https://krcrtv.com/news/nation...s-threatened-species



US takes step toward listing giraffes as threatened species

by MICHAEL BIESECKER Associated Press Thursday, April 25th 2019



WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration took a first step Thursday toward extending protections for giraffes under the Endangered Species Act, following legal pressure from environmental groups.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that its initial review has determined there is "substantial information that listing may be warranted" for giraffes. The finding, to be published in the Federal Register, will begin a more in-depth review and public comment process that could lead to import restrictions on hunting trophies and body parts from giraffes, including hides and bones.

Biologists have warned for years that the world's tallest land mammal is at growing risk of extinction from habitat loss, civil unrest, poaching and other threats. The giraffe population in Africa has declined by about 40 percent in the past three decades, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.


The group, which designates endangered species , added giraffes to its "Red List" in 2016 . It determined that the species as a whole is "vulnerable" to extinction and classified two subspecies as "critically endangered." There are now only about 68,000 mature giraffes left in the wild, a number falling each year.

A coalition of environmental and conservation groups petitioned the Fish and Wildlife Service in early 2017 to protect giraffes under the Endangered Species Act. After the administration took no action for nearly two years, the groups sued in December.

"The United States cannot stand idly by and allow thousands of U.S. imports of giraffe parts every year without any regulation while these animals are on a path to extinction," said Anna Frostic, managing wildlife attorney for the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International. "It is time that the United States stands tall for giraffes and gives this at-risk species the protection that it urgently needs."
A spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Giraffes are often hunted for meat in the nearly two dozen African countries where they are still found. They increasingly are targeted by wealthy trophy hunters as other big-game animals have become scarcer. More than 21,400 bone carvings, 3,000 skin pieces and 3,700 hunting trophies were imported into the United States over the past decade.

President Donald Trump has decried big-game hunting as a "horror show," but his administration reversed Obama-era restrictions on the importation of elephant and lion trophies for personal use or display. The Associated Press reported last year that a 16-member wildlife protection board created by then-Secretary Ryan Zinke was stuffed with big game hunters, including the president of the Safari Club International.

Environmental groups lauded Thursday's announcement on giraffes as a positive development, but pledged to keep up the pressure on the administration to act.

"Giraffes capture our imaginations from childhood on, but many people don't realize how few are left in the wild," said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Instead of throwing these unique animals a lifeline under the Endangered Species Act, Trump officials are twiddling their thumbs. Trump will be to blame if future generations know giraffes only as toys and not the long-necked icons of Africa."

https://www.fws.gov/news/ShowN...r-species-&_ID=36400



Bulletin

Service Completes Initial Reviews on Petitions to List Four Species

Giraffe and an endemic Arizona plant to undergo rigorous status reviews. California snail and manzanita will not receive further action.
April 25, 2019
Contact(s):
Ivan Vicente, Ivan_Vicente@fws.gov, 703-358-1730


The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has completed initial reviews of Endangered Species Act (ESA) petitions to list four species: the Arizona eryngo (plant), giraffe, Refugio manzanita (plant) and San Gabriel chestnut snail. The Service has concluded that the petitions to list the Arizona eryngo and giraffe present substantial information that listing may be warranted; accordingly, the Service will begin an in-depth review of each species. The petitions for the Refugio manzanita and San Gabriel Chestnut snail did not present substantial information that listing may be warranted and no further action will be taken.

The Service finds that the petition to list the giraffe presented substantial information on potential threats associated with development, agriculture and mining. Other threats identified by the petition that the Service will seek to verify include commercial trade, recreational hunting, poaching, disease, small populations and genetic isolation.

The Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group established under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission recognizes a single species of giraffe with nine subspecies. Giraffes currently inhabit 21 African countries, having been extirpated from at least seven countries in their historical range. Some remaining populations are stable or increasing, while others are declining.

The Arizona eryngo is a wildflower occurring only in two Arizona ciénegas or wet spring habitats and one in northwestern Mexico. The petition included information on the effects of groundwater pumping, spring modification and surface water diversion.

The Refugio manzanita is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to about 15 feet tall with striking red bark and urn-shaped flowers. The plant’s only populations occur in the Santa Ynez Mountains. The San Gabriel chestnut snail is one of only two species in its taxonomic group. It is dark and glossy, with a spiraled shell that is chestnut in color and just over 1 inch wide.

While both the snail and manzanita occur within very limited areas, the Service found adequate and protected habitats exist for both species. Additionally, the petition did not provide substantial information indicating that identified threats may have sufficient impacts to warrant listing.

The ESA allows citizens to petition the Service to add new species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, remove species from the list, and to reclassify species already on the list.

The Federal Register docket numbers and links for the substantial petition findings in this batch are:

Species

Range

Docket Number

Docket link

Arizona eryngo

Arizona, Mexico

FWS–R2–ES–2018–0087

https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D= FWS-R2-ES-2018-0087

Giraffe

21 African countries

FWS–HQ–ES–2017–0101

https://www.regulations.gov/do...=FWS-HQ-ES-2017-0101



The Federal Register docket numbers and links for the not-substantial petition findings in this batch are:

Species

Range

Docket Number

Docket link

Refugio manzanita

California

FWS–R8–ES–2018–0088

https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D= FWS-R8-ES-2018-0088

San Gabriel chestnut snail

California

FWS–R8–ES–2018–0089

https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D= FWS-R8-ES-2018-0089



The notice for the above findings will be available in the Federal Register Reading Room on April 25, 2019 at https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection on the 2018 Notices link under Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.

For more information on the ESA listing process, including 90-day findings and status reviews, please go to www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/listing.pdf.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/. Connect with our Facebook page, follow our tweets, watch our YouTube Channel and download photos from our Flickr page.

I am so happy that AP article is unbiased

https://www.nrdc.org/media/2019/190425-0



PRESS RELEASE

Lawsuit Prompts U.S. Officials to Consider Protecting Giraffes

April 25, 2019

MEDIA CONTACTS
Tanya Sanerib, Center for Biological Diversity
tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org,
(206) 379-7363

Rodi Rosensweig, Humane Society International/The Humane Society of the United States
rrosensweig@humanesociety.org,
(203) 270-8929

Daniela Arellano, Natural Resources Defense Council
darellano@nrdc.org, (310) 434-2304

WASHINGTON — After a prod from a lawsuit filed by conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that giraffes may qualify for protection under America’s Endangered Species Act.

The 2018 lawsuit — brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Humane Society International, Humane Society of the United States, and the Natural Resources Defense Council — seeks a response to their April 2017 legal petition for Endangered Species Act protection for giraffes. The species is gravely imperiled by habitat loss and fragmentation, civil unrest and overhunting, as well as the international trade in bone carvings, skins, and trophies.

The United States provides a large market for giraffe parts: More than 21,400 bone carvings, 3,000 skin pieces and 3,700 hunting trophies were imported over the past decade. Limiting U.S. import and trade would give giraffes important protections, and an ESA listing would also help provide critical funding for conservation work in Africa.

“The U.S. on average imports more than one giraffe trophy a day, and thousands of giraffe parts are sold domestically each year,” said Anna Frostic, attorney for the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International. “The federal government must now expeditiously take stock of the role we are playing in giraffe decline and how we can work to instead save these unique animals.”

Africa’s giraffe population has plunged nearly 40 percent in the past 30 years. It now stands at just over 97,000 individuals.

“This is a big step toward protecting giraffes from the growing use of their bones by U.S. gun and knife makers,” said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s disgusting that it took a lawsuit to prompt the Trump administration to act. Saving everyone’s favorite long-necked animal from extinction should have been the easiest call in the world.”

With fewer giraffes than elephants left in Africa, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature elevated the threat level to giraffes from “least concern” to “vulnerable” on its “Red List of Threatened Species” in 2016. That finding was confirmed in 2018 along with a critically endangered assessment of two giraffe subspecies and an endangered assessment for another.

“The United States has long been complicit in the trade of giraffe parts, so it’s time for the federal government to stick its neck out for this species,” said Elly Pepper with NRDC. “The United States has taken action to help staunch the trade of numerous species in trouble. Sadly, now it is time to take action to ensure giraffes remain on the planet. They need Endangered Species Act protections and they need them now.”

Known for their six-foot-long necks, distinctive patterning and long eyelashes, giraffes have captured the human imagination for centuries. New research recently revealed that they live in complex societies, much like elephants, and have unique physiological traits, including the highest blood pressure of any land mammal.

The IUCN currently recognizes one species of giraffes and nine subspecies: West African, Kordofan, Nubian, reticulated, Masai, Thornicroft’s, Rothchild’s, Angolan and South African. The legal petition seeks an endangered listing for the whole species.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has 12 months to decide whether Endangered Species Act listing is warranted.

###

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/

Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For more than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide — on the Web at hsi.org.

The Humane Society of the United States is the most effective animal protection organization, as rated by our peers. For more than 60 years, we have celebrated the protection of all animals and confronted all forms of cruelty. We and our affiliates are the nation’s largest provider of hands-on services for animals, caring for more than 150,000 animals each year, and we prevent cruelty to millions more through our advocacy campaigns. Read more about our more than 60 years of transformational change for animals and people. HumaneSociety.org.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC

Meanwhile hunting organizations and hunters just sit back and do nothing and let theses anti hunting organizations slap us around. Where is the NRA and SCI?

quote:

Originally posted by Northtexas12:
Meanwhile hunting organizations and hunters just sit back and do nothing and let theses anti hunting organizations slap us around. Where is the NRA and SCI?

One is involved in shady politics, and one is clueless!

Giraffes in South Africa will become endangered when they have no value to landowners!

These dumbasses never learn!


.

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:
Giraffes in South Africa will become endangered when they have no value to landowners!

These dumbasses never learn!


.

To learn one has to have at least some brains.

These idiots have none whatsoever!

There are eight different types of giraffes, and zoologists still can't make up their minds whether they are species or subspecies. The IUCN recognises one species, and does not list it as endangered, so USF&W has a lot of homework to do.

quote:

Originally posted by ijl:
There are eight different types of giraffes, and zoologists still can't make up their minds whether they are species or subspecies. The IUCN recognises one species, and does not list it as endangered, so USF&W has a lot of homework to do.

USFW have always been a bunch of self serving stupid idiots!

I guess this was all started when some dumbass looked around and saw that Toys R Us closed down, that must have been caused by there not being enough giraffes(Jeffrey) to put in all the store windows!

Curious as to where the recent declines were noted. I would have thought that over the past 50 years numbers are way up in countries that allow fee hunting. I'll bet a lot of the decline was in Zimbabwe lowveld where the land has been "redistributed". If they think that was bad, watch what happens in RSA.

Here's a practical solution to all of this. The Robinson Pittman act could be extended to Americans hunting anywhere in the world. The monies generated would then be sent back to US AID in the relevant countries earmarked for land acquisition and/or easements (like Nature Conservancy) exclusively for wildlife. I am sure hunters will not mind.

Wow, I am a "Wealthy" trophy hunter. I hope the IRS does not find out!

When I hunted with Brent Hein, he told me that at BVC in Zim they cull something like 5-600 giraffes annually.

So this brain trust will make the giraffes worth more as nyama than as a trophy. Genius.

USF&W is so frustrating. I'm not sure exactly when they became the most successful anti-hunting organization in history, but they surely get that award.

I think some are confusing how USFWS operates.

A threatened species creates import paperwork, not a ban. I would have no issues with some looking at the situation- if a country is reporting overall species decline, but the hunting areas are running a surplus, and are monitoring the situation, and can prove it, USFWS (when it is not being bullied) would be forced to say that the area with surplus can have imports, but not the rest- assuming they have mechanisms in place to make sure that’s where it came from. It can ensure best practices are being followed.

Of course, USFWS should work with (as opposed to big stick bans) range states to ensure we are helping them as opposed to causing problems. Unfortunately, our system is prone to abuses by self important busybodies.

Just saying threatened isn’t the same as endangered with immediate bans.

For those who are protocol challenged, ANYONE can file a petition with the USFWS to have a species up-listed to threatened or endangered. The FWS is required to determine if there is merit to the request. If the Service finds that there is reason to the request, it opens a study period for both research and public comments before making any decisions. I believe that there is an exception if there is some sort of emergency, but that is not what is being done here. That is where things stand at present. Since the IUCN has indicated a concern for giraffes, there will probably be a greater amount of attention paid to the issue of increased giraffe protection. For those who have automatic anti-SCI, and anti-NRA buttons programmed into their computers, chill out! SCI has already issued an objection to up-listing, and will most certainly participate in the upcoming commentary period. I suspect that the NRA will soon do so as well, but for the moment they are involved with their annual meeting, which concludes this weekend. I have not heard anything from DSC yet, either, but expect to shortly. It seems to be a rather unfortunate characteristic of some people here to complain, rather that to become involved.