News From…
Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California
Cardoza Praises Decision Not To List Midvalley Fairy Shrimp as Endangered |
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Species Listing Would Have Hurt Valley Economy |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 26, 2004 |
CONTACT: Bret Ladine (202) 225-6131 |
| WASHINGTON – Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, hailed an announcement today by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that it will not list the midvalley fairy shrimp under the Endangered Species Act. Cardoza and other Central Valley lawmakers had urged the Service not to list the shrimp because it would have adversely impacted the Valley’s already fragile economy.
"This is the correct decision," Cardoza said. "The midvalley fairy shrimp has already seen much of its habitat protected through earlier rulings. I’m confident the small crustacean will survive, and thanks to this ruling, so too will the Valley’s economy. Sound science has prevailed." The midvalley fairy shrimp is found in shallow seasonal wetlands known as vernal pools in Sacramento, Solano, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Merced, Madera, Fresno, and Yolo counties. Although vernal pool habitat continues to be lost in parts of the species’ range, the Service found that it will still be well represented on protected lands and in areas with little or no current threat. "The Service has commissioned new survey efforts and will continue to review any new information concerning the status of the midvalley fairy shrimp," said Wayne White, field supervisor of the Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Service office. "The information will help us monitor and encourage the conservation of the species." The listing of four other shrimp subspecies in the 1990s wreaked havoc on plans for UC Merced, forcing the adjustment of campus location and causing protracted legal battles. Despite these obstacles that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Center for Biological Diversity and VernalPools.Org petitioned in 2001 to list a fifth shrimp subspecies as endangered. After conducting a thorough review of the best scientific and commercial information available, the Fish & Wildlife Service concluded that such a listing was not warranted. More information on the decision can be found at http://sacramento.fws.gov.
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