Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

Citing unique economic factors in the San Joaquin Valley, Congressman Cardoza has fought to establish economic exemptions for counties - such as Merced and Stanislaus - that would be adversely impacted by this designation. In its court-ordered review of Critical Habitat for 15 Vernal Pool Species in California and Oregon, the Service today eliminated Merced County’s exclusion from critical habitat designation.  The ruling maintained the exemption for UC Merced.  The June 30 draft economic analysis by the Service cited $992 million in costs over 20 years related to conservation activities for vernal pool species in California and Oregon.

“I am very concerned about the potential economic impact of this decision on Merced County,” Cardoza said. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has acted in a capricious and arbitrary manner that whipsaws landowners. This decision was litigation-based, not science-based.  This further highlights the need to reform the process for designating critical habitat, and I will continue to work with Chairman Pombo to accomplish this.”

Long dissatisfied with the decision-making process for designating critical habitat, Cardoza this Spring re-introduced the Critical Habitat Enhancement Act, which would improve methods to designate a species’ critical habitat.  Among other things, the bill would streamline the Service’s procedures by requiring the designation of critical habitat within three years of a species’ listing or within one year of the approval of a recovery plan and would require the Service to include direct and indirect economic impact in its designations.

“This system desperately needs reform,” Cardoza said. “We need to help the Service make better, more informed decisions about critical habitat designations.”