desert ecologist with the Center for Biological Diversity.
The butterfly and the Kearney Buckwheat that sustains it became the center of heated debate last spring, after a BLM biologist declared the area in drastic need of rehabilitation.
The biologist pinpointed off-road vehicles as the main cause of the habitat's destruction and recommended closing up to 1,000 acres of still-vegetated land off the massive dune's north and northwest edges. The proposal immediately drew the ire of off-road enthusiasts and local leaders who fear the loss of Sand Mountain-bound business.
"Anyone can sit beside the highway and see how many cars come through here on one of our beautiful weekends," said Churchill County Commissioner Norm Frey.
The BLM eventually implemented a trail marker program that asked off-roaders to stay off certain trails, although there were no penalties for disobeying the signs.
In trying to please off-roaders, environmentalists and area businessmen, the BLM succeeded largely in pleasing no one.
While environmentalists argued "discouraging" certain trails would have zero effect, off-roaders felt too many trails were marked "discouraged." But they also felt the BLM needed to educate riders more about why they needed to stay off plants.
Richard Hilton, president of the off-roading advocacy group Friends of Sand mountain, said the bureau simply did not put enough effort into making the plan work.
BLM officials disagree.
BLM Associate Field Manager Elayn Briggs said signs, big and small, were posted through out the area and educational pamphlets were distributed to riders as they rolled into camp.
"We are educating, and we still have gotten less than 50 percent compliance," Briggs said.
The petition to list the butterfly as an endangered or threatened species will now be reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make sure it contains enough data to review.
A USFWS official said the review is supposed to take 90 days, although a backlog of petitions has delayed this process for as long as a year.
After the "90-day" review, if the petition is found to contain substantial material, the USFWS starts a nine-month review and study of the species. If that review finds the species is endangered or threatened, the agency starts the listing process, - a year-long process which contains periods for public comment.
In all, the process is supposed to take a minimum of two years, if the USFWS determines the butterfly does require a listing.
Unless the service deems the butterfly to be in an emergency situation, the USFWS will make no changes at Sand Mountain until the process is complete.
Briggs said the BLM will go about business as usual regarding Sand Mountain until told to do otherwise. Business as usual includes a public hearing at the Fallon Convention Center Tuesday, April 27 at 5:30 p.m. A bureau official will discuss a proposal to make a portion of the recreation area an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which would force the BLM to create a management plan for Sand Mountain.
Cory McConnell can be contacted at cmcconnell@lahontanvalleynews.com
Cory McConnell
April 24, 2004
A year-long battle over a rare butterfly in Churchill County reached a new level Friday, when a coalition of conservationists petitioned the federal government to protect the insect under the Endangered Species Act.
Environmentalists say the Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly, which has so far only been found at the popular recreation area 30 miles east of Fallon, is on the verge of extinction under the wheels of off-road vehicles.
"The majority of Americans don't feel it's alright to drive something into extinction. And (off-road vehicles) are literally driving the butterfly into extinction," said Daniel Patterson, a desert ecologist with the Center for Biological Diversity.
The butterfly and the Kearney Buckwheat that sustains it became the center of heated debate last spring, after a BLM biologist declared the area in drastic need of rehabilitation.
The biologist pinpointed off-road vehicles as the main cause of the habitat's destruction and recommended closing up to 1,000 acres of still-vegetated land off the massive dune's north and northwest edges. The proposal immediately drew the ire of off-road enthusiasts and local leaders who fear the loss of Sand Mountain-bound business.
"Anyone can sit beside the highway and see how many cars come through here on one of our beautiful weekends," said Churchill County Commissioner Norm Frey.
The BLM eventually implemented a trail marker program that asked off-roaders to stay off certain trails, although there were no penalties for disobeying the signs.
In trying to please off-roaders, environmentalists and area businessmen, the BLM succeeded largely in pleasing no one.
While environmentalists argued "discouraging" certain trails would have zero effect, off-roaders felt too many trails were marked "discouraged." But they also felt the BLM needed to educate riders more about why they needed to stay off plants.
Richard Hilton, president of the off-roading advocacy group Friends of Sand mountain, said the bureau simply did not put enough effort into making the plan work.
BLM officials disagree.
BLM Associate Field Manager Elayn Briggs said signs, big and small, were posted through out the area and educational pamphlets were distributed to riders as they rolled into camp.
"We are educating, and we still have gotten less than 50 percent compliance," Briggs said.
The petition to list the butterfly as an endangered or threatened species will now be reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make sure it contains enough data to review.
A USFWS official said the review is supposed to take 90 days, although a backlog of petitions has delayed this process for as long as a year.
After the "90-day" review, if the petition is found to contain substantial material, the USFWS starts a nine-month review and study of the species. If that review finds the species is endangered or threatened, the agency starts the listing process, - a year-long process which contains periods for public comment.
In all, the process is supposed to take a minimum of two years, if the USFWS determines the butterfly does require a listing.
Unless the service deems the butterfly to be in an emergency situation, the USFWS will make no changes at Sand Mountain until the process is complete.
Briggs said the BLM will go about business as usual regarding Sand Mountain until told to do otherwise. Business as usual includes a public hearing at the Fallon Convention Center Tuesday, April 27 at 5:30 p.m. A bureau official will discuss a proposal to make a portion of the recreation area an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which would force the BLM to create a management plan for Sand Mountain.
Cory McConnell can be contacted at cmcconnell@lahontanvalleynews.com