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Report to Congressional Requesters: 

September 2006: 

Endangered Species: 

Many Factors Affect the Length of Time to Recover Select Species: 

GAO-06-730: 

GAO Highlights: 

Highlights of GAO-06-730, a report to congressional requesters 

Why GAO Did This Study: 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries 
Service (the services) are responsible for administration and 
implementation of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The act generally 
requires the services to develop recovery plans for endangered and 
threatened species—species facing extinction or likely to face 
extinction, respectively. Recovery plans identify threats to the 
species’ survival and the actions needed to mitigate those threats. 

Proposed amendments to the act are under consideration and GAO was 
asked to provide information to facilitate this effort. In April 2006, 
GAO issued a report providing high-level information on the extent to 
which recovery plans contain estimates of when species are expected to 
be recovered, among other things. This follow-on report provides more 
detailed information on the factors that affect species recovery and 
the importance of recovery plans in recovery efforts. For 31 
species—selected because they were nearing recovery, or had significant 
attention devoted to them and thus would be expected to be making 
progress towards recovery—GAO (1) identifies factors affecting the 
length of time to recover the species and (2) describes the role 
recovery plans have played in recovering these species. The Department 
of the Interior agreed with the facts presented in this report. The 
Department of Commerce declined to comment. 

What GAO Found: 

Many factors affect the length of time it takes to recover the 31 
species GAO reviewed. Specifically, 19 of these species have been 
recently delisted (removed from the list of endangered and threatened 
species) or are likely to be delisted within the next 25 years either 
because (1) they faced a primary threat that has been or is being 
mitigated; (2) they were found to be more prevalent than biologists 
thought at the time they were listed and/or habitats have been secured 
for the species; or (3) they are expected to respond relatively quickly 
to recovery efforts because, for example, they reproduce quickly in the 
presence of good habitat. The remaining 12 species are much farther 
away from being delisted, and for some, recovery is uncertain. Some of 
these species are not expected to recover for many decades because they 
respond relatively slowly to recovery efforts, for example, because 
they reproduce slowly. Recovery for the remaining species is uncertain 
either because their habitat is difficult to protect, or because not 
enough is known about the threats facing the species or how to mitigate 
those threats. 

Recovery plans have played an important role in the recovery efforts of 
nearly all of the species GAO reviewed by identifying many of the 
actions the services’ biologists deemed most important to the species’ 
recovery. The services’ biologists report that these actions have 
contributed, at least in part, to the progress made in recovering these 
species. For example, recovery of the red-cockaded woodpecker is 
dependent on having sufficient habitat—the species nests in cavities 
that they peck out of old pine trees, but logging largely eliminated 
these trees from the woodpecker’s range. The recovery plan identifies 
measures to protect the habitat, including land acquisition and 
conservation agreements with landowners, as well as steps to provide 
artificial nest boxes until pines mature enough to provide natural 
habitat for the birds. The services’ biologists told us that these 
actions have significantly improved this species’ prospects for 
recovery. However, for about one-half of the species GAO reviewed, 
actions beyond those in the recovery plans also played an important 
role in progress toward the species’ recovery. For example, the banning 
of the insecticide dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) by the 
Environmental Protection Agency in 1972—a year before the Endangered 
Species Act was enacted—has been critical to recovery of the bald 
eagle. 

[Hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-730]. 

To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click on 
the link above. For more information, contact Robin Nazzaro at (202) 
512-3841 or nazzaror@gao.gov. 

[End of Section] 

Contents: 

Letter: 

Results in Brief: 

Background: 

Many Factors Affect the Length of Time to Recover Certain Threatened 
and Endangered Species: 

Recovery Plans Play an Important Role in Recovering Certain Threatened 
and Endangered Species: 

Agency Comments: 

Appendixes: 

Appendix I: Scope and Methodology: 

Appendix II: Information on 31 Select Species: 

Mammals: 

Birds: 

Fishes: 

Snails: 

Insects: 

Crustaceans: 

Plants: 

Appendix III: Comments from the Department of the Interior: 

Tables: 

Table 1: Species Facing a Primary Threat That Has Been, or Is Being, 
Mitigated: 

Table 2: Species More Prevalent Than Initially Thought and/or Having 
Habitat Protections:  

Table 3: Species Expected to Respond Relatively Quickly to Extensive 
Recovery Efforts: 

Table 4: Species Expected to Recover but That Respond Relatively Slowly 
to Recovery Efforts: 

Table 5: Species for Which Essential Habitat Is Not Protected: 

Table 6: Species for Which Key Information Is Lacking: 

Table 7: Species Whose Recovery Plans Have Played a Primary Role in the 
Species' Progress toward Recovery: 

Table 8: Species Whose Recovery Has Been Aided by Both Recovery Plans 
and Other Factors: 

Table 9: Selection Criteria for Species Included in Our Nonprobability 
Sample: 

Abbreviations: 

BLM: Bureau of Land Management: 

BOR: Bureau of Reclamation: 

DDT: dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane: 

DPS: distinct population segments : 

FWS: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: : 

NMFS: National Marine Fisheries Service: 

September 6, 2006: 

Congressional Requesters: 

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 protects species facing extinction 
(endangered species) or likely to face extinction in the foreseeable 
future (threatened species), and the ecosystems upon which they depend. 
The act has long been a lightning rod for political debate about the 
extent to which the nation's natural resources should be protected, and 
how best to protect them. Proponents of the act, and what it seeks to 
accomplish, believe that it is important to preserve the unique genetic 
characteristics of each species as a practical response to the impact 
that humans are having on the earth, and may also believe there is a 
moral obligation to do so. Some critics of the act deemphasize the 
importance of preserving every individual species and argue that doing 
so, in many cases, is too costly--especially when implementation of the 
act results in restricting uses of public and private land and 
resources. Others are critical of the veracity of the data used to make 
decisions under the act. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS), collectively referred to as "the services," 
are the federal agencies responsible for administration and 
implementation of the Endangered Species Act. FWS has primary 
responsibility for fresh water and land species, while NMFS has primary 
responsibility for anadromous fish and most marine species. The 
Endangered Species Act outlines criteria that the services must apply 
to determine whether a species warrants the protection of the act, and 
the process to follow to place the species on the list of threatened 
and endangered species. The act also generally requires the services to 
develop recovery plans for the conservation and survival of listed 
species.[Footnote 1] 

While the act has many provisions that could be evaluated, one of the 
most important measures of its success is the number of species that 
have "recovered," or improved to the point that they no longer need the 
act's protection. Since the act's inception in 1973, about 1,300 
domestic species have been placed on the list of threatened and 
endangered species, but only a few have been removed 
(delisted).[Footnote 2] Supporters of the act claim it is an indication 
of success that only nine species protected by the act have become 
extinct. Critics, on the other hand, claim it is an indication of 
failure that only 17 species protected by the act have recovered. 

Proposed amendments to the Endangered Species Act are under 
consideration, and you asked us to provide information on recovery 
plans and progress made on their implementation to facilitate this 
effort. In an April 2006 report, we provided high-level information on 
107 randomly selected recovery plans covering about 200 
species.[Footnote 3] We reported on the extent to which these plans 
contained estimates of when a species is expected to have recovered, 
among other things. In this report, for a nonprobability sample of 31 
species, we provide a more in-depth review of the efforts undertaken to 
recover species. We selected these species because they are nearing 
recovery or had significant attention devoted to them and, thus, would 
be expected to be making progress towards recovery. For these 31 
species, we (1) identify factors affecting the length of time to 
recover the species and (2) describe the role that recovery plans have 
played in recovering these species. 

FWS is responsible for 28 of the 31 species we reviewed. NMFS is 
responsible for the remaining three species--the northern right whale 
and two distinct population segments (DPS) of the Steller sea 
lion.[Footnote 4] Our assessment of the recovery efforts and 
description of the role of recovery plans in those efforts is based 
primarily on species' recovery plans, Federal Register notices 
associated with the species, and information provided by biologists at 
the services that are responsible for recovering the species we 
reviewed. We obtained, from FWS and NMFS biologists, estimated time 
frames for delisting many of the species we reviewed. It is important 
to note that these estimates were based on the assumption that needed 
actions would take place, even though funding may not be available to 
conduct these actions, or the actions may be out of the services' 
control. Consequently, the estimates provided should be considered best-
case scenarios. Salmon, steelhead, and the desert tortoise were 
excluded from our analyses because we have issued comprehensive reports 
on these species.[Footnote 5] A more detailed description of our scope 
and methodology is presented in appendix I. Information on each of the 
species we reviewed is presented in appendix II. We performed our work 
between September 2005 and August 2006, in accordance with generally 
accepted government auditing standards. 

Results in Brief: 

Many factors affect the length of time it will take to recover the 31 
species we reviewed, and some may not be recovered at all. These 
factors range from the successful removal of the primary threat faced 
by a species, to difficulty protecting a species' habitat or difficulty 
understanding what threats a species is facing. The length of time it 
has taken, or is expected to take, to recover these species, ranges 
from less than a decade to possibly more than a century; specifically: 

* Nineteen of the thirty-one species have been recently delisted, or 
are likely to be delisted, within the next 25 years. Each will likely 
spend less than 50 years on the endangered species list. Eight of these 
species faced a primary threat that has been or is being mitigated. Six 
species are more prevalent than biologists thought at the time they 
were listed, and/or FWS has been effective in protecting their 
habitats. The other five species are the beneficiaries of recovery 
efforts involving a wide range of stakeholders and significant 
resources, and are expected to respond relatively quickly to these 
efforts. 

* The remaining 12 of the 31 species we reviewed are much farther away 
from being delisted and could spend more than 50 years on the 
endangered species list; for some, recovery is uncertain. The services' 
biologists believe that 4 of these 12 species will eventually recover, 
but not for many decades, because the species are slow to respond to 
recovery efforts--for example, because they reproduce slowly or depend 
on habitat that takes a long time to develop. FWS is having difficulty 
recovering the remaining eight species: five because they cannot secure 
needed habitat, and three because they do not know enough about the 
threats facing the species or how to mitigate these threats. FWS cannot 
predict whether or when a successful recovery of these eight species 
will be possible. 

For all but one of the species we reviewed, recovery plans played an 
important role in recovery efforts by identifying many of the actions 
that the services' biologists deem most important to the recovery of 
the species. Although not all of these species are nearing recovery, 
the services' biologists report that the success that these species 
have had can be attributed, at least in part, to actions in the 
species' recovery plans. For example, recovery of the red-cockaded 
woodpecker depends on having sufficient habitat--the species nests in 
cavities that are pecked out of old pine trees, which logging largely 
eliminated from the woodpecker's range. The recovery plan identifies 
measures to protect woodpecker habitat, including conservation 
agreements with private landowners, as well as steps to provide 
artificial nest boxes until pines mature enough to provide natural 
habitat for the birds. The services' biologists told us that these 
actions have significantly improved this species' prospects for 
recovery. However, for about one-half of the species we reviewed, the 
services' biologists also identified actions important to the recovery 
of the species that were beyond those included in the species' recovery 
plans. For example, the banning of the insecticide dichloro-diphenyl- 
trichloroethane (DDT) by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1972 
has been critical to recovery of the bald eagle, but was not included 
in its recovery plan. One of the species we reviewed, the dwarf- 
flowered heartleaf--a small flowering plant found in North Carolina and 
South Carolina--does not have a recovery plan because, with new 
populations of the species repeatedly being found, information about 
the species is changing rapidly. The species may be delisted without a 
recovery plan. 

We provided the Department of the Interior (Interior) and the 
Department of Commerce (Commerce) with a draft of this report for 
review and comment. The Department of the Interior generally agreed 
with the information presented in the report (see app. III). Commerce 
declined to provide an overall assessment of the draft because the 
report does not contain recommendations. 

Background: 

The purpose of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 is to conserve 
threatened and endangered species, and the ecosystems upon which they 
depend. The act defines conservation as the recovery of threatened and 
endangered species so that they no longer need the protective measures 
afforded by the act. An endangered species is a species facing 
extinction throughout all, or a significant portion of, its range; 
threatened species are those likely to become endangered in the 
foreseeable future. The act requires the Secretary of the Interior to 
publish, in the Federal Register, a list of species determined to be 
threatened or endangered. Included in the definition of species are 
subspecies of animals and plants, and DPSs of vertebrate species. 

The act generally requires the services to develop recovery plans for 
the conservation and survival of threatened and endangered species, 
unless the services determine that a plan will not promote their 
conservation. The act directs the services, to the maximum extent 
practicable, to incorporate in each recovery plan (1) a description of 
site-specific management actions necessary to achieve the plan's goal 
for the conservation and survival of the species; (2) objective, 
measurable criteria that will result in a determination that the 
species can be removed from the list of threatened and endangered 
species (i.e., delisted); and (3) estimates of the time and cost 
required to carry out those measures needed to achieve the plan's goal. 

The services develop and implement recovery plans, among other actions, 
to reverse the decline of each listed species and ensure its long-term 
survival. To do this, recovery plans aim to identify threats to the 
species' survival and the actions needed to mitigate those threats. A 
recovery plan may include a variety of methods and procedures to 
recover listed species, such as habitat acquisition and restoration to 
prevent extinction or further decline, and other on-the-ground 
activities for managing and monitoring endangered and threatened 
species. The services' officials also told us that recovery plans are 
important for communicating needed actions to other federal agencies, 
state and local agencies, researchers, industry, private landowners, 
and others, because the services often depend on other entities to 
implement recovery actions. For example, in many cases, FWS does not 
have jurisdiction to implement recovery actions on lands occupied by 
endangered species, which is important because loss of habitat is often 
the principal cause of species' declines. Recovery plans can take years 
or decades to fully implement, depending on the needs of the species 
covered by the plan. As of May 2006, the services had approved 580 
recovery plans covering about 1,080 species (or about 83 percent) of 
the 1,300 domestic species protected by the act. 

Once a species recovers, it can be delisted.[Footnote 6] To determine 
that a species is recovered and ready to be delisted, the services 
follow a process similar to that used to list a species--they propose 
delisting a species in the Federal Register and seek public comment on 
the action before they finalize the delisting. The act requires the 
services to use the same criteria to delist species that are used to 
list species. Specifically, to delist a species, the services must 
determine that the species is no longer threatened or endangered based 
on an assessment of five factors: (1) whether there is a present or 
threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of the species' 
habitat or range; (2) whether the species is subject to overutilization 
for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; (3) 
whether disease or predation is a factor; (4) whether existing 
regulatory mechanisms are inadequate; and (5) whether other natural and 
manmade factors are affecting the species' continued existence. 

Besides delisting species because they have recovered, species can also 
be delisted if they are found to be extinct, or if the original data 
used to list the species is found to be in error. For example, if 
additional analysis finds the species is not unique but rather a member 
of a more prevalent species, its listing becomes unwarranted. As of May 
2006, FWS reports that a total of 41 species have been removed from the 
list of threatened and endangered species--9 species because they have 
been declared extinct, 15 species because original data used to list 
the species was in error, and 17 species as a result of recovery 
efforts.[Footnote 7] 

In addition, the act requires that the services report biennially to 
certain congressional committees on efforts to develop and implement 
recovery plans. The services implement this requirement through 
separate biennial reports to Congress. FWS's reports satisfy the act's 
reporting requirement by including a statistic called "recovery 
achieved." The recovery achieved statistic is meant to estimate the 
extent to which the recovery objectives for each species have been 
achieved and reflects the species' overall progress towards recovery; 
it is not the proportion of discrete actions in the recovery plan that 
has been completed. It is expressed as a percentage range--0 to 25 
percent, 26 to 50 percent, 51 to 75 percent, or 76 to 100 percent. The 
FWS report includes this statistic for species under FWS's 
jurisdiction, as well as for those managed jointly with NMFS. NMFS's 
biennial reports to Congress do not include a recovery achieved 
statistic, but rather a narrative description of efforts to implement 
recovery plans. Additionally, the act requires FWS to submit an annual 
report to Congress on federal expenditures for the conservation of all 
endangered or threatened species, as well as expenditures by states 
receiving federal financial assistance for such conservation 
activities. 

Many Factors Affect the Length of Time to Recover Certain Threatened 
and Endangered Species: 

Many factors are responsible for the varying length of time it will 
take to recover the 31 species we reviewed. The services' biologists 
report that 19 of these species are likely to be delisted within the 
next 25 years because (1) the primary threats faced by the species have 
been or are being mitigated; (2) the species are more prevalent than 
thought at the time they were listed and/or habitat has been secured 
for the species; or (3) they are the beneficiaries of extensive 
recovery efforts and are expected to respond relatively quickly to 
those efforts. In contrast, the remaining 12 species are far from 
recovery because (1) they respond slowly to recovery actions; (2) the 
services have not been successful in protecting essential habitat; or 
(3) there are gaps in knowledge about the threats challenging their 
survival, or how to mitigate these threats. 

Factors Affecting the Species We Reviewed That Are Delisted or Likely 
to Be Delisted within the Next 25 Years: 

Nineteen of the thirty-one species we reviewed have already been 
delisted, or are likely to be recovered and delisted within the next 25 
years. The services' biologists expect that many will be delisted 
within the next 10 years, and all of these species will likely spend 
less than 50 years on the endangered species list. Eight of these 
species are recovered, or are nearing recovery, and will likely be 
delisted in 10 years because they faced primary threats that have been 
or are being mitigated. Six of the species are recovered, or are 
nearing recovery, and most will likely be delisted within the next 10 
years because they are more prevalent than thought at the time they 
were listed, and/or key habitat is being protected. The remaining 5 of 
the 19 species are expected to recover and be delisted within 25 years, 
because they are expected to respond relatively quickly to recovery 
efforts involving significant resources and a wide range of 
stakeholders. 

Primary Threats Have Been, or Are Being, Mitigated for Some Species: 

Eight of the species we reviewed are recovered, or are nearing 
recovery, because the primary threats facing the species have been, or 
are being, mitigated. These species are likely to be delisted within 
the next 10 years. The bald eagle is one example. The primary threat to 
the eagle's survival was the widespread use of DDT, an insecticide that 
caused thin egg shells and reproductive failure. Thus, although there 
were other steps that needed to be taken (primarily addressing loss of 
important habitat), the banning of DDT in 1972 was critical to 
achieving the bald eagle's recovery. FWS reports that the eagle is 
recovered and has recently proposed delisting the species. Another 
example is the Magazine Mountain shagreen--a land snail found only on 
the north side of Magazine Mountain in Arkansas. The primary threat to 
this species was human use of its habitat or areas close to its 
habitat. Specifically, the Department of Defense considered using 
Magazine Mountain for military exercises, and the state of Arkansas 
proposed building a visitor's center and related facilities on the 
summit of the mountain--the highest peak in the state. After the snail 
was listed, however, the Department of Defense withdrew its plans for 
military exercises in the area, and the visitor's center and associated 
facilities were designed and built so that potential impacts from 
construction and operation have been mitigated. FWS biologists told us 
that the snail's population is stable, but that a proposed 3-year study 
to gather additional biological information about the species needs to 
be completed before the species can be proposed for delisting. Table 1 
summarizes some key details about the eight species. 

Table 1: Species Facing a Primary Threat That Has Been, or Is Being, 
Mitigated: 

Species name: Bald eagle; 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A, B]: Listed: 
1967/1978[C]; 
Proposed for delisting: 1999 and 2006; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2010; 
Primary threat that has been, or is being, mitigated: The insecticide 
DDT causes reproductive failure in bald eagles. This threat was 
mitigated when the Environmental Protection Agency banned DDT in 1972. 
Habitat protections and guidance to avoid disturbing nesting sites have 
also helped. FWS proposed delisting the eagle in 1999; 
however, action was delayed because of legal concerns. FWS reinitiated 
the process to delist the bald eagle in February 2006. 

Species name: Borax Lake chub (fish); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A, B]: Listed: 
1980; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2015; 
Primary threat that has been, or is being, mitigated: The primary 
threats were geothermal development, and shoreline alteration due to 
grazing. Legislation prevented geothermal development and land 
acquisition is protecting shoreline. 

Species name: Columbian white-tailed deer--Douglas County DPS[D]; 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A, B]: Listed: 
1967; 
Delisted: 2003; 
Primary threat that has been, or is being, mitigated: Habitat 
protection via land acquisition and hunting restrictions were critical 
to the deer's recovery and subsequent delisting in July 2003. 

Species name: Gray wolf--western Great Lakes recovery population; 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A, B]: Listed: 
1967; 
Proposed for delisting: 2006; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2010; 
Primary threat that has been, or is being, mitigated: Human predation 
was the primary threat facing the gray wolf; 
for instance, wolves were frequently killed by farmers to protect their 
livestock from predation. Programs that removed livestock-killing 
wolves, and compensated farmers who lost livestock to wolves, helped 
reduce this practice. Delisting has been delayed due to legal questions 
about how to delist this population, since all gray wolves are 
currently listed as a single entity rather than as distinct population 
segments. 

Species name: Papery whitlow-wort--central Florida subspecies (plant); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A, B]: Listed: 
1987; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2010; 
Primary threat that has been, or is being, mitigated: Habitat has been 
protected and restored through land acquisition and management 
activities. 

Species name: Steller sea lion--eastern DPS[D]; 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A, B]: Listed: 
1990; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2010; 
Primary threat that has been, or is being, mitigated: The killing of 
Steller sea lions by humans (for example, to protect fishing gear or to 
reduce population numbers) was a major threat that has been prohibited. 

Species name: Magazine Mountain shagreen (land snail); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A, B]: Listed: 
1989; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2010; 
Primary threat that has been, or is being, mitigated: Two planned 
actions that could have affected the species' habitat were withdrawn or 
mitigated. 

Species name: Virginia round-leaf birch (tree); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A, B]: Listed: 
1978; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2015; 
Primary threat that has been, or is being, mitigated: Helping 
propagation of seedlings in the wild and protecting them until they 
could withstand herbivory helped ensure the species' survival. 
Additionally, distributing seedlings to the public helped reduce 
illegal collecting. 

Sources: FWS and NMFS. 

[A] Target time frames for delisting assume that remaining recovery 
actions are taken. However, many factors, including availability of 
funding, cooperation with partners, acquisition of land, and 
responsiveness of the species, may render these time frames 
unattainable or obsolete. We present estimates in 5-year increments. 

[B] Species with a listing date before 1973, the year the Endangered 
Species Act was enacted, were originally listed under provisions of the 
Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 or the Endangered Species 
Conservation Act of 1969, and "grandfathered" onto the list of 
threatened and endangered species under the 1973 act. 

[C] The bald eagle was first listed in 1967, but the listing only 
applied to bald eagles in southern states. FWS later determined that 
there was no morphological or geographical basis to distinguish 
northern and southern eagles and extended protection to all bald eagles 
in the 48 conterminous states in 1978. 

[D] A DPS is a subdivision of a vertebrate species that, for purposes 
of listing, is treated as a species under the Endangered Species Act. 

[End of table] 

Almost all of the eight species nearing recovery due to mitigation of a 
primary threat were included in the sample of species we reviewed 
because, among other reasons, in FWS's fiscal year 2001-2002 recovery 
report to Congress, these species were reported to have achieved 76 to 
100 percent of their recovery. The one exception is the Steller sea 
lion, which we selected because there was a relatively high level of 
federal and state expenditures on the species as reported for fiscal 
year 2003. (NMFS does not report a recovery achieved statistic for 
species for which it is responsible.) 

Some Species Are More Prevalent Than Initially Thought and/or the 
Species' Habitat Is Being Protected: 

Six of the species we reviewed have recovered, or are nearing recovery, 
because they are more prevalent than thought when listed, and/or FWS 
has been successful in protecting important habitat. The services' 
biologists expect that all but one of these species will be delisted 
within the next 10 years. After a species is listed, it typically 
receives more attention; sometimes this attention comes in the form of 
additional funding to survey for the species, which can lead to finding 
additional individuals or populations. The Uncompahgre fritillary 
butterfly is an example of a species where the discovery of additional 
populations, coupled with management actions to protect those 
populations, could result in the species being delisted within the next 
6 years. When the butterfly was listed in 1991, there were only two 
known colonies and a few individual butterflies that had been located 
at two other sites. However, since that time, monitoring has uncovered 
nine additional colonies. Habitat protections, such as prohibitions on 
collecting all types of butterflies in key habitat areas, have also 
helped this species. FWS biologists believe that the species is nearing 
recovery but, as some of the colonies were only discovered between 4 
and 5 years ago, additional monitoring is needed. The recovery plan 
calls for population levels to have remained stable for 10 years before 
the species is considered recovered. 

Besides finding additional populations, sometimes a species is 
determined to be more abundant than originally thought because of 
changes to how the species is taxonomically classified. For example, 
the Truckee barberry, a small evergreen shrub found in California, was 
delisted after it was reclassified and included as part of a more 
common species that is not threatened or endangered. Table 2 summarizes 
some key details for these six species. 

Table 2: Species More Prevalent Than Initially Thought and/or Having 
Habitat Protections: 

Species name: Dwarf-flowered heartleaf (plant); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A]: Listed: 
1989; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2015; 
Prevalence and habitat protection factors: Additional populations were 
discovered, but some habitat still needs protection. 

Species name: Eggert's sunflower (plant); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A]: Listed: 
1997; 
Delisted: 2005; 
Prevalence and habitat protection factors: Additional populations were 
discovered, and FWS secured conservation agreements from public and 
private landowners to protect and restore habitat. Protective actions 
include burning, mowing, or thinning plants that compete with the 
species. 

Species name: Johnston's frankenia (plant); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A]: Listed: 
1984; 
Proposed for delisting: 2003; 
Anticipated to be delisted: 2006; 
Prevalence and habitat protection factors: Landowners initially 
resisted requests to survey for the species but eventually 
reconsidered; 
additional populations were subsequently discovered. Conservation 
agreements with private landowners now protect the species' habitat. 

Species name: Truckee barberry (plant); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A]: Listed: 
1979; 
Delisted: 2003; 
Prevalence and habitat protection factors: At the time of listing, it 
was not clear how the Truckee barberry was related to other species. 
Taxonomic analyses later determined that this species is the same as 
another much more prevalent species. 

Species name: Uinta Basin hookless cactus; 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A]: Listed: 
1979; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2025; 
Prevalence and habitat protection factors: The species is more 
prevalent than originally thought, but still needs habitat protections. 

Species name: Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly; 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A]: Listed: 
1991; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2015; 
Prevalence and habitat protection factors: Additional populations were 
discovered, and populations on federal land have been protected by 
eliminating species collection and reducing access to species habitat. 

Source: FWS. 

[A] Target time frames for delisting assume that remaining recovery 
actions are taken. However, many factors, including availability of 
funding, cooperation with partners, acquisition of land, and 
responsiveness of the species, may render these time frames 
unattainable or obsolete. We present estimates in 5-year increments. 

[End of table] 

As with the species in table 1, all of the six species that are nearing 
recovery because they are more prevalent (and/or because their habitat 
has been protected) were included in our sample because they were 
reported to have 76 to 100 percent of their recovery achieved in FWS's 
fiscal year 2001-2002 recovery report to Congress. 

Some Species Are Likely to Respond Quickly to Recovery Efforts: 

Five of the species we reviewed are likely to be recovered within the 
next 25 years, because they are expected to respond relatively quickly 
to focused recovery efforts with many stakeholders and significant 
resources. For example, the Rio Grande silvery minnow, a fish that 
rarely exceeds 4 inches, was historically found in the Rio Grande and 
Pecos Rivers. However, habitat degradation restricted the fish to 5 
percent of its historic range, all in the Rio Grande. To recover the 
minnow and other endangered species in the area (including the 
southwestern willow flycatcher, which is also reviewed in this report), 
the river is being restored to a more natural state. The restoration 
will transform the deeply channeled river with high banks that isolate 
the river from the surrounding floodplain to a more gently flowing 
river with broader, lower banks that will provide eddies and slack 
water for juvenile minnows. To achieve this, a myriad of property 
owners and water-rights interests must be coordinated. Specifically, 
the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Act Collaborative Program--a 
broad coalition of federal, tribal, and local governments; property 
owners; and others--is leading efforts to restore the river. Efforts 
are underway to physically manipulate the river banks, and the Bureau 
of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are manipulating 
the river's flow to create floods that reconnect the river with the 
surrounding floodplain. FWS is introducing captively-bred minnows to 
increase the population size. FWS biologists report that manipulating 
the river's flow regime is an effective way to create habitat, and that 
minnow populations increase rapidly when provided with good habitat. 
Table 3 summarizes some key details about the minnow and four other 
species that are responding quickly, or expected to respond quickly, to 
recovery actions. 

Table 3: Species Expected to Respond Relatively Quickly to Extensive 
Recovery Efforts: 

Species name: Colorado pikeminnow (fish); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A,B]: Listed: 
1967; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2015; 
Stakeholder involvement and resource investment: This extensive 
recovery program involves significant resources (about $200 million 
since 1989 on the pikeminnow and other species) and a large number of 
partners--including federal and state agencies, tribes, and private 
sector entities. Key actions include providing water to ensure adequate 
flows, and controlling introductions of nonnative recreational fish 
species that compete with and prey on the pikeminnow. The effort to 
recover the pikeminnow is part of a larger effort that includes three 
other fish species including the razorback sucker, which is also 
profiled in this report. Because the species breeds annually, 
biologists believe that successful implementation of recovery actions 
would result in the species recovering relatively quickly. 

Species name: Razorback sucker (fish); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A,B]: Listed: 
1991; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2025; 
Stakeholder involvement and resource investment: This extensive 
recovery program involves significant resources (about $200 million 
since 1989 on the razorback sucker and other species) and a large 
number of partners--including federal and state agencies, tribes, and 
private entities. Key actions include land acquisition of floodplain 
habitat and controlling introductions of nonnative recreational fish 
species that compete with and prey on the sucker. The effort to recover 
the sucker is part of a larger effort focused on it and three other 
fish, including the Colorado pikeminnow, which is also profiled in this 
report. Because the species breeds annually, biologists believe that 
successful implementation of recovery actions would result in the 
species recovering relatively quickly. 

Species name: Rio Grande silvery minnow; 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A,B]: Listed: 
1994; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2030; 
Stakeholder involvement and resource investment: This extensive 
recovery program involves significant resources (about $45 million 
since 2001) and a large number of partners--including state and local 
agencies, and private landowners. Key actions include creating needed 
habitat and introducing captively-bred minnows. Habitat can be created 
relatively quickly and populations can increase rapidly in the presence 
of good habitat. 

Species name: Southwestern willow flycatcher (bird); 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A,B]: Listed: 
1995; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2025; 
Stakeholder involvement and resource investment: A large number of 
stakeholders were involved in developing the recovery plan for the 
species, and this has resulted in wide support for the species. The 
species' biology also helps with recovery, as it uses a variety of 
habitats that are easy to establish and become available to the species 
quickly. The species also reproduces annually. About $40 million has 
been spent since 1995 developing the recovery plan and implementing 
recovery actions. 

Species name: Steller sea lion--western DPS[C]; 
Year species was listed and target delisting time frame[A,B]: Listed: 
1990; 
Anticipated to be delisted: by 2030; 
Stakeholder involvement and resource investment: This is an extensive 
recovery program involving significant resource investment (over $167 
million since 1992, including efforts to recover the eastern DPS). 
Actions taken include extensive research, closures of fishery areas, 
and reductions in disturbances at breeding sites. Although uncertainty 
exists about the cause of both the decline and increase in sea lion 
populations, the annual growth rate of the western DPS reached target 
levels of 3 percent in 2000 and NMFS biologists believe this trend will 
continue. 

Sources: FWS and NMFS. 

[A] Target time frames for delisting assume that remaining recovery 
actions are taken. However, many factors, including availability of 
funding, cooperation with partners, acquisition of land, and 
responsiveness of the species, may render these time frames 
unattainable or obsolete. We present estimates in 5-year increments. 

[B] Species with a listing date before 1973, the year the Endangered 
Species Act was enacted, were originally listed under provisions of the 
Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 or the Endangered Species 
Conservation Act of 1969, and "grandfathered" onto the list of 
threatened and endangered species under the 1973 act. 

[C] A DPS is a subdivision of a vertebrate species that, for the 
purposes of listing under the Endangered Species Act, is treated as a 
species. 

[End of table] 

In contrast to the species in tables 1 and 2, these species were 
included in our sample primarily because there was a relatively high 
level of federal and state expenditures on the species as reported for 
fiscal year 2003. None of the four for which FWS is responsible were 
reported to have 76 to 100 percent of their recovery achieved in FWS's 
fiscal year 2001-2002 recovery report to Congress. 

Factors Affecting the Species We Reviewed That Are Likely Far from 
Recovery: 

The recovery efforts for 12 of the 31 species we reviewed are far from 
complete, and the outcome for some is uncertain. These species are 
likely to spend at least 50 years on the endangered species list, some 
significantly longer than that. The services' biologists believe that 
four of these species will likely recover, but not for many decades-- 
they respond slowly to recovery efforts. An additional five species are 
far from recovery because FWS is unable to protect habitat necessary 
for the species' recovery. For the three remaining species, not enough 
is known about the threats they face, or how to mitigate those threats, 
to predict whether or when a successful recovery is possible. 

Some Species Respond Slowly to Recovery Efforts: 

For four species we reviewed, recovery efforts are far from complete 
because the species respond slowly to these efforts. For example, the 
species may have a relatively low reproductive rate; alternatively, it 
may depend on habitat that takes a long time to develop to the point 
that it is useful to the species. Although the services' biologists are 
optimistic that these four species will eventually recover, they do not 
believe this will occur in the foreseeable future. For example, NMFS 
biologists expect the northern right whale to recover eventually, but 
not for many decades. This whale population was brought to extremely 
low levels by commercial whaling. Although an international agreement 
has protected the northern right whale from commercial whaling 
worldwide since 1935, populations remain extremely depleted--the 
current population estimate is about 300 individuals. The main threat 
the whale still faces is human-caused mortality by fishing gear 
entanglement and collisions with ships. NMFS biologists believe the 
right whale has a high potential for recovery because the threats to 
the species are known and can be addressed--actions are being 
implemented that have reduced mortality associated with fishing gear 
and ships. However, NMFS biologists also believe it will take a long 
time for the whale to recover because of its very low population and 
slow reproduction. Table 4 summarizes some key details for these four 
species. 

Table 4: Species Expected to Recover but That Respond Relatively Slowly 
to Recovery Efforts: 

Species name: Northern right whale (north Atlantic population); 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1970; 
Reason for relatively slow recovery: This species lives up to 70 years 
and reproduces infrequently--once every 3 to 5 years. Commercial 
whaling severely depleted the population (the current population is 
only about 300 individuals). Extensive efforts are being taken to 
reduce whale injuries and mortalities caused by fishing gear 
entanglement and ship strikes, but the species' low reproductive rate 
and small population will require a long recovery period. 

Species name: Red-cockaded woodpecker; 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1970; 
Reason for relatively slow recovery: The species depends on habitat 
that was nearly eliminated and takes a long time to develop. It also 
has very selective nesting behavior. It pecks out cavities in old pine 
trees, and creating a suitable nest cavity can take a decade. However, 
much of the pine forests in the woodpeckers' habitat have been logged 
and adversely affected by fire suppression and other activities. As a 
result, it will be decades before these forests develop to the point 
that they can be used by the species, and it could take more than 70 
years for the species to be delisted. 

Species name: West Indian manatee (Florida population); 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1967; 
Reason for relatively slow recovery: Significant efforts to reduce 
human-caused mortality (such as from collisions with boats) are having 
a positive effect, but manatees remain extremely vulnerable to 
mortality due to a lack of warm-water wintering sites. Manatees 
historically relied on warm water from natural springs, but these are 
becoming scarce. As a result, many manatees rely on industrial 
discharges such as cooling water discharges from power plants. However, 
the reliability of these sources is unpredictable and loss of even one 
site (such as for maintenance or an emergency) can cause hundreds of 
manatee deaths. The Florida manatee population is increasing slightly, 
but uncertainty over the availability of warm-water wintering sites, 
coupled with the manatee's tendency to return to the same winter sites 
year after year, means the species' recovery is still many decades 
away. 

Species name: Whooping crane; 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1967; 
Reason for relatively slow recovery: Extensive efforts to breed the 
crane in captivity and reintroduce it into the wild have been 
relatively successful, but the species will take a long time to recover 
because the population size fell to a very small number; 
the species reproduces slowly; 
and it continues to face threats on its migration routes. 

Sources: FWS and NMFS. 

[A] Species with a listing date before 1973, the year the Endangered 
Species Act was enacted, were originally listed under provisions of the 
Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 or the Endangered Species 
Conservation Act of 1969, and "grandfathered" onto the list of 
threatened and endangered species under the 1973 act. 

[End of table] 

These four species were included in our sample primarily because of the 
relatively high level of federal and state expenditures on the species 
as reported for fiscal year 2003. The two species for which FWS is 
responsible were reported as having between 0 and 50 percent of their 
recovery achieved in the 2001-2002 recovery report to Congress. 

Some Species' Habitats Are Difficult to Protect: 

Recovery efforts for five of the species we reviewed are far from 
complete because FWS is unable to protect the habitat necessary to 
recover these species. For example, the recovery plan for the Florida 
panther calls for three viable, self-sustaining populations--which must 
each include at least 240 panthers to maintain genetic diversity. 
However, as of 2005, there is currently only one population estimated 
at 76 panthers; its genetic diversity is being augmented by a closely 
related subspecies found in Texas. The habitat this small population 
currently relies on is at its carrying capacity and is declining by 
about one percent per year because of housing and citrus development. 
FWS biologists report that, although it is biologically feasible to 
recover the panther, they do not believe it is likely this will occur 
because of the lack of public support for expanding the current 
population and establishing additional populations--actions that rely 
on additional suitable habitat being available to the panther. The lack 
of public support stems largely from fears of the animal and predation 
on livestock and pets. 

The Socorro isopod, a one-fourth-inch long member of the crustacean 
family, is another example of FWS being unable to protect the habitat 
necessary to recover a species, but for a different reason than that of 
the Florida panther. The only wild population of isopods is found in 
New Mexico, and lives in the pipes of an abandoned bathhouse that was 
built to take advantage of the natural hot spring the species 
historically relied on. The bathhouse and the water rights to the 
spring that feeds the bathhouse are privately owned. The recovery plan 
for the isopod calls for an agreement with the property owner to 
protect the species--either an easement, lease, or outright purchase of 
the property. However, FWS biologists told us that the property owner 
has not consented to such an agreement, although he has taken some 
actions to protect the species, such as repairing a fence surrounding 
the bathhouse that helps protect it from vandals. However, without the 
property owner's cooperation, FWS cannot secure the habitat essential 
to ensure the survival of the species and thus delist it. Table 5 
summarizes some key details for these five species. 

Table 5: Species for Which Essential Habitat Is Not Protected: 

Species name: Ash Meadows sunray (plant); 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1985; 
Habitat protection needed: The primary threat at the time of listing 
was development of its unique habitat--a desert wetland in Nevada. This 
threat was partially mitigated through land acquisition, but the area 
remains vulnerable to mineral extraction. 

Species name: Black-footed ferret; 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1967; 
Habitat protection needed: Ferrets rely on prairie dog colonies for 
habitat and on prairie dogs for food. However, strong public opposition 
to prairie dogs prevents the establishment of sufficient prairie dog 
populations to support recovery of the ferret. In addition, disease 
threatens the prairie dogs and the ferret. 

Species name: Florida panther; 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1967; 
Habitat protection needed: Development continues to reduce the size of 
already insufficient habitat for the panther, and there is public 
opposition to establishing additional populations in other locations. 

Species name: Papery whitlow-wort--Florida panhandle subspecies 
(plant); 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1987; 
Habitat protection needed: The primary threat to the species is habitat 
loss through residential, industrial, and commercial development. Land 
management activities and habitat protections, including land 
acquisition, are needed. However, funds have not yet been available to 
fully implement recovery actions. 

Species name: Socorro isopod (crustacean); 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1978; 
Habitat protection needed: Water rights to the spring supporting the 
only wild population are privately owned. 

Source: FWS. 

[A] Species with a listing date before 1973, the year the Endangered 
Species Act was enacted, were originally listed under provisions of the 
Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 or the Endangered Species 
Conservation Act of 1969, and "grandfathered" onto the list of 
threatened and endangered species under the 1973 act. 

[End of table] 

The Florida panther and the black-footed ferret were included in our 
sample because there was a relatively high level of federal and state 
expenditures on the species as reported for fiscal year 2003, and each 
species had at least one full-time staff member dedicated to its 
recovery. The other three species--the Ash Meadows sunray, the papery 
whitlow-wort, and the Socorro isopod--were included in our sample 
because FWS reported them as having between 76 and 100 percent of their 
recovery achieved in the fiscal year 2001-2002 recovery report to 
Congress; however, as discussed above, it is unclear when these species 
will be delisted. 

Key Information Is Lacking about the Threats Some Species Face: 

FWS cannot predict whether or when a successful recovery is possible 
for the remaining three species we reviewed because it does not know 
enough about the threats facing the species, or how to mitigate those 
threats. These three species could spend more than 50 years on the 
endangered species list. The Indiana bat is one example. This species 
has been found throughout much of the eastern United States. The bats 
winter in caves or mines, called hibernacula, that satisfy their highly 
specific need for cold (but not freezing) temperatures during 
hibernation. The fact that they hibernate in a relatively small number 
of caves suggests that very few caves meet their habitat requirements. 
FWS biologists originally thought that the only major threat to the bat 
was anthropomorphic changes to its hibernacula. For example, gates 
installed to control human access to caves have been documented as 
major causes of Indiana bat declines because they prevent bat access or 
do not allow proper air flow; human disturbances in caves with 
hibernating bats have also been found to adversely affect the species. 
Yet despite actions to protect the hibernacula and remove these 
threats, population levels have not rebounded, suggesting that the 
species faces additional threats when not hibernating. The additional 
threats are not well known because the species is difficult to study-- 
it is nocturnal, widely dispersed during the summer, and roosts in 
trees with exfoliating bark. This latter point is problematic because 
climbing these trees (for example, to conduct studies on the species) 
could destroy the habitat. Table 6 summarizes some key details for 
these three species. 

Table 6: Species for Which Key Information Is Lacking: 

Species name: Ash Meadows gumplant (plant); 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1985; 
Key information gap: An invasive species may threaten the gumplant and 
FWS biologists do not know how to remove it from the gumplant's 
habitat. 

Species name: Indiana bat; 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1967; 
Key information gap: Unknown threats to the bat are suspected during 
summer months. A revised recovery plan is being drafted that will 
include recovery actions to address this information gap. 

Species name: Spring-loving centaury (plant); 
Year species was listed[A]: Listed: 1985; 
Key information gap: An invasive species may threaten the centaury and 
FWS biologists do not know how to remove it from the centaury's 
habitat. 

Source: FWS. 

[A] Species with a listing date before 1973, the year the Endangered 
Species Act was enacted, were originally listed under provisions of the 
Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 or the Endangered Species 
Conservation Act of 1969, and "grandfathered" onto the list of 
threatened and endangered species under the 1973 act. 

[End of table] 

We included the Ash Meadows gumplant and the Spring-loving centaury in 
our sample because they were reported to have 76 to 100 percent of 
their recovery achieved in the fiscal year 2001-2002 recovery report to 
Congress. However, FWS biologists believe that a recently identified 
threat to these two species may result in the recovery-achieved 
statistic for these species being lowered in the next recovery report 
to Congress. The third species--the Indiana bat--was included in our 
sample because of the relatively high level of federal and state 
expenditures on the species as reported for fiscal year 2003. 

Recovery Plans Play an Important Role in Recovering Certain Threatened 
and Endangered Species: 

We found that recovery plans have played an important role in the 
recovery efforts of all but one of the 31 species we reviewed. More 
specifically, for 13 of the species, biologists report that the 
recovery plan contains key actions needed to achieve progress in 
recovering the species. Although not all of these species are nearing 
recovery, the services' biologists report that the success that these 
species have had can be attributed, in large part, to implementation of 
actions in the species' recovery plans. For an additional 17 species, 
biologists report that, although recovery plans have played an 
important role in the species' progress toward recovery, events 
unrelated to the plan have also had a critical impact on recovery 
progress. In some cases, historic and legal events outside the purview 
of the recovery plan--such as the banning of DDT, which set the stage 
for the bald eagle's recovery--have been critical to the species 
recovery. For some species, the discovery of new populations has played 
an important role in their recovery, although monitoring for additional 
populations is often a recovery-plan activity. Finally, one species-- 
the dwarf-flowered heartleaf--does not have a recovery plan, and may 
not need one. FWS biologists report that information about this species 
is changing rapidly as new and larger populations are being identified. 
FWS has considered delisting this species, but some stakeholders raised 
concerns about development threats in the species' habitat. The 
species' status is currently undergoing a review, and it may be 
possible to delist it without having a recovery plan.[Footnote 8] 

Implementation of Recovery Plan Actions Has Been the Primary Driver in 
Recovering 13 Species: 

Thirteen of the species we reviewed are recovering, in large part due 
to the implementation of actions in the species' recovery plans. 
Although not all of these species are nearing recovery, the success 
that these species have had is attributed primarily to the recovery 
actions identified in the species' recovery plans. For example, the red-
cockaded woodpecker, which is found in 11 states from Florida to Texas 
to Virginia, is expected to recover largely as a result of 
implementation of actions in its recovery plan. The species nests in 
old pine trees and, by creating and maintaining wounds in the tree that 
exude resin, exploits the ability of these pines to produce large 
amounts of resin. The resin creates an effective barrier against 
climbing snakes and prevents nest predation. The woodpecker requires 
large pine trees because it excavates a cavity within the heartwood 
(center) of the tree. The diameter of the heartwood must be large 
enough to contain the entire cavity--otherwise the woodpecker could be 
entrapped by the resin. The woodpecker requires pines at least 60 to 80 
years old because the higher incidence of heartwood decay greatly 
facilitates cavity excavation. Excavation can take many years, and 
averages from 6 to 13 years depending on the type of tree being 
excavated. The species declined significantly because logging 
eliminated much of the woodpecker's habitat of old-growth pine. FWS 
biologists report that, although the woodpecker was listed in 1970, not 
enough was known about the species' biology to develop the recovery 
actions necessary to bring about the bird's recovery until the mid 
1990s. Three of the most significant efforts that have helped the 
woodpecker were in the plan--prescribed burns have helped develop 
suitable habitat, artificial nesting cavities have provided a stop-gap 
measure until existing pine trees mature, and translocation of birds to 
new locations with suitable habitat has expanded the population. The 
plan also identified measures to protect existing woodpecker habitat on 
private land, for example, through conservation agreements. Since the 
development and implementation of the recovery plan, woodpecker 
populations have been steadily increasing. Table 7 summarizes some key 
details for these 13 species. 

Table 7: Species Whose Recovery Plans Have Played a Primary Role in the 
Species' Progress toward Recovery: 

Species name: Black-footed ferret; 
Role of plan in species recovery: A captive breeding program outlined 
in the recovery plan was essential to creating self-sustaining 
populations in the wild. 

Species name: Colorado pikeminnow; 
Role of plan in species recovery: Key actions in the recovery plan 
include restoring water flows and controlling the introduction of 
nonnative fish. 

Species name: Columbian white-tailed deer--Douglas County DPS[A]; 
Role of plan in species recovery: Key actions in the recovery plan 
include habitat protection (through land acquisition, easements, and 
other means) by federal, state, and local agencies; 
and monitoring conducted by the state to determine the status of the 
species. 

Species name: Florida panther; 
Role of plan in species recovery: Key actions in the recovery plan 
include introducing Texas mountain lions (a closely related subspecies) 
to keep the species from becoming dangerously inbred; 
collaring and monitoring to determine population health and status; 
and installing highway underpasses to reduce mortality. 

Species name: Indiana bat; 
Role of plan in species recovery: The recovery plan included various 
steps to protect hibernacula and reduce disturbances to hibernating 
bats. 

Species name: Papery whitlow-wort--central Florida subspecies (plant); 
Role of plan in species recovery: Land acquisition and restoration 
activities included in the recovery plan are helping recover this 
species. 

Species name: Papery whitlow-wort--Florida panhandle subspecies 
(plant); 
Role of plan in species recovery: Land acquisition and restoration 
activities included in the recovery plan, although still incomplete, 
have helped this species. 

Species name: Razorback sucker; 
Role of plan in species recovery: Key actions in the recovery plan 
include land acquisition to provide floodplain habitat and controlling 
the introduction of nonnative fish species. 

Species name: Red-cockaded woodpecker; 
Role of plan in species recovery: The most beneficial actions in the 
recovery plan have been prescribed burns to ensure suitable foraging 
habitat and prevent hardwood tree encroachment; 
relocation of some woodpeckers to areas with suitable habitat; 
and providing artificial nesting cavities until trees are mature enough 
to be used by the species. 

Species name: Rio Grande silvery minnow; 
Role of plan in species recovery: Key actions in the recovery plan 
include augmenting wild populations of minnows, restoring habitat, and 
purchasing water rights to help ensure adequate water flows. 

Species name: Southwestern willow flycatcher (bird); 
Role of plan in species recovery: A large number of stakeholders 
collaborated on the recovery plan. This public support has been the 
most effective plan- related action to date. The plan is only 2 years 
old, and public support will be essential to implement the widespread 
habitat restoration and protection that is needed to recover the 
species. 

Species name: Truckee barberry (plant); 
Role of plan in species recovery: Taxonomic research called for in the 
recovery plan determined that the Truckee barberry should be 
reclassified as part of a more prevalent species. 

Species name: West Indian manatee (Florida population); 
Role of plan in species recovery: Key actions in the recovery plan 
include reducing mortality from boat collisions, fishing gear 
entanglement, and entrapment in navigation locks. 

Source: FWS. AA DPS is a subdivision of a vertebrate species that, for 
purposes of listing, is treated as a species under the Endangered 
Species Act. 

[End of table] 

Recovery for 17 Species is Driven by Both the Recovery Plan and Other 
Factors: 

For 17 of the species we reviewed, biologists report that, while 
recovery plans played important roles, events outside of the plans have 
also been critical to the species' recovery efforts. In some cases, 
historic and legal events have been critical to a species' recovery. 
For example, the whooping crane benefited from protections that 
occurred before endangered species legislation was in existence. In the 
early 1900s, it was recognized that the crane's population was 
decreasing. The major cause of this decline was thought to be hunting 
and, as wetlands were drained and turned into farmland, habitat loss. 
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1916 prohibited hunting of the crane 
(and most other migratory birds in the United States). The crane also 
benefited from the creation of two protected areas--one specifically to 
protect the crane, the other to protect another species that shared the 
crane's habitat. In 1922, Canada created a national park to protect a 
small herd of bison and the crane was later found to summer there. In 
1937, the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas was created to 
protect cranes that were currently wintering there. While these actions 
were critical to protecting the crane and its habitat, the population 
remained low and did not exceed 100 until the winter of 1983-84. 
Accordingly, the 1980 recovery plan set forth many additional recovery 
actions that have greatly helped the species, such as introducing 
captively-bred cranes into the wild. Perhaps the best-known of these 
recovery actions is the use of ultralight aircraft to teach cranes 
migration routes between summer and winter habitats. 

Similarly, the Borax Lake chub also benefited from several events not 
included in its recovery plan. The chub is a fish, typically less than 
2 inches long, found in Borax Lake and adjacent wetlands in arid 
southeastern Oregon. The lake is fed by several thermal springs that 
were vulnerable to geothermal development. The immediate threat was 
removed when the energy exploration company speculating in the area 
abandoned its plans to pursue development of a hydrogeothermal facility 
in the Borax Lake area. These actions were not part of the recovery 
plan but were critical to protecting the Borax Lake chub. They were 
supplemented by implementation of a key action called for in the 
recovery plan--purchasing the privately owned land surrounding the 
lake. 

For other species, the discovery of new populations has played an 
important role in their recovery. For example, Johnston's frankenia, a 
small perennial shrub found in south Texas and an adjacent area in 
northeastern Mexico, was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 
1984. At the time of listing, there were only five known populations in 
Texas--all on privately-owned lands. However, many private lands had 
not been surveyed for the species because of resistance from the 
landowners. A key action in the recovery plan was working with 
landowners to gain access to their lands to conduct monitoring. Once 
this was accomplished, the plant was found to be more prevalent than 
thought at the time of listing, and FWS proposed delisting the species 
in 2003. While the discovery of previously unknown populations is a 
fortunate event that cannot be prescribed by a recovery plan, 
monitoring and surveying to determine species' abundance and 
distribution can be included in a recovery plan. Table 8 summarizes 
some key details for these 17 species. 

Table 8: Species Whose Recovery Has Been Aided by Both Recovery Plans 
and Other Factors: 

Species name: Ash Meadows gumplant (plant); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Securing land and 
water rights to protect habitat; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Creation of a national wildlife refuge to protect essential habitat. 

Species name: Ash Meadows sunray (plant); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Securing land and 
water rights to protect habitat; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Creation of a national wildlife refuge to protect essential habitat. 

Species name: Bald eagle; 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Habitat protection 
and enhancement of nesting areas, and management guidelines to limit 
disturbances around nests; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Banning of DDT in 1972. 

Species name: Borax Lake chub (fish); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Land acquisition 
around Borax Lake, and the Bureau of Land Management placing special 
management status on the area around the lake; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Withdrawal of an energy exploration company's plans to pursue 
development of a hydrogeothermal facility in the Borax Lake area. 

Species name: Eggert's sunflower (plant); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Prescribed fires to 
improve habitat; 
research on genetics; 
and, for habitat, management plans and conservation agreements; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Species was more prevalent than thought at the time of listing. 

Species name: Gray wolf (western Great Lakes recovery population); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Strong enforcement 
of hunting prohibition, depredation control and compensation programs, 
and public education; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Protections, due to listing the species, sharply curtailed hunting; 
state programs that protected the wolf also were important. 

Species name: Johnston's frankenia (plant); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Getting private 
landowners' cooperation to survey habitat; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Species was more prevalent than thought at the time of listing. 

Species name: Magazine Mountain shagreen (land snail); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: U.S. Forest Service 
designating habitat areas as "special interest" areas and conducting 
additional monitoring; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: The 
Department of Defense withdrew plans to use the area for exercises, and 
FWS provided input to protect the species during development of an 
environmental impact statement for construction of a facility near the 
species' habitat. 

Species name: Northern right whale (north Atlantic population); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Reducing collisions 
with ships and entanglement with fishing gear; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
World-wide ban on hunting in 1935 saved the species from extinction. 

Species name: Socorro isopod (crustacean); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Another population 
of isopods was created in 1990 that relies on the same spring as the 
original population, bringing the total number of isopod populations to 
three; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Establishment of a captive population in 1977 was relied on to 
repopulate the habitat when the only wild population became extinct in 
1988. 

Species name: Spring-loving centaury (plant); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Securing land and 
water rights to protect habitat; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Creation of a national wildlife refuge to protect essential habitat. 

Species name: Steller sea lion (eastern DPS)[A]; 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Prohibition on 
shooting, and protection of habitat and offshore foraging areas; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Also protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. 

Species name: Steller sea lion (western DPS)[A]; 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Reduction of 
competition for prey with commercial fishing operations; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Also protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. 

Species name: Uinta Basin hookless cactus; 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Research to 
determine species morphology; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Species was more prevalent than thought at the time of listing. 

Species name: Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly; 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Closures of key 
areas to prevent illegal collection, monitoring to identify additional 
colonies, and management of sheep grazing; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: The 
U.S. Forest Service established a "no ground disturbing" provision for 
the Rio Grande National Forest that prevents animals such as sheep from 
trampling potential butterfly habitat. 

Species name: Virginia round-leaf birch (tree); 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Habitat alteration 
to provide more sunlight to seedlings in the wild and distribution of 
greenhouse-grown seedlings to the public to stop collection from wild 
populations; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
U.S. Forest Service fenced the two mature trees that occurred on 
National Forest land and conducted soil disturbance activities to 
encourage seed germination. 

Species name: Whooping crane; 
Important recovery actions found in recovery plans: Captive breeding 
and reintroduction programs; 
Events outside of recovery plans that have aided species' recovery: 
Protection of key habitat areas through the creation, in 1922, of a 
national park in Canada and the creation, in 1937, of a national 
wildlife refuge in Texas. 

Sources: FWS and NMFS. 

[A] A DPS is a subdivision of a vertebrate species that, for purposes 
of listing, is treated as a species under the Endangered Species Act. 

[End of table] 


Agency Comments: 

We provided Interior and Commerce with a draft of this report for 
review and comment. Interior generally agreed with the information 
presented in this report; its letter is presented in appendix III. 
Additionally, Interior provided technical comments that we have 
incorporated into the report, as appropriate. Commerce declined to 
provide a general assessment of the draft because the report does not 
contain recommendations. Commerce did, however, provide technical 
comments that we have incorporated into the report, as appropriate. 

We performed our work from September 2005 through August 2006 in 
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. A 
description of our scope and methodology can be found in appendix I. 

As discussed with your offices, unless you publicly announce the 
contents of this report earlier, we plan no further distribution until 
30 days from the report date. At that time, we will send copies of this 
report to the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, and 
interested congressional committees. We will also make copies available 
to others upon request. In addition, this report will be available at 
no charge on the GAO Web site at [Hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov]. 

If you have any questions about this report or need additional 
information, please contact me at (202) 512-3841 or nazzaror@gao.gov. 
Contact points for our Office of Congressional Relations and Public 
Affairs can be found on the last page of this report. Key contributors 
to this report were Charles T. Egan, Trish McClure, Alison O'Neill, 
Rebecca Shea, Maria Vargas, and Mary Welch. 

Signed by: 

Robin M. Nazzaro: 
Director, Natural Resources and Environment: 

List of congressional requesters: 

The Honorable James M. Inhofe: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable James M. Jeffords: 
Ranking Minority Member: 
Committee on Environment and Public Works: 
United States Senate: 

The Honorable Lincoln Chafee: 
Chairman: 
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water: 
Committee on Environment and Public Works: 
United States Senate: 

The Honorable Richard W. Pombo: 
Chairman: 
The Honorable Nick J. Rahall II: 
Ranking Minority Member: 
Committee on Resources: 
House of Representatives: 

The Honorable Michael D. Crapo: 
United States Senate: 

The Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg: 
United States Senate: 

The Honorable Lisa Murkowski: 
United States Senate: 

The Honorable Harry Reid: 
United States Senate: 

The Honorable Craig Thomas: 
United States Senate: 

[End of section] 

Appendix I: Scope and Methodology: 

In response to a request from 10 members of Congress, we (1) identified 
factors affecting the length of time to recover 31 selected species 
listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, 
and (2) described the role that recovery plans have played in 
recovering these species. As agreed with our requesters, we selected a 
nonprobability sample of species to review. Results from nonprobability 
samples cannot be used to make inferences about a population because 
some elements in the studied population have no chance or an unknown 
chance of being selected. However, our in-depth review of these 
selected species provides valuable, case-level insights into their 
progress toward recovery and the role that recovery plans have played 
in that progress. 

We used a multi-step process to select the nonprobability sample of 
species for review. First, we used three criteria to identify species 
that were nearing recovery or had significant attention devoted to 
them, and thus would be expected to be making progress towards 
recovery. These three criteria were: (1) species that are nearing 
recovery as reported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), (2) 
species with relatively high federal and state expenditures, and (3) 
species with at least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery. 
To identify species nearing recovery, we used FWS's fiscal year 2001- 
2002 biennial report to Congress on the status of species 
recovery.[Footnote 9] This was the most recent report available at the 
time we selected our sample. In this report, FWS provides the percent 
of recovery objectives achieved for each species--both for those which 
it has primary responsibility, and for those which it shares 
responsibility with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). We 
considered species to be nearing recovery if they were reported to have 
achieved 76 to 100 percent of their recovery objectives. NMFS does not 
report this measure. To identify species with relatively high federal 
and state expenditures, we used the fiscal year 2003 annual report to 
Congress of federal and state expenditures.[Footnote 10] This was the 
most recent report available at the time we selected our species. It 
provides expenditure data on all listed species, regardless of which 
service has primary responsibility. We excluded salmon, steelhead, and 
the desert tortoise from this sample, even though they had relatively 
high expenditures, because we have issued comprehensive reports on 
these species.[Footnote 11]We relied on FWS officials to identify 
species that had at least one full-time staff member devoted to 
recovery efforts. NMFS officials told us that their staff work in 
recovery teams, and that having a full-time staff member dedicated to 
recovery efforts would not be a good measure of the resources the 
agency was devoting to recovery of the species. We identified 40 
species that met these three criteria. 

Next, because of time and resource constraints, we took several steps 
to reduce the 40 species to a more manageable number. We prioritized 
species for review by generally selecting all of the species that 
satisfied at least two of the three criteria, and species that were 
nearing recovery and had relatively low federal and state expenditures 
(in order to understand how species can achieve recovery with 
relatively low expenditures). This process yielded 20 species for 
review. As agreed with your offices, we reviewed all 20 of these 
species and as many of the remaining 20 species as time and resources 
permitted. To prioritize this second group of 20 species, we excluded 
certain species from review based on a variety of factors. For example, 
we chose to exclude species that were similar, or had similar habitats, 
to other species that were already included for review. For instance, 
we excluded some populations of the gray wolf from our sample because 
we had included the western Great Lakes population of the gray wolf in 
our first group of 20 species for review. We also excluded the 
Louisiana black bear because of the additional demands that Hurricane 
Katrina placed on local FWS staff. This process reduced the second 
group of species for review down to nine. 

While our selection process yielded 29 species for review, we 
ultimately reported on 31 species because 2 of the species we selected-
-the Papery whitlow-wort and the Steller sea lion--consist of 
subspecies or distinct population segments (DPS), and we included these 
in our review.[Footnote 12] FWS has primary responsibility for all the 
species we reviewed except for three--the northern right whale and the 
eastern and western DPSs of the Steller sea lion--for which NMFS has 
primary responsibility. 

To identify factors affecting the length of time to recover the 31 
selected species and describe the role that recovery plans have played 
in recovering these species, we reviewed each species' recovery plan 
and Federal Register documents associated with each species' listing 
and delisting actions, as appropriate. We also interviewed the 
services' officials at headquarters, and the services' biologists 
designated as the primary contact for each species' recovery effort, 
and obtained additional documentation, as necessary. 

We performed our work between September 2005 and August 2006 in 
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. 

Table 9 lists the species included in our nonprobability sample and the 
criteria used to select them. 

Table 9: Selection Criteria for Species Included in Our Nonprobability 
Sample: 

Species name: Mammals: Black-footed ferret; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: $1,791,796; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 0-25 percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: Yes. 

Species name: Mammals: Columbian white-tailed deer (Douglas County 
population); 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: Not Available[A]; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001- 2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Mammals: Florida panther; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 6,301,276; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 0-25 percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: Yes. 

Species name: Mammals: Gray wolf (western Great Lakes population); 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 403,108; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76- 100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: Yes. 

Species name: Mammals: Indiana bat; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 5,218,103; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 26-50 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Mammals: Northern right whale (north Atlantic 
population); 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 11,802,149; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: Not 
Applicable[B]; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: Not 
Applicable[C]. 

Species name: Mammals: Steller sea lion (eastern DPS); 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 5,296,600; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: Not 
Applicable[B]; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: Not 
Applicable[C]. 

Species name: Mammals: Steller sea lion (western DPS); 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 49,514,210; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: Not 
Applicable[B]; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: Not 
Applicable[C]. 

Species name: Mammals: West Indian manatee (Florida population); 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 9,798,514; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 26- 50 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Birds: Bald eagle (northern states recovery area); 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 7,831,531; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76- 100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Birds: Red-cockaded woodpecker; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 11,069,069; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 0-25 percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: Yes. 

Species name: Birds: Southwestern willow flycatcher; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 9,909,284; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 0-25 percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: Yes. 

Species name: Birds: Whooping crane; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 3,299,156; 

Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 26-50 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: Yes. 

Species name: Fishes: Borax Lake chub; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 19,600; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Fishes: Colorado pikeminnow; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 6,872,158; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 51-75 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Fishes: Razorback sucker; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 7,127,470; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 0-25 percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Fishes: Rio Grande silvery minnow; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 11,300,700; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 0-25 percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: Yes. 

Species name: Snails: Magazine Mountain shagreen; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 0; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Insects: Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 40,343; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Crustaceans: Socorro isopod; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 5,500; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: Ash Meadows gumplant; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 0; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: Ash Meadows sunray; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 300; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: (Ash Meadows) Spring-loving centaury; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: M0; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: Dwarf-flowered heartleaf; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 4,520; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: Eggert's sunflower; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 178,520; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: Johnston's frankenia; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 51,200; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: Papery whitlow-wort (central Florida subspecies); 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 200; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76- 100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: Papery whitlow-wort (Florida panhandle 
subspecies); 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: Expenditures included under 
Papery whitlow-wort (central Florida subspecies); 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: Truckee barberry; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 30,225; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: Uinta Basin hookless cactus; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 30,747; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Species name: Plants: Virginia round-leaf birch; 
Federal and state expenditures, FY 2003: 1,300; 
Percentage Of recovery objectives achieved, FY 2001-2002: 76-100 
percent; 
At least one full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts: No. 

Sources: FWS and NMFS. 

[A] The Douglas County population of the Columbian white-tailed deer 
was not included in the federal and state endangered and threatened 
species expenditures report for fiscal year 2003. The species was 
delisted in July 2003. 

[B] NMFS does not report percent of recovery objectives achieved. 

[C] NMFS officials told us that staff work in recovery teams and that 
having a full-time staff member dedicated to recovery efforts would not 
be a good measure of the resources the agency was devoting to the 
species recovery. 

[End of table] 

[End of section] 

Appendix II: Information on 31 Select Species: 

This appendix provides information on each of the 31 species we 
reviewed for this report, including species characteristics, threats to 
the species' survival, and costs and partnerships for implementing 
recovery actions. The species' profiles are organized by taxonomic 
group as follows: mammals, birds, fishes, snails, insects, crustaceans, 
and plants. 

The information provided is based primarily on species' recovery plans, 
Federal Register notices associated with the species, and information 
provided by the biologists at the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and 
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) who are responsible for 
recovering the species we reviewed. We have attempted to provide 
estimates of the costs to date to recover each species, however, there 
are inherent limitations to expenditure data, and species-specific 
information is not always available because recovery actions may 
benefit more than one species (e.g., through habitat restoration). 
Additionally, in some cases, federal and state agencies track 
expenditures by activity rather than by species. Complete expenditure 
data on a species' recovery can also be difficult to obtain, because 
many entities, in addition to FWS and NMFS, may implement recovery 
actions, but are not required to report their expenditures. These 
entities include timber companies and commercial fishing operations, 
nongovernmental organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, and 
universities and independent researchers. 

Several of the profiles discuss Section 6 funds and Section 7 
consultations--these refer to sections in the Endangered Species Act. 
Section 6 authorizes grants to states that maintain programs to 
conserve listed species. Section 7 requires that federal agencies, in 
consultation with FWS or NMFS, insure that activities they authorize, 
fund, or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence 
of a listed species or result in the destruction or adverse 
modification of critical habitat. Following the consultation, FWS or 
NMFS must issue a biological opinion stating how the action will affect 
the species or its critical habitat. If jeopardy or adverse 
modification is found, the opinion identifies the steps (called 
"reasonable and prudent alternatives") needed to avoid such harm. These 
consultations may result in an agency modifying its activities. 

Species with a listing date before 1973, the year the Endangered 
Species Act was enacted, were originally listed under provisions of the 
Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 or the Endangered Species 
Conservation Act of 1969, and "grandfathered" onto the list of 
threatened and endangered species under the 1973 act. 

Mammals: 

Black-Footed Ferret: 

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was listed as endangered in 
1967, when only a small population remained in South Dakota. By the 
early 1970s, the species was thought to be extinct in the wild. 
However, a small population of black-footed ferrets was discovered in 
Wyoming in 1981. Black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced into 
Arizona, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, and Chihuahua, 
Mexico. Black-footed ferrets are mostly nocturnal, solitary carnivores 
that feed on prairie dogs and live in prairie dog burrows. As such, 
black-footed ferret populations closely correspond to prairie dog 
populations. 

Threats: 

The decline of the black-footed ferret was an unintended consequence of 
concerted public and private efforts to eliminate prairie dogs. Prairie 
dog populations were dramatically reduced or locally eliminated by 
large-scale conversion of native grasslands into crop lands, and 
decades of widespread poisoning designed to reduce prairie dog 
competition with cattle grazing. In more recent years, sylvatic plague, 
a disease spread primarily by fleas that is devastating to both prairie 
dog and ferret populations, has become a serious threat to ferret 
recovery. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the black-footed ferret in June 1978, 
revised it in August 1988, and is now revising it again. The plan seeks 
to ensure the species' survival by maintaining a captive population and 
increasing free-ranging populations to the widest possible distribution 
across the ferrets' historical range. FWS officials reported that the 
captive breeding program is the most important and expensive recovery 
activity for the ferret. FWS started with 18 captured black-footed 
ferrets in 1987. Since then, the ferrets have produced more than 5,000 
offspring--over 2,000 of which have been released into the wild. 

FWS reports that, although the number of black-footed ferrets has 
increased substantially, recovery of the species remains a challenge. 
While the captive breeding program has worked well, reintroduction 
efforts have had mixed success. Two populations in South Dakota and one 
in Wyoming are thought to be self-sustaining, and substantial progress 
is being made at two other sites. However, drought and plague have 
affected population stability at other recovery areas. Specifically, a 
drought in South Dakota last year caused prairie dog populations in a 
section of the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, where the black-footed 
ferret had been successfully reintroduced, to disperse onto adjacent 
private lands. Thousands of acres of public and private lands were 
subsequently baited with poison by private landowners to eliminate the 
prairie dogs. Additionally, FWS and several partners are currently 
pursuing a plague vaccine for the ferret that appears promising. 

According to FWS officials, the technology and expertise to fully 
recover the ferret exists; they estimate that they could delist the 
species by 2025. However, the officials note that sufficient commitment 
from federal agencies, states, and private landowners to restore and 
protect sufficient habitat for wild populations does not exist and, as 
a result, the ferret faces an uncertain future. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

FWS officials were not able to provide expenditure data for black- 
footed ferret recovery efforts, but estimated that the many partners 
involved in the species' recovery spend more than $2 million annually. 
More than 50 percent of recovery expenditures is for captive breeding; 
35 to 45 percent is for reintroduction, monitoring, trapping for 
relocation, and habitat assessment. A very small fraction of 
expenditures is for habitat conservation. Some 27 state and federal 
agencies, tribes, and conservation organizations are official 
participants on FWS's black-footed ferret recovery implementation team. 

Columbian White-Tailed Deer (Douglas County Population): 

The Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus) was 
listed as endangered in 1967. At that time, only a small population was 
known to survive along the lower Columbia River and on some islands off 
the coast of Washington; however, an additional population was 
discovered in 1978 in Douglas County, Oregon. The lower Columbia River 
and the Douglas County populations were treated separately for recovery 
purposes because of differences in location, habitat, threats, and land 
use. The Douglas County population was classified as a distinct 
population segment (DPS) and delisted in 2003.[Footnote 13] 

Threats: 

An FWS official reports that the primary threats to the Columbian white-
tailed deer were habitat loss and hunting (both legal and illegal). 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the Columbian white-tailed deer in 
1976 and revised it in 1983 after the 1978 discovery of the Douglas 
County population. An FWS official reports that the most effective 
recovery actions for the species were in the plan and were: (1) land 
acquisitions by state and local governments, FWS, and the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) to secure habitat; (2) a Douglas County ordinance 
that protects, in perpetuity, riparian areas from development; and (3) 
a partnership with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The 
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has researched, monitored, and 
maintained location and health data for the species for many years, and 
modified its monitoring methods at FWS's request to obtain the data 
needed to delist the Douglas County population. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

An FWS official reports that the agency does not have comprehensive 
recovery expenditure data for the Columbian white-tailed deer, but 
notes that recovery was done on a "shoestring budget" because, once FWS 
secured suitable habitat, the population rebounded without extensive 
agency intervention. FWS estimates it took about 20 percent of one 
staff member's annual salary to conduct recovery activities and delist 
the Douglas County population. Between 1995 and 1998, FWS also provided 
$177,000 in funding through a cooperative agreement with the Oregon 
Department of Fish and Wildlife for monitoring and habitat research. 
Douglas County also incurred expenses to protect habitat and some 
private landowners contributed funds to recovery efforts. The FWS 
official attributes the Columbian white-tailed deer's recovery to 
"strong partnerships and a cooperative spirit" with other governmental 
entities. 

Florida Panther: 

The Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi), a subspecies of mountain 
lion, was listed as endangered in 1967. The Florida panther is six to 
seven feet long with short, dark rust-colored fur. It originally ranged 
from eastern Texas to South Carolina--through Alabama, Arkansas, 
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and parts of Tennessee--but 
is now restricted to less than 5 percent of its historic range. 

Threats: 

The Florida panther faces several threats, including habitat loss, low 
genetic viability, and disease. The habitat that supports the only wild 
population is already at its carrying capacity and is shrinking by 
about 1 percent annually. Habitat loss is due to intensified 
urbanization, residential development, conversion to agriculture, water 
management, and mining and mineral exploitation. Because there are so 
few wild panthers in Florida, the species has suffered a loss of 
genetic variability--which often causes diminished health, such as 
heart and reproductive defects. The panther is also susceptible to 
diseases such as panleukopenia (decreased white blood cells), feline 
calicivirus, and pseudorabies. Any or all of these may increase kitten 
mortality and seriously reduce adult panther vitality. In 2003 and 
2004, 5 of the 87 known wild Florida panthers were lost to feline 
leukemia. FWS officials report that a lack of public support, based on 
fear of the animal and its predation on livestock and pets, is an 
obstacle to reintroducing the Florida panther into other sites in its 
historic range and, ultimately, recovering the species. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the Florida panther in 1981 and 
revised it in 1987, 1995, and 2006. According to FWS officials, the 
most important recovery actions for the species are found in the 
recovery plan. These include habitat protection, radio collaring and 
monitoring to determine the health and status of the population, 
constructing highway underpasses to reduce vehicle strikes, and 
introducing female panthers from Texas (which belong to a related 
subspecies) to the Florida population to restore genetic health. FWS 
officials said that one new female Texas panther needs to be introduced 
into the Florida population each generation to maintain sufficient 
genetic diversity. FWS officials report that the recovery plan for the 
Florida panther has been critical in keeping it from becoming extinct, 
but note that the plan focuses on avoiding extinction rather than 
promoting recovery. 

FWS officials report that it is unlikely that the panther will ever be 
recovered and delisted. Officials say that the Florida panther will 
never have a genetically sustainable population in south Florida 
because available habitat is not large enough to support a self- 
sustaining population, which would require at least 240 panthers, 
particularly given the rapid development that this area experiences. 
FWS has identified areas in Arkansas, Alabama, and northern Florida/ 
southern Georgia where enough habitat exists to sustain populations of 
that size. However, reintroduction of panthers into these areas is 
unlikely to occur because of a lack of public support. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

Most recovery tasks for the panther are implemented by the Florida 
Panther Interagency Committee, which was organized in 1986. This 
committee consists of several agencies including FWS, the National Park 
Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the 
Florida Department of Environmental Protection. FWS officials were 
unable to provide recovery expenditure data on panther recovery, but 
estimate that Florida state agencies bear about 90 percent of the 
costs, while the National Park Service and FWS account for about 7 
percent and 3 percent, respectively. The Florida Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Commission, with help from the National Park Service, has 
played a major role in genetics, radio collaring, and monitoring 
activities. 

Gray Wolf (Western Great Lakes Recovery Population): 

The gray wolf was listed as endangered in 1967. Gray wolves weigh about 
50 to 100 pounds and are usually a mixed gray color. The gray wolf has 
had a complex relationship with the law. When the act first took effect 
in 1973, two populations of gray wolves were "grandfathered" onto the 
list of threatened and endangered species--one in Minnesota and 
Michigan, and one in the northern Rocky Mountains. In 1976, two more 
populations of gray wolves that ranged in the southwestern United 
States were added to the list. To update the taxonomy of the species 
based on new information and address other issues, FWS issued a new 
listing in 1978 that classified the gray wolf as a single species that 
was endangered throughout the lower 48 states, except for a population 
in Minnesota that was listed as threatened. Even though the gray wolf 
was listed as a single species, FWS still recognized separate 
populations for managing recovery efforts. (FWS officials later 
determined that wolves that historically occurred in 16 southeastern 
states were actually a separate species--the red wolf.) For this 
report, we evaluated recovery actions for the western Great Lakes 
population; other populations are the western (which includes the Rocky 
Mountains) and the southwestern populations. 

The historic range of the western Great Lakes population (Canis lupus 
lycaon) once included most of the eastern United States and 
southeastern Canada, but its present U.S. range only includes parts of 
Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. FWS officials believe that this 
population is ready to be delisted. However, its delisting is 
constrained because it is not listed as a separate entity--it is part 
of the larger gray wolf listing. To clarify the current status of the 
various populations of gray wolves and to delist the western Great 
Lakes population, FWS proposed a rule in 2000 to (1) reclassify the 
gray wolf as "not listed" in 16 southeastern states that are historic 
red wolf ranges; (2) establish a DPS for the western Great Lakes 
population to be listed as threatened; (3) establish a DPS for the 
western population to be listed as threatened; and (4) establish a DPS 
for the southwestern population to be listed as endangered. While the 
rule was finalized in 2003, FWS was sued for this action. In early 
2005, courts ruled that FWS's action was arbitrary and capricious with 
regard to how they grouped states into these four separate 
classifications. Therefore, the wolf listing reverted to the prior 
listing action from 1978; this listing identifies the gray wolf as 
endangered in 47 of the lower 48 states, and threatened in Minnesota. 
To address the court's concern with the prior delisting proposal, FWS 
is addressing redesignation of the gray wolf on a population-by- 
population basis. In February 2006, FWS issued an advance notice of 
proposed rulemaking to establish a Northern Rocky Mountain DPS and 
delist it at the same time. Similarly, in March 2006, FWS officials 
proposed a rule to create a western Great Lakes DPS and delist it at 
the same time. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that ranchers who kill the wolf to protect 
livestock are the primary threat to the western Great Lakes population. 
In addition, the public's fear of wolves results in opposition, which 
is a complicating factor for recovery of the species. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the western Great Lakes population of 
the gray wolf in 1978 and revised it in 1992. Officials reported that 
the comprehensiveness of this plan and the numerous partners' efforts 
made recovery of the western Great Lakes population possible. Actions 
in the recovery plan that were most important for recovering this 
population were the creation of programs to compensate ranchers for 
livestock lost to wolves, and the removal of wolves from areas where 
they prey on livestock. The plan also included public education on wolf 
biology, behavior, and ecology that has been important for improving 
the public's understanding of the species. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

FWS officials report that the large number of entities involved in 
recovery efforts for the gray wolf makes it impossible to estimate 
total expenditures. FWS expenditures in fiscal year 2004 included 
almost $645,000-$140,000 for law enforcement; $60,000 for Section 7 
consultations, mostly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture; $55,000 
for monitoring and research on FWS refuges; and about $390,000 for the 
delisting process. The agriculture and natural resources departments in 
Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin dedicate resources to help FWS 
enforce laws that protect the gray wolf. Additionally, these states, 
along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Service and 
the nongovernmental organization Defenders of Wildlife, fund and manage 
the livestock compensation programs. Public education is conducted by a 
variety of additional nongovernmental organizations, such as the 
International Wolf Center and the Timber Wolf Alliance. Indian tribes 
also protect the gray wolf on their land. 

Indiana Bat: 

The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) was listed as endangered in March 
1967. The Indiana bat is a migratory species that hibernates in the 
winter and disperses throughout much of the eastern United States in 
the summer. Based on censuses taken every other year in caves where the 
bats hibernate during the winter (called hibernacula), researchers 
estimate that the Indiana bat population has declined by about 60 
percent since the 1960s--falling to about 353,000 in the mid 1990s. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that they initially believed that winter habitat 
loss was the primary threat to the Indiana bat. The bats require 
certain temperatures in caves during their winter hibernation--they 
will freeze if the temperature is too low and burn up their fat 
reserves before spring if the temperature is too high. Large numbers of 
Indiana bats hibernate in a very small number of large, complex caves 
because such caves provide a more stable temperature than smaller 
caves. However, these caves are often easily accessible to humans and 
have features that make them attractive for recreational and commercial 
purposes. As a result, doors and walls were often added to cave 
openings, changing the temperature of the caves to the point that they 
no longer provide suitable habitat. In addition, researchers now 
believe that bat populations are affected by a number of threats when 
they are not hibernating, the most significant of which are not yet 
known. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS officials approved a recovery plan for the Indiana bat in 1983, and 
drafted a revision in March 1999. The 1999 revision, however, was not 
approved because of differences of opinion among recovery team members, 
and because FWS needed to address the significant public comments 
received. A new draft revision is expected in 2006. FWS officials 
report that an important recovery action that was identified in the 
1983 recovery plan was to protect hibernacula. Actions have been 
implemented to do this, including removing doors and walls in order to 
restore cave temperatures to normal, gating hibernacula to control 
human access, and allowing cave tours only during the summer when bats 
are not present. However, FWS officials report that these efforts have 
not always resulted in the expected increases in hibernating 
populations, suggesting that additional, unknown threats affect the 
Indiana bat. Therefore, the draft revision of the recovery plan is 
focusing heavily on research. FWS officials report that they cannot 
estimate the Indiana bat's potential for delisting because they lack 
sufficient information about key aspects of the species' life cycle and 
the threats it faces. It appears that the population is increasing; 
however, it remains far below historic levels. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

FWS officials could not provide an estimate of recovery expenditures 
for the Indiana bat because they are not centrally collected. Partners 
include states, which have used Section 6 funds for land acquisition, 
and the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) and Department of Defense, 
which monitor summer bat colonies on their lands. 

Northern Right Whale: 

The northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) was listed as endangered 
in 1970. Adult right whales are generally between 45 and 55 feet in 
length and can weigh up to 70 tons. Historically, there were two 
populations of this whale. An eastern North Atlantic population was 
historically found along the northwestern coast of Africa and in 
Northern European waters, but is generally considered to be extinct. A 
western North Atlantic population is found along the eastern United 
States coast and includes about 300 whales. 

Threats: 

The primary threats to the survival of the northern right whale are its 
low population numbers, fishing gear entanglement, and collisions with 
ships. In the past, the greatest threat was commercial whaling, which 
was banned internationally in 1935. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

NMFS approved a recovery plan for the northern right whale in 1991, and 
revised it in 2005. Several important recovery actions included in the 
recovery plan have been implemented for the species. In particular, 
extensive effort is expended implementing surveillance and alert 
systems. Specifically, aircraft surveys identify locations of right 
whales; these locations are then shared with ship captains. On a number 
of occasions, aircraft observers were able to contact and divert ships 
on direct courses for right whales. In addition, NMFS and the U. S. 
Coast Guard jointly developed a mandatory ship reporting system that 
became operational in 1999 for use in right whale habitat to help avoid 
ship strikes. Ships entering right whale habitat are required to report 
their location, speed, and direction; an automatic message replies with 
relevant whale location information. U. S.Navy vessels also report 
information on ship strikes and provide advisories to ship captains. 

Other important actions that have been implemented from the recovery 
plan include closing fishing areas during certain times, and buy-back 
programs for commercial fishing operations in which old fishing gear is 
purchased so it can be replaced with specially designed new gear that 
is less hazardous to whales. NMFS is also proposing prohibiting float 
rope--used by fisherman between traps and fishing gear--which creates 
large loops of line that can cause serious injury and mortality to 
right whales. Although significant steps have been taken to reduce 
fishing gear entanglements and ship strikes, NMFS officials acknowledge 
that additional efforts are needed. NMFS officials report that the 
northern right whale has a high potential for recovery because the 
threats to the species are known and manageable. However, they report 
that it will take more than 50 years to meet recovery goals because 
right whales reproduce infrequently. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

NMFS officials report that it would be difficult to provide 
comprehensive cost estimates because significant funding for right 
whale recovery is provided by other entities. Key partners in right 
whale recovery include the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, other 
government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and the commercial 
fishing industry. 

Steller Sea Lion (Eastern and Western DPSs): 

The Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) was listed as threatened in 
1990. In the 1950s, an estimated 240,000 to 300,000 Steller sea lions 
ranged across the Pacific rim from southern California, Canada, and 
Alaska, into Russia and northern Japan. By 1990, the species had 
declined by about 80 percent. In 1997, NMFS reclassified the Steller 
sea lion as two DPSs based on new genetic information--the eastern DPS 
extends east from Cape Suckling, Alaska, to British Columbia, and south 
to California; the western DPS extends from Japan around the Pacific 
Rim to Cape Suckling. The eastern DPS was listed as threatened, while 
the western DPS was listed as endangered. 

Threats: 

NMFS reports that the primary threat to the Steller sea lion, at the 
time it was listed, was the killing of sea lions to protect fishing 
gear and reduce their population size. Additional threats for the 
western DPS include predation by killer whales, environmental change, 
subsistence harvests, and disease. These threats also affect the 
eastern DPS, but do not appear to be limiting its recovery. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

NMFS approved a recovery plan for the Steller sea lion in 1992, and a 
draft revision is currently being considered. Important actions in the 
1992 recovery plan were to collect background information on the 
biology of Steller sea lions, develop and implement new research 
methods to better understand the causes of decline, and assess the 
efficacy of fishery conservation measures. In accordance with the 
recovery plan, NMFS and its partners have monitored Steller sea lion 
population trends, gained valuable information on general sea lion 
ecology, evaluated threats to recovery, and determined which 
populations are at risk. Key conservation measures in the recovery plan 
that have been implemented include reducing direct and incidental harm 
and killing by commercial fishing operations, eliminating disturbances 
at breeding sites, and reducing competition with commercial fisheries 
for sea lion prey. 

NMFS officials report that the eastern DPS has been doing well for 
quite some time and hope to delist it by 2010. The western DPS has been 
increasing by about 3 percent annually since 2000, but NMFS reports 
that this increase may not represent a statistically significant trend. 
The increases correlate with recovery actions taken in the late 1990s 
and 2000s to reduce direct harm and killing of sea lions by commercial 
fisheries and competition between fisheries and Steller sea lions; 
however, NMFS cannot definitively determine a causal link. If the 
western DPS continues to increase, NMFS officials said that they may 
consider downlisting it within the next decade and delisting it around 
2030. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

Between 1992 and 2005, NMFS received over $167 million in 
appropriations for Steller sea lion recovery efforts, with most of that 
provided in recent years. Funding from 1992 through 2000 totaled just 
$18.5 million, compared to about $149 million between 2001 and 2005--a 
substantial increase that resulted from concerns about the potential 
impact of commercial fisheries on the Steller sea lion's decline. The 
most significant expenditures for the sea lion are on research. 
Approximately $40 million per year in 2001 and 2002 was dedicated to 
research; current funding for research is about $20 million per year. 

Between 1992 and 2005, NMFS's internal funding accounted for about one- 
third of the overall expenditures on sea lion recovery (about $52 
million); the remainder of the $167 million was distributed in the form 
of grants to state government, fishery management councils, and the 
public. NMFS activities include conducting Section 7 consultations, 
supporting the recovery team, and implementing conservation actions and 
the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NMFS officials report that partners 
have been critical to sea lion recovery efforts and include state 
governments, fishery management councils, and the public. 

West Indian Manatee (Florida Population): 

The Florida subspecies (Trichechus manatus latirostris) of the West 
Indian manatee was listed in 1967.[Footnote 14] The manatee is a large 
gray or brown aquatic mammal. Adults average about 10 feet long and 
weigh about 1,000 pounds. Florida manatees can be found throughout the 
southeastern United States, with Florida and Georgia at the core of its 
range. The Florida population consists of four subpopulations, divided 
regionally throughout coastal and riverine waters: the Atlantic, St. 
Johns River, northwest, and southwest. The Florida Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Commission's 2001 survey of the Florida population 
reported a minimum of 1,400 to 1,500 manatees in the Atlantic 
subpopulation; 1,400 in the southwest subpopulation; 175 in the upper 
St. Johns River subpopulation; and 400 in the northwest subpopulation. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that the primary threats to the manatee are 
collisions with watercraft, entrapment in navigation locks, 
entanglement in fishing gear, and a lack of warm-water wintering sites. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the manatee in 1980 and updated it in 
1989, 1996, and 2001. FWS officials report that decreasing the number 
of manatee deaths from watercraft collisions, entrapment in navigation 
locks, and entanglement in fishing gear are the most important efforts 
implemented as part of the recovery plan. Watercraft collisions, and 
related manatee deaths and injuries, have been the focus of FWS's and 
its partner's recovery activities for many years. At least 25 percent 
of manatee mortalities are caused by collisions with watercraft, and 
many manatees bear scars from these encounters. Federal and state 
managers have sought to reduce the number of such deaths and injuries 
through law enforcement, outreach, education, and the designation of 
manatee protection areas and no-wake zones. This process is ongoing, 
and efforts continue to reduce the number of such events. 

To reduce entrapment in navigation locks, the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (the Corps) and state water management agencies have 
retrofitted water control structures and navigation locks with pressure 
sensors or acoustic arrays--devices that use acoustic signals to detect 
the presence of manatees--to allow trapped manatees to escape. In 
addition, Florida has banned fishing nets and is considering seasonal 
closures of fishing areas, which may help to reduce manatee mortality 
from entanglement in fishing gear. 

FWS officials report that they do not anticipate delisting the manatee 
in the near future, although they are reviewing the species to 
determine if it should be downlisted from endangered to threatened. The 
availability of warm-water wintering sites remains a major challenge to 
manatee recovery. Historically, the manatee relied on warm water from 
natural springs; these springs are diminishing, however. Many warm- 
water sites currently used by manatees are created artificially through 
discharges from power plants and other industries. Approximately 585 
manatees have been counted at a single warm-water discharge site. If 
one of these plants closes and the water cools, even temporarily, 
manatee mortalities could number in the hundreds. Because manatees 
return to the same warm-water wintering sites year after year, 
preserving these sites is critical to successful recovery efforts--as 
is trying to attract manatees to more secure sites. However, given 
their fidelity to a single wintering site, it will take a long time to 
attract sufficient numbers of manatees to more secure wintering sites. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

FWS officials report that estimating the cost of recovery for the 
manatee is challenging because of the large number of public and 
private organizations involved, but note that the costs are very high. 
For example, FWS officials state that, from fiscal years 1994 through 
2005, the Corps spent over $7 million retrofitting gates on water 
control structures with pressure sensors and equipping navigation locks 
with acoustic arrays. It costs approximately $100,000 to retrofit each 
gate with the pressure sensors, and $1,000,000 to install acoustic 
arrays on navigation locks. State agencies have also contributed funds 
for these activities, but FWS officials did not have that cost 
information. Additional partners in manatee recovery include several 
zoos and aquaria--located in California, Florida, Ohio, and Puerto 
Rico--that conduct manatee rescue rehabilitation and release programs. 
In these programs, a manatee is brought into captivity when injured or 
sick and, upon rehabilitation, released back into the wild. FWS 
officials report that these programs also cost millions of dollars. 

Birds: 

Bald Eagle (Northern States Recovery Area): 

The bald eagle is a large bird of prey found only in North America. 
Eagles rely primarily on fish for their diet, and their habitat is 
almost exclusively near lakes, rivers, and sea coasts. Most bald eagles 
live for about 30 years, making it a relatively long-lived species. A 
bald eagle subspecies found in the southern United States was listed as 
endangered in 1967. However, in 1978, due to a lack of distinguishing 
physical characteristics, FWS reclassified all bald eagles in the 
United States as one species (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). FWS listed the 
species as endangered throughout the lower 48 states, except in 
Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin, where it was 
classified as threatened. To manage the recovery program for the bald 
eagle, FWS established five areas with individual recovery plans. We 
reviewed the northern states recovery area, which is the largest of 
these recovery areas; it covers 24 states. 

According to FWS officials, a 1963 survey of bald eagles in the lower 
48 states found only 417 nesting pairs. That number had grown to 3,399 
pairs in 1991; of these, 1,188 pairs were found in the FWS region that 
leads the efforts for the northern states recovery area. In 1995, the 
bald eagle was downlisted from endangered to threatened throughout the 
lower 48 states. FWS proposed delisting the bald eagle in 1999 due to 
recovery, but met resistance because of concerns over the changes in 
protections afforded the species--even though it is also protected by 
the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty 
Act. FWS reinitiated the process to delist the bald eagle in February 
2006. To address concerns with the prior delisting proposal, FWS also 
issued draft management guidelines for bald eagles and a proposed rule 
for a regulatory definition for "disturb" under the Bald and Golden 
Eagle Protection Act. 

Threats: 

Originally, the primary threats to the bald eagle were hunting, 
trapping, and pesticides--especially dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane 
(DDT), which was widely used in the late 1940s to control insects that 
damaged agriculture and carried diseases such as malaria. FWS officials 
report that current threats to the bald eagle include habitat loss due 
to development and other human activities, especially along the coast 
and near inland rivers and waterways. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

Historic threats to the bald eagle have long been mitigated. The Bald 
Eagle Protection Act of 1940 (amended as the Bald and Golden Eagle 
Protection Act in 1962) made hunting and trapping the bald eagle 
unlawful; the eagle was afforded additional protection under the 
Endangered Species Act. In addition, the Environmental Protection 
Agency banned DDT in the United States in 1972 because of the harm it 
caused to wildlife. These actions occurred long before there was a 
recovery plan for the species. 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the northern states population of bald 
eagles in 1983. The plan covers 24 states where bald eagles were listed 
as either threatened or endangered. Key activities in the plan that 
have been implemented include protecting habitat, managing nesting 
areas, and educating the public to avoid disturbing habitats. FWS 
officials report that education and law enforcement programs called for 
by the recovery plan have resulted in habitat restoration and the 
reduction of illegal hunting and trapping. Additionally, they report 
that the extensive knowledge they obtained through years of research 
have contributed to the recovery process. Further, the bald eagles' 
prominence as a national symbol, coupled with education and public 
support, has also been critical in the recovery of this species. Even 
though habitat loss continues to escalate as the U.S. population 
increases, bald eagle populations continue to grow. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

While FWS has led efforts to implement the recovery plan for the bald 
eagle, there are a wide variety of government partners in the northern 
recovery area, including state forestry departments, the Forest 
Service, the National Park Service, the Department of Defense, the 
Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and BLM. Nongovernmental partners include 
the National Wildlife Federation, the Audubon Society, the American 
Eagle Foundation, forest product companies, and various bird watching 
societies. Additionally, FWS officials report that grassroots volunteer 
efforts and financial contributions from private parties played an 
important role in the bald eagle's recovery. According to FWS 
officials, annual expenditures for the recovery and protection of the 
bald eagle, by public and private agencies nationwide, have exceeded $1 
million each year for the past decade. 

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker: 

The red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) was listed as 
endangered in 1970. It is a black and white bird about 8 inches long. 
On occasion, the male displays red feathers on its head. The woodpecker 
builds nest cavities in old-growth pine trees (70-120 years old) with 
wood that is both soft enough for the woodpecker to make a nest cavity 
and large enough for the cavity to be free of pine resin. The bird's 
range includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and 
Virginia. 

Threats: 

An FWS official reports that the primary threats to the red-cockaded 
woodpecker are habitat fragmentation resulting from development, and 
the limited availability of old growth pine trees due to past timber 
harvests. Fire suppression activities also severely harm the species' 
habitat because they result in hardwood tree encroachment in pine 
forests, which in turn causes woodpeckers to abandon their nesting 
cavities in these areas. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the red-cockaded woodpecker in 1979, 
and revised it in 1985 and 2003. FWS reports that the most effective 
recovery actions are in the species' recovery plan, and include (1) the 
scheduling of prescribed burns every 2 to 3 years to ensure suitable 
foraging habitat and prevent hardwood tree encroachment, (2) the 
building of artificial cavities in suitable trees, and (3) the 
relocation of red-cockaded woodpeckers into artificial cavities to 
establish new breeding populations. Building artificial cavities is 
necessary because most existing trees are not suitable for the red- 
cockaded woodpecker to carve cavities. 

In addition, during the 1990s, FWS worked with timber companies and 
other industries to determine the conditions under which these entities 
would assist in recovery efforts for the species, given that some 
habitat and potential habitat were privately owned. FWS officials 
report that agreements with these entities have played an important 
role in the red-cockaded woodpecker's recovery, and also provide 
private landowners with economic and legal predictability regarding the 
uses of their land. 

An FWS official reports that red-cockaded woodpecker populations have 
steadily increased, from 4,600 groups in 1995 to 5,900 groups in 2005 
(groups include a mating pair and other individuals who help build 
nesting cavities.) While these increases are promising, the FWS 
official estimates that, because of the time it takes for the 
woodpecker's habitat to mature, it will take at least 25 years to 
downlist the species and over 50 years to meet the population and 
habitat requirements for delisting. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

An FWS official reports that more than 150 public and private entities 
have been involved with recovery efforts; therefore, the complete cost 
of the red-cockaded woodpecker's recovery cannot be estimated. Some 
federal agencies do have cost information--for example, the Department 
of Defense reported spending about $62 million on the species from 1991 
through 2003 (an average of about $5 million per year). The Forest 
Service spent slightly more than $1 million each year for fiscal years 
2004 and 2005. In addition to federal agencies, FWS has agreements with 
many state agencies and private entities in Florida, North Carolina, 
and South Carolina to implement recovery actions. Private entities 
involved include International Paper, The Nature Conservancy, Plum 
Creek Timber Company, Turner Endangered Species Fund, and private 
landowners. 

Southwestern Willow Flycatcher: 

The southwestern subspecies of the willow flycatcher (Empidonax 
traillii extimus) was listed as endangered in 1995. The southwestern 
willow flycatcher is a bird less than 6 inches long with a grayish- 
green back and wings, light grey to olive breast, whitish throat, and 
pale yellowish belly. It nests in dense growths of trees and shrubs in 
moist riparian ecosystems in the arid southwestern United States and 
northern Mexico, and migrates to Central America and northern South 
America for the fall and winter. 

Threats: 

FWS reports that habitat loss and predation are the primary threats to 
this subspecies. There are three locations where a large proportion of 
the subspecies breeds, all of which may be damaged by efforts to divert 
water or tap into surrounding aquifers. Nest predation by avian, 
reptilian, and mammalian predators also threatens the southwestern 
willow flycatcher, but FWS officials say that it will not make recovery 
impossible. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the southwestern willow flycatcher in 
2002. FWS officials report that it took over 5 years to develop the 
recovery plan due to the amount of biological information needed and 
the amount of stakeholder involvement in the plan's development. The 
recovery plan reflects the contributions of over 240 stakeholders in 
seven states, including state and federal agencies, private landowners, 
water management organizations, and about 15 Native American tribes. 
The plan identifies the actions that biologists believe are important 
for recovering the species, with habitat restoration being the most 
critical action needed. FWS officials report that, fortunately, 
flycatcher habitat can be developed and occupied quickly, and officials 
expect this to aid in a relatively quick recovery of the species. 
Although they are still early in the implementation of the recovery 
plan and much work is needed, FWS is optimistic about recovery of the 
species by 2020. 

The flycatcher also benefits from being included in the Lower Colorado 
River Multi-species Conservation Plan, which is a comprehensive plan 
for more than 26 listed and unlisted species that occur in certain 
areas in the lower Colorado River basin. Activities that are being 
implemented or are planned under this conservation plan (fiscal year 
2006 is the first full year of implementation of this plan) include 
fish augmentation, research, monitoring, and habitat restoration. 

Cost and Partnerships: 

FWS officials report that such a wide array of stakeholders makes it 
impossible to provide a cost estimate for the recovery efforts taken 
for the southwestern willow flycatcher. FWS officials estimate that the 
federal government pays about 60 percent of the total costs, state 
agencies about 20 to 25 percent, and other entities about 15 percent. 
They report that the top five types of expenditures are for annual 
surveying and monitoring, land acquisition, habitat restoration, 
research, and complying with legal requirements. FWS estimates that, 
collectively, state agencies in Arizona, California, Colorado, New 
Mexico, Nevada, and Utah have spent about $60 million on the 
southwestern willow flycatcher since the subspecies was listed in 1995. 
This includes annual expenses of slightly less than $1 million for 
habitat improvement and about $1 million for surveying and monitoring 
414 sites. FWS, other federal agencies, state agencies, and entities 
seeking permits have spent about $44 million complying with legal 
requirements, primarily associated with evaluating the effects of 
projects on the species and its habitat, and, in some cases, reducing 
and minimizing adverse effects the projects might have. BOR and the 
U.S. Geological Survey have spent about $1 million on research. FWS 
estimates that the flycatcher portion of the Lower Colorado River Multi-
species Conservation Plan will cost about $2.2 million per year. 

Whooping Crane: 

The whooping crane (Grus americana) was listed as endangered in 1967. 
Whooping cranes weigh about 15 pounds and reach about 5 feet in height. 
They require a wetlands habitat with water about 18 inches deep, such 
as coastal marshes and estuaries, inland marshes, lakes, ponds, wet 
meadows, rivers, and agricultural fields. Whooping cranes live 20 to 30 
years in the wild and up to 30 to 40 years in captivity, making them a 
relatively long-lived species. Breeding pairs fledge chicks relatively 
late in their lives--at about 5 to 7 years of age--and may only 
successfully fledge 5 to 10 chicks during their lifetime. Breeding 
pairs return to the same summer and winter nesting territories each 
year. 

The whooping crane's potential extinction was recognized as early as 
the beginning of the twentieth century and, by 1941, there were only 15 
or 16 known whooping cranes in the wild, all wintering in Texas. 

Threats: 

The crane's population decline was largely due to the hunting and 
draining of wetlands to convert land for agriculture. FWS officials 
report several continuing threats to the whooping crane, including 
habitat loss along its migratory routes and in its Texas gulf coast 
wintering area; development of power lines and wind turbines along its 
migratory routes; declining populations of the crane's primary food 
source, the blue crab; rising water levels in coastal Texas attributed 
to global warming; and threats to water quality in the refuge wetlands 
in Texas due to urban development and potential chemical spills. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

Progress recovering the whooping crane is attributed to implementation 
of recovery plan actions, as well as actions taken before the species 
was even listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act. 
Specifically, several actions in the first half of the century helped 
prevent the extinction of the whooping crane. Passage of the 1916 
Migratory Bird Treaty Act ended legal hunting of the whooping crane; 
and the creation of a national park in Canada in 1922 and a national 
wildlife refuge in Texas in 1937 preserved essential habitat. However, 
these actions were not sufficient to protect the crane from extinction 
and it was eventually listed under the Endangered Species Act. 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the whooping crane in 1980, revised it 
in 1986 and 1994, and produced a new draft revision in 2005. Important 
recovery plan actions include the breeding of cranes in captivity with 
the intent to re-introduce the crane into the wild. Re-introducing the 
crane in this way will establish multiple self-sustaining wild 
populations. FWS officials report that implementing the recovery plan 
is challenging because they do not have control over major threats such 
as development, river flows, power line locations, and climate change. 
However, FWS officials report that the status of the whooping crane is 
improving, and attribute this improvement to the implementation of some 
of the recovery plan's actions, including increasing the population and 
providing additional protection at the species' summer and winter 
habitats. FWS and the Canadian Wildlife Service are maintaining what is 
believed to be an historic growth rate for the whooping crane--about 
4.5 percent per year. FWS officials said that doing more to address 
impacts from power lines along the crane's migratory routes is an 
important action remaining to help with recovery, but that doing so is 
resource-intensive. 

Currently, there are three whooping crane populations in the wild and 
seven populations in captivity. One wild population nests in Canada and 
winters in Texas, another migrates between Wisconsin and Florida, and 
the third is a non-migratory population that lives in Florida. As of 
December 2005, the total population was estimated to be about 476 
cranes: 341 in the wild and 135 in captivity. FWS is hopeful about 
recovery of the species and expects to downlist the whooping crane from 
endangered to threatened around 2035. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

The whooping crane recovery program is a joint effort between FWS and 
the Canadian Wildlife Service. FWS officials estimate that about $82 
million has been spent recovering the whooping crane between fiscal 
years 1950 and 2005. However, this is likely an incomplete estimate 
because of the numerous domestic and international government agencies 
and private partners involved, including the Canadian government, the 
International Crane Foundation, Operation Migration, the Platte River 
Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, the San Antonio Water System, the San 
Antonio Zoo, the Calgary Zoo, the U.S. Geological Survey, the 
universities of Alberta and Florida, and Texas A&M University. 
Officials stated that, in fiscal year 2005, the U.S. and Canadian 
governments spent about $2.5 million, private entities spent about $1.2 
million, and universities spent about $38,000 on recovery actions for 
the crane. FWS officials stated that it costs about $1 million annually 
to produce 25 whooping cranes in captivity, and that this expense has 
been shared between government and nongovernmental entities. 

Fishes: 

Borax Lake Chub: 

The Borax Lake chub (Gila boraxobius) was listed as endangered in 1980 
by an emergency regulation and was listed on a non-emergency basis in 
1982. The chub is a small minnow endemic to Borax Lake, a natural 10- 
acre lake fed by thermal springs that are situated atop large sodium- 
borate deposits in Oregon. 

Threats: 

FWS reports that the initial primary threat to the Borax Lake chub was 
habitat loss due to potential impact from geothermal energy development 
and alteration of the lake's shoreline. However, an FWS review of the 
chub in 2003 identified other threats to its water source. 
Specifically, the aquifer that feeds Borax Lake may be at risk due to 
groundwater pumping on private lands, and increased recreational use at 
the lake poses a threat to the lake's water quality. Recreational use 
such as off-highway vehicles, wading, camping, and boating, also 
increases the potential for introducing invasive plants and animals 
that may harm the chub. The chub is inherently vulnerable to 
catastrophic loss due to its highly limited distribution and dependence 
on a single water source. 

Recovery Plan Role: 

A recovery plan was approved for the Borax Lake chub in 1987. Key 
actions called for by the recovery plan focus on protecting the lake 
ecosystem, and include the acquisition of key private lands, protection 
of subsurface waters, implementation of controls on human access, 
removal of livestock grazing, and monitoring of the population. FWS 
reports that, of these actions, the most significant that have been 
implemented are BLM's designation of the land surrounding Borax Lake as 
an Area of Critical Environmental Concern in 1983, The Nature 
Conservancy's purchase of Borax Lake and the surrounding private lands 
in 1993, The Nature Conservancy and BLM's elimination of grazing within 
the critical habitat surrounding Borax Lake, and the completion of 
numerous studies of the chub and other species that led to a better 
understanding of the Borax Lake ecosystem. Additionally, a crucial 
action for the species recovery that was external to the recovery plan 
was the passage of the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and 
Protection Act of 2000, which withdrew public lands from mineral and 
geothermal development within most of the area surrounding Borax Lake. 

FWS reports that it has met many of the chub's recovery objectives over 
the last two decades and that the species may be nearing recovery. 
Actions needed to downlist the chub from endangered to threatened 
include the development of a conservation agreement (or a memorandum of 
understanding) between FWS, BLM, The Nature Conservancy, and the Oregon 
Department of Fish and Wildlife, to clarify roles and responsibilities 
associated with the management of the chub and the Borax Lake 
ecosystem. Other actions likely needed before delisting include (1) 
assessing visitor use of Borax Lake; (2) eliminating inappropriate 
vehicle and boat access to reduce the threat of invasive species; (3) 
investigating the use of interpretive signs, boardwalks, and designated 
observation sites to explain the unique and fragile features of the 
ecosystem; (4) conducting additional research to determine the risks of 
developing groundwater resources on private lands, public lands with 
private subsurface rights, and (pending the results of additional 
research) acquiring groundwater and/or surface rights as needed; and 
(5) developing a contingency plan that would identify procedures, 
needed equipment, and responsibilities for collecting fish in case of 
an emergency. 

Cost and Partnerships: 

An FWS official reported that information on the implementation costs 
of recovery actions, by agency or organization, is limited; 
however, the official estimated that less than $50,000 has been spent 
on the chub in the last decade. Over the last 5 years, FWS has spent 
approximately $20,000 on recovery implementation, of which $5,000 was 
used to assemble a scientific panel for a study of the status of the 
Borax Lake chub and $15,000 was allocated for monitoring (and the 
development of a long-term monitoring plan). Key partners in the chub's 
recovery effort have been The Nature Conservancy, BLM, and the Oregon 
Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

Colorado Pikeminnow: 

The Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius), originally called the 
Colorado squawfish, was listed as endangered in 1967. The Colorado 
pikeminnow is the largest North American minnow; weights over 79 pounds 
and lengths of almost 6 feet have been recorded. However, more 
recently, specimens weighing more than 15 pounds have been rare. 
Natural populations live in rivers in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, 
while hatchery-reared Colorado pikeminnow have been stocked in the Salt 
and Verde Rivers in Arizona. The largest population of Colorado 
pikeminnow is found in the Green River in Colorado and Utah, although 
FWS officials report that this population declined from 3,100 in 2001 
to 2,300 in 2003. The population in the Colorado River has been 
increasing since estimates began in 1991. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that the primary threats to the Colorado 
pikeminnow are reduced water flow in rivers due to consumptive use, 
stream flow regulation, and drought; hydromodification due to dams; and 
competition with, and predation by, nonnative fish in their habitat. 
Dams have fragmented rivers and blocked fish passages, while the 
reservoirs formed by these dams were stocked for recreational fishing 
with nonnative fishes that prey upon the Colorado pikeminnow and 
compete with it for food. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the Colorado pikeminnow in 1978 and 
revised it in 1991; the plan was revised again in 2002 to include more 
specific recovery goals. The Colorado pikeminnow is one of four fish 
covered by both the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery 
Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation 
Program.[Footnote 15] FWS officials report that management actions in 
the recovery plan that address threats have been implemented, 
successfully moving the pikeminnow towards recovery. Objectives for 
downlisting the Colorado pikeminnow include maintaining a specified 
number of naturally self-sustaining populations in two to three areas. 
To meet these objectives, actions have been taken on all the major 
rivers in the Upper Colorado River Basin (including the San Juan River 
Basin); these actions include ensuring appropriate water flow and 
quality, and controlling problematic nonnative fishes. FWS officials 
report that the pikeminnow responds quickly to habitat improvements and 
reproduces quickly; they hope to delist the species around 2015. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San 
Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program track expenditures for 
the Colorado pikeminnow, the razorback sucker, the bonytail, and the 
humpback chub together, so costs specific to Colorado pikeminnow 
recovery are not available.[Footnote 16] Both programs are funded 
primarily by power revenues from the Colorado River Storage Project and 
long-term cost sharing between the four participating states--Colorado, 
New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.[Footnote 17] FWS is one of many program 
partners, including other federal agencies; Native American tribes; and 
private entities like the Colorado River Energy Distributors 
Association, the Colorado Water Congress, the Utah Water Users 
Association, The Nature Conservancy, and Western Resource Advocates. 
From fiscal years 1989 through 2006, the Upper Colorado River 
Endangered Fish Recovery Program spent more than $161 million on 
endangered fish recovery, of which FWS provided more than $20 million. 
From fiscal years 1992 through 2006, the San Juan River Basin Recovery 
Implementation Program spent more than $34.6 million on endangered fish 
recovery, of which FWS provided more than $1.6 million. 

Razorback Sucker: 

The razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) was listed as endangered in 
1991. It grows to about 2.5 feet in length and weighs less than 7 
pounds. In the mid 1970s, less than 100 adult razorback suckers were 
estimated to live in the middle Green River in Colorado and Utah. 
Currently, it is found in small numbers in rivers in Arizona, Colorado, 
New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, with the largest concentration in Lake 
Mojave. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that the biggest threats to the razorback sucker 
are stream flow regulation in rivers, habitat modifications, 
competition and predation by nonnative fish stocked for recreational 
fishing, pesticides, and pollution. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the razorback sucker in 1998 and 
amended it in 2002 to include more specific goals. The razorback sucker 
is one of four fish the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery 
Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program 
are working to recover.[Footnote 18] FWS officials report that 
management actions in the recovery plan are being implemented and have 
been important to recovery progress made for the species. These actions 
include efforts to expand existing populations and establish new ones, 
ensure appropriate water flow and quality, control problematic 
nonnative fishes, acquire and protect floodplain habitat, minimize the 
risk of hazardous-materials spills in critical habitat areas, and 
minimize the threat of hybridization with the white sucker. 
Reintroducing hatchery-produced razorback suckers has been the 
foundation for successfully reestablishing self-sustaining populations 
of the species in several Colorado and Utah rivers. For example, 
population surveys have found the number of fish increased from about 
100 in the mid-1970s to about 2,700 in the early 2000s. FWS officials 
report that they anticipate delisting the species around 2025. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San 
Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program track expenditures for 
the razorback sucker, Colorado pikeminnow, bonytail, and humpback chub 
together, so costs specific to the razorback sucker recovery are not 
available.[Footnote 19] Both programs are funded primarily by revenues 
from the Colorado River Storage Project, and long-term cost sharing 
between the four participating states--Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and 
Wyoming.[Footnote 20] FWS is one of many program partners, including 
other federal agencies; Native American tribes; and private sector 
entities like the Colorado River Energy Distributors Association, the 
Colorado Water Congress, the Utah Water Users Association, The Nature 
Conservancy, and Western Resource Advocates. From fiscal year 1989 
through 2006, the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program 
spent more than $161 million on endangered fish recovery, of which FWS 
provided more than $20 million. For fiscal years 1992 through 2006, the 
San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program spent more than 
$34.6 million on endangered fish recovery, of which FWS provided more 
than $1.6 million. 

Rio Grande Silvery Minnow: 

The Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus) was listed as 
endangered in 1994. The minnow is a 4-inch long silver and white fish 
that historically lived throughout the Rio Grande River basin in New 
Mexico and Texas. When listed, it occupied only 5 percent of its 
historic range--a 187-mile area of the Rio Grande River in New Mexico-
-and had been completely extirpated from the Pecos River and downstream 
portions of the Rio Grande River. 

Threats: 

FWS officials cite habitat modification as the primary threat to the 
species, which they attribute to several causes, such as stream 
modification and channelization; regulation of river flow to provide 
water for agricultural and industrial uses; diminished water quality 
caused by municipal, industrial, and agricultural discharges; and 
competition with or predation by introduced nonnative fish species. FWS 
traces the decline of the silvery minnow all the way back to 1916, when 
Elephant Butte Dam, one of five dams constructed within the minnow's 
habitat, closed its gates. Nonnative fish species that were stocked 
into the reservoirs created by the dams often completely eliminated 
native fish species. Droughts have also posed problems for the species, 
as in 1996, when 30 miles of river went dry. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the Rio Grande silvery minnow in 1999 
and is currently revising it. It is scheduled to be complete in 2006 
and will continue many of the actions in the current plan. FWS 
officials report that the most successful recovery actions for the 
minnow, which are all included in the current recovery plan, are 
cooperative water management, habitat restoration, and captive 
propagation and release of minnows--over 600,000 silvery minnows have 
been released into the wild since 2002. Another critical action in the 
recovery plan includes efforts to establish habitat and re-establish 
minnow populations outside its current range in the Rio Grande River. 
FWS has initiated processes to establish an experimental population in 
Big Bend National Park in Texas. FWS hopes to finalize these processes 
by the fall of 2007 and begin stocking fish in Big Bend in the spring 
of 2008. FWS officials estimate the minnow will be delisted around 
2030, but this is contingent on continued successful reintroduction of 
the species. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

FWS officials report that they cannot provide comprehensive recovery 
cost estimates for the silvery minnow because of the large number of 
partners involved. However, FWS officials report that the Middle Rio 
Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program and BOR have spent the 
most on recovery actions since 2001--about $28 million and $11 million, 
respectively. Other expenditures for recovery actions for the minnow 
include about $500,000 by FWS and $5 million by the Interstate Stream 
Commission in New Mexico. The collaborative program is a partnership of 
20 organizations, including the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, 
the Corps, the Interstate Stream Commission, and the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs. The program is focused on protecting and improving the status 
of endangered species along the Middle Rio Grande River including the 
Southwestern willow flycatcher (another listed species we reviewed for 
this report). These two species benefit from actions to restore water 
flows and habitat. 

Snails: 

Magazine Mountain Shagreen: 

The Magazine Mountain shagreen (Mesodon magazinensis) was listed as 
threatened in 1989. The shagreen is a brown or buff-colored snail about 
one-half inch wide and less than one-half inch high. It is known to 
live only in rock debris along the base of cliffs on the north and west 
slopes of Mount Magazine in the Ozark National Forest in western 
Arkansas. 

Threats: 

FWS officials cite the potential for habitat loss as the greatest 
threat to the shagreen because it relies on a single, highly unique 
habitat. Threats to the species when it was listed included a proposal 
by the Department of Defense, which would have brought heavy military 
equipment into the shagreen's habitat, and the development of a state 
park on Mount Magazine. Today, the species remains vulnerable to 
catastrophic events, such as wildfire, which could completely destroy 
its habitat. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

The two primary threats to the snail when it was listed were mitigated 
by actions that were outside of the recovery plan for the species. 
Specifically, the Forest Service designated Mount Magazine as a 
"special interest area," which affords protection to the species by 
prohibiting certain activities such as timber harvesting and the use of 
herbicides and pesticides. The Department of Defense withdrew its 
proposal for military operations in the area because it conflicted with 
the Forest Service's land management plan for the area. In addition, 
FWS participated in the preparation of an environmental impact 
statement for the development of the proposed state park, which led to 
a memorandum of understanding between FWS, the Forest Service, and the 
Arkansas State Parks agency. The memorandum of understanding ensures 
protection of the species during the development of the park. 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the shagreen in 1994 and, with its 
partners, has implemented most of the actions. Two of the important 
recovery tasks in the plan were (1) the Forest Service's monitoring of 
the shagreen population for 10 years--which is almost complete--and (2) 
FWS, the Forest Service, and the State of Arkansas entering into a 
memorandum of agreement to share in recovery efforts and protection of 
the species. Additional recovery actions that have been important for 
the species include better planning in regards to prescribed fires, 
timber harvests, and use of chemical fire retardants within the 
shagreen habitat. These actions were not included in FWS's recovery 
plan, but were part of the Forest Service's Ozark National Forest 
Management Plan and the special interest area designation of Mount 
Magazine. Additionally, FWS and the Forest Service have held numerous 
informal consultations on fire management, and are developing a new 
method of monitoring overall forest health that would include 
monitoring other snails that inhabit the forest floor as surrogates for 
the shagreen. Although Forest Service surveys show that the population 
appears to be stable, it remains listed because funding for the 
research needed to delist it had not been available until this year. 
FWS reports that it may be able to delist the species by 2010. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

According to an FWS official, the Forest Service estimates that the 
cost to monitor the Magazine Mountain shagreen has been about $1,000 
per year for the last 9 years. This constitutes at least 75 percent of 
the total amount of funds the Forest Service has spent to recover the 
shagreen. The other 25 percent of Forest Service costs were for 
supporting actions, such as revising the land management plan for the 
area and developing land management standards to protect the shagreen. 
The proposed biological research needed to support delisting the 
species will cost about $90,000. FWS, the Forest Service, and the 
University of Arkansas have recently committed about $30,000 each to 
this effort. Research is planned to begin in the summer of 2006 and 
will take about 3 years to complete. 

Insects: 

Uncompahgre Fritillary Butterfly: 

The Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly (Boloria acrocnema) was discovered 
and identified as a new species in 1978, and listed as endangered in 
1991. The Uncompahgre fritillary has rust-brown wings crisscrossed with 
black bars, and a 1-inch wingspan. Its habitat range is one of the 
smallest of North American butterfly species--patches of snow willow 
plants in alpine meadows above 12,000 feet, on northeast facing slopes, 
in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. Two Uncompahgre 
fritillary butterfly colonies were initially found on Mount Uncompahgre 
and Redcloud Peak. 

Threats: 

An FWS official reports that the greatest threats to the Uncompahgre 
fritillary butterfly are humans trying to collect it; and trampling of 
its larvae by humans and livestock. In addition, changes in climate, 
such as hotter or drier weather, may be responsible for observed 
decreases in butterfly populations in certain years. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS officials approved a recovery plan for the Uncompahgre fritillary 
butterfly in March 1994. The plan calls for 10 colonies of butterflies 
to be stable for 10 years before the species can be delisted. Tasks in 
the recovery plan that have helped improve the species' status include 
enforcing restrictions on collection; searching for new colonies; 
monitoring population status and climatic trends; and researching 
habitat requirements, threats, and propagation. Monitoring has 
identified nine additional colonies in the San Juan Mountains that 
appear to be stable. The colonies were found entirely on BLM and Forest 
Service land. To prevent collection and trampling of the species, the 
Forest Service and BLM erected signs to serve as notice to collection 
prohibitions and modified trails to divert hikers and livestock away 
from butterfly colonies. According to the FWS official, collectors are 
generally dissuaded by the signs and the presence of researchers in the 
area. Additionally, research has led to a better understanding of the 
species' habitat needs. FWS officials said that they may be able to 
delist the species around 2015. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

According to an FWS official, about $40,000 was spent in fiscal year 
2003 for recovery activities for this species--about $9,000 by FWS; 
$13,000 by the Forest Service, and $18,000 by BLM--primarily for 
research and monitoring. Three national forests have been involved in 
these efforts: the Gunnison National Forest has provided about $7,000 
annually for at least the past 10 years, the Rio Grande National Forest 
has provided about $1,500 annually for the past 4 years, and the San 
Juan National Forest has provided about $1,000 annually for the past 2 
years. BLM provides about $3,000 annually for research and monitoring, 
and has incurred additional costs for researchers' housing, trail 
maintenance, signage, and staff time. Additionally, the FWS official to 
whom we spoke estimates that, since 1991, FWS has spent about $9,000 
annually for staff time and for a vehicle to access butterfly habitat. 

Crustaceans: 

Socorro Isopod: 

The Socorro isopod (Thermosphaeroma thermophilum) was listed as 
endangered in 1978. The isopod is a freshwater crustacean about 4 to 13 
millimeters long with a flattened, segmented body, seven pairs of legs, 
antennae on the head, and oar-like extensions on its last segment. It 
survives in warm water with a very narrow range of temperature and 
salinity. It is endemic to the outflow of Sedillo Spring, a thermal 
spring found near the base of the Socorro Mountains in New Mexico. The 
Socorro isopod is of particular scientific interest because it is one 
of only two freshwater isopods in the primarily marine sphaeromidae 
family. 

Threats: 

FWS reports that the potential for habitat loss is the greatest threat 
to the Socorro isopod given its narrow habitat requirements and 
restricted distribution. The spring that the species depends on has 
been modified since the early 1900s, when a bathhouse was built to take 
advantage of its warm water. In addition, the aquifer that supplies 
water to the spring could be lost or degraded due to drought and/or 
human uses. The water rights to the spring and the bathhouse are 
privately owned, and there is no long-term conservation agreement with 
the property owner to protect the species. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the Socorro isopod in 1982. FWS 
reports that they have completed all planned recovery actions deemed 
critical to the Socorro isopod's survival that are within their 
capabilities. These include stablizing and protecting the populations 
and their habitats, including a more secure water flow; and conducting 
additional research and monitoring. However, even before a recovery 
plan was in place for the isopod, an essential action was implemented 
that proved critical to the species' survival. Specifically, captive 
populations were established in 1977 in order to protect the species 
against extinction. These populations saved this species when, in 
August 1988, tree roots blocked the spring's flow and the wild 
population of Socorro isopods became extinct. After the spring's flow 
was restored in September 1988, isopods from the captive populations 
were reintroduced. The threat of extinction of this species was further 
mitigated in 1990, when Socorro isopods from the native and captive 
populations were introduced into a new facility called the Socorro 
Isopod Propagation Facility. This facility consists of eight cement 
tanks located in a secure area one-half mile north of the bathhouse, 
and is fed by water from the same spring. The population at this 
facility has been monitored monthly since November 1994, and FWS 
reports that it is stable. 

However, FWS has yet to obtain a long-term conservation agreement with 
the private landowner although the landowner has taken steps to protect 
the bathhouse and spring. FWS reports that the lack of an agreement 
means that the wild population will likely remain susceptible to 
extirpation for the foreseeable future. As a result, it is unlikely 
that the Socorro isopod will ever be delisted, although it may 
eventually be downlisted. 

Cost and Partnerships: 

FWS reports that the Socorro isopod has been an inexpensive species to 
protect. One of the highest expenditures was $29,000 to build the 
propagation facility in 1989. Most of the recovery and maintenance 
costs have been funded with Section 6 grants to the state of New 
Mexico. Partners in the recovery efforts include FWS, the New Mexico 
Department of Game and Fish, the cities of Albuquerque and Socorro, and 
the private owner of the water rights and bathhouse at Sedillo Spring. 

Plants: 

Ash Meadows Gumplant, Ash Meadows Sunray, and Spring-Loving Centaury: 

Three plants--the Ash Meadows gumplant (Grindelia fraxino-pratensis), 
the Ash Meadows sunray (Enceliopsis nudicaulis var. corrugata), and the 
spring-loving centaury (Centaurium namophilum)--were listed as 
threatened at the same time in 1985. Ash Meadows is a 50,000-acre 
region of desert uplands and spring-fed oasis in the Mojave Desert that 
straddles the California-Nevada border. FWS manages about one half of 
this area as the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The Ash Meadows 
gumplant and spring-loving centaury are wetlands plants with similar 
habitat needs, while the Ash Meadows sunray is an upland plant that 
requires a much drier environment. The gumplant has yellow flowers and 
is a biennial or perennial that lives along streams and pools. The 
centaury has pink flowers and is an annual plant that occurs on moist 
to wet clay soils. The sunray has yellow flowers and is a perennial 
plant that occurs only in saline soil and limestone outcroppings in 
Nevada. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that the primary threats to the three plants, at 
the time they were listed, were development and water diversion that 
would have resulted from a planned resort community in the Ash Meadows 
region. An additional threat specific to the sunray was trampling by 
cattle and horses, and now this species is threatened by potential 
mineral development. Currently, the primary threat to the centaury and 
gumplant is from invasive plants. Five thousand acres of the wildlife 
refuge were agricultural lands that went fallow, and invasive species 
began to expand in the area. One species, the Russian knapweed, is a 
particular threat to the centaury and gumplant because its woody stalks 
increase the likelihood of wildfires. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

The threat of development and water diversion to all three plants was 
eliminated when The Nature Conservancy purchased 12,654 acres in Ash 
Meadows; it was later sold to FWS to establish the Ash Meadows National 
Wildlife Refuge in 1984. Grazing was removed from the refuge in 1985. 
These actions occurred prior to FWS approving a recovery plan for the 
three Ash Meadow species, and nine others, in 1990. Recovery plan 
objectives include collecting basic information about the species and 
securing land and water rights. Land management activities essential to 
the species' recovery are carried out by FWS and BLM. Almost all of 
BLM's land is within the refuge and therefore managed by FWS. BLM also 
owns land surrounding the refuge and designated it as an Area of 
Critical Environmental Concern, which provides protection for the fish 
and wildlife resources occurring there. 

These actions have been important for improving the outlook for the 
species, but FWS officials cannot estimate a recovery date for the 
centaury and gumplant because they are unsure how to control the 
invasive plants that threaten the species. In addition, while they 
report that they believe the sunray is abundant, delisting is precluded 
because much of its habitat remains open to clay mineral extraction. 
Although FWS has acquired some of the mineral rights in the clay 
deposits, other lands remain open to mineral development. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

FWS officials report they cannot provide a recovery cost estimate for 
these three species because most of the recovery actions also help 
other species in the area. They report that the largest expense, by 
far, has been the acquisition of land and water rights. FWS operations 
and maintenance for the refuge are the second largest expense while 
stream restoration is a distant third, although FWS plans to increase 
these efforts. 

Dwarf-Flowered Heartleaf: 

The dwarf-flowered heartleaf (Hexastylis naniflora) was listed as 
threatened in 1989. This plant species is usually no more than 6 inches 
tall and has dark, leathery, heart-shaped evergreen leaves, and beige 
to dark brown jug-shaped flowers. It occurs in a small portion of the 
upper piedmont region of North Carolina and South Carolina, where it 
grows in streamside habitats and acidic soil on bluffs and adjacent 
slopes. At the time of listing, there were about 23 known populations 
in eight counties. 

Threats: 

At the time of listing, threats to the species were residential and 
industrial development, conversion of habitat to pasture or small 
ponds, timber harvesting, and cattle grazing. FWS officials report that 
residential and industrial development is now by far the primary threat 
to the species. Most dwarf-flowered heartleaf populations are located 
on private property or in public utility and transportation corridors-
-areas that are being developed at much higher rates than when the 
species was listed. More than one half of the known populations were 
discovered during environmental reviews for proposed development 
projects, and FWS officials report that many of these populations have 
been at least partially impacted by these developments. The 
introduction and spread of riparian invasive plant species is also a 
threat. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS has not approved a recovery plan for the dwarf-flowered heartleaf. 
The agency developed a draft in association with a status review in 
1997, but because of the information gained during the review-- 
including the discovery of new populations and concerns the recovery 
partners raised about taxonomy--the plan was never finalized. While 
found to be more abundant than originally thought (surveys have more 
than tripled the number of known populations and expanded the species 
distribution to 16 counties), the species was not proposed for 
downlisting after the 1997 review because some partners raised concerns 
as to whether or not the species' survival could be assured, given that 
the majority of known populations occur in a region of increasing 
development pressure. Partners expressing concerns included the North 
Carolina Plant Conservation Program, the North Carolina's Natural 
Heritage Program, university botanists, and consultants; these partners 
also raised questions about the taxonomy of the species, as well as the 
identification of the species at some of the known sites. 

Although the current population estimates indicate that the species has 
the potential to be delisted, additional steps are needed to mitigate 
development. According to FWS officials, to address this threat, FWS 
first needs to determine which of the many populations are critical to 
the species' continued survival, and whether they are stable. Once 
those populations are identified, FWS would then need to obtain 
agreements from landowners or acquire land to ensure continued 
protection. FWS officials would like to quantify rates of habitat loss 
by examining available development indicators, such as building 
permits, but have not obtained sufficient funding to do so. 

FWS initiated another status review in 2004 to determine whether the 
species continued to warrant protection under the Endangered Species 
Act. If the review finds that the species still warrants protection 
under the act, FWS will propose recovery criteria, including specific 
actions for different locations and estimated costs. FWS expects to 
pursue delisting the heartleaf by 2015, pending the results of the 
status review. FWS officials believe they can carry out any needed 
steps for this species without a recovery plan. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

Despite not having a final recovery plan, FWS works with other federal 
agencies, state agencies, and private organizations to address existing 
threats to the species. FWS officials could not estimate costs to 
recover this species, but said that most recovery actions have been 
funded through expenditures on Section 7 consultations. FWS has 
completed several consultations with the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of 
Transportation, and associated state agencies, that have resulted in 
protections for some populations of the heartleaf. Monitoring and 
management programs are still being developed for many of these sites. 
Other partners that have assisted FWS in surveying and monitoring dwarf-
flowered heartleaf populations include the North Carolina Plant 
Conservation Program, the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, 
university botanists, and consultants. 

Eggert's Sunflower: 

Eggert's Sunflower (Helianthus eggertii) was listed as threatened in 
1997. Eggert's sunflower grows in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee at 
the interface of woodlands and grassy openings. It thrives in tree 
stands with little woody understory, and tolerates a wide range of 
light conditions, moisture levels, and disturbance. It persists in, and 
may even invade, roadsides, power line rights-of-way, and fields that 
have suitable open habitat. The species was delisted in 2005 due to 
recovery and the discovery of additional populations. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that threats to Eggert's sunflower at the time of 
listing included: (1) fire suppression, because the species relies on 
periodic fires to maintain suitable habitat; (2) loss of habitat due to 
development; (3) invasion by nonnative plant species; (4) habitat 
impacts from maintenance of roadsides and power lines, such as 
herbicide spraying and mowing; and (5) herbivory, including by insects 
and white-tailed deer. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for Eggert's sunflower in 1999. The plan's 
actions included prescribing fires, rescheduling mowing for road and 
power-line maintenance to times when it is less likely to harm the 
species, surveying the species, researching genetics, and establishing 
new populations. Officials report that the recovery plan accurately 
identified management actions necessary to recover this species, and 
noted that the species responded well to these actions. At the time of 
delisting, 20 geographically distinct, self-sustaining populations had 
been protected by conservation agreements. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

Post-delisting activities include the monitoring of the 20 populations, 
under conservation agreements with public and private landowners, 
including Arnold Air Force Base, Mammoth Cave National Park, the 
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the City of Nashville, The Nature 
Conservancy, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. FWS officials 
could not estimate the cost of this species' recovery, but estimated 
that the federal government has provided about 80 percent of the cost, 
while state agencies and private entities contributed the remaining 20 
percent. FWS managed and coordinated the recovery efforts, so its costs 
include salaries for coordination, field work, and surveys. 

Johnston's Frankenia: 

Johnston's frankenia (Frankenia johnstonii) was listed as endangered in 
1984. The plant is a grayish or bluish-green low-lying shrub with small 
leaves and white flowers, and turns bright red in the fall. At the time 
of the listing, there were five known populations in two south Texas 
counties and in Mexico, with an estimated total of 1,500 individual 
plants. However, a 6-year study of this species resulted in the 
discovery of about 9 million plants in 58 populations in the United 
States and four populations in Mexico. FWS proposed delisting the 
species in 2003 and anticipates finalizing the delisting in 2006. FWS 
officials attribute the lengthy delisting process to the lack of staff-
-the lead botanist for the species resigned about 2 years ago and has 
not been replaced. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that they initially believed the primary threats 
to Johnston's frankenia were its low numbers, low reproductive 
potential, narrow range, and habitat modification by land management 
practices that included overgrazing, root plowing, and planting non- 
native grasses. However, at the time of the listing, limited data were 
available for this species, partially because the species occurs 
primarily on privately owned land that was not readily accessible; 
also, little focused research had been conducted on the species. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS officials approved a recovery plan for Johnston's frankenia in 
1988, and attribute the proposed delisting to the achievement of the 
recovery plan's goals. A key task in the recovery plan was educating 
landowners and gaining their cooperation in order to allow study and 
monitoring of the species (through voluntary agreements) on private 
land. A botanist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spent 2 
years building trust and establishing working relationships with 
landowners, and an additional 4 years on monitoring research. This work 
led to the discovery of millions of other plants. Other important 
recovery tasks included conducting studies on the species' ecology and 
reproduction. Some of these studies revealed that, while the species' 
reproductive potential is lower than many flowering plant species, the 
frankenia appears to be adapted to the arid climate and saline soils it 
inhabits, and can use sporadic rainfall to germinate quickly. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

FWS officials report that recovery efforts for Johnston's frankenia 
have cost over $250,000. FWS estimated its expenditures at about 
$200,000; the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spent about $30,000; 
The Nature Conservancy spent about $4,000; and Texas State University 
spent about $20,000. FWS contracted with Texas State University to 
complete three recovery tasks: (1) reproductive biology studies; (2) 
ecological studies, including analyses of soil and the effects of land 
management practices; and (3) a geographical information system project 
to assess threats to the species. 

Papery Whitlow-Wort: 

The papery whitlow-wort (Paronychia chartacea) was listed as threatened 
in 1987 and, at the time, was only known to inhabit south-central 
peninsular Florida. In 1991, a new subspecies (Paronychia chartacea 
minima) was discovered in the Florida panhandle; this subspecies is 
also considered as threatened under the 1987 listing action. The papery 
whitlow-wort is a short-lived herb with yellowish green branches and 
small cream-colored to greenish colored flowers. It grows close to the 
ground and forms small mats in disturbed, open, sandy sites such as 
road rights-of-way, recently cleared high pineland areas, fire lanes, 
and trails. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that the primary threat to the papery whitlow-wort 
is habitat loss due to residential, industrial, and commercial 
(including citrus) development. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS officials approved a recovery plan for the papery whitlow-wort and 
18 other Florida scrub and high pineland plant species in June 1996. 
The recovery actions identified in the recovery plan were primarily 
additional monitoring and protection of habitat. The south-central 
Florida subspecies may soon be delisted because land needed to 
accommodate this species was acquired or protected, and needed 
prescribed fire plans were implemented in 2000. Delisting the south- 
central Florida subspecies is pending, due to a lack of funding and 
FWS's evaluation of an upcoming study on the status of numerous Florida 
plant species (including the papery whitlow-wort). FWS officials report 
that they hope to delist the plant by 2010. 

FWS officials report that the remaining efforts to delist the Florida 
panhandle subspecies include reviewing land management agencies' 
prescribed fire plans and practices for actions that could potentially 
harm the papery whitlow-wort. FWS officials said that the species has 
benefited from some conservation efforts, but it is not nearly as close 
to delisting as the central Florida subspecies. 

Cost and Partnerships: 

FWS officials report that FWS recovery expenditures for the papery 
whitlow-wort have been minimal--about $19,000 from fiscal years 2001 
through 2003. FWS did not have recovery expenditure data from its 
partners. The species has benefited from state funding and Section 6 
funds to recover several other endangered species that share its 
habitat and are included in the multi-species recovery plan. Partners 
in recovery efforts for the papery whitlow-wort include the Florida 
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Division of 
Forestry, The Nature Conservancy, the Archbold Biological Station, and 
Princeton University (which is conducting the study on Floridian plant 
species). These partners have worked on restoration of the natural 
habitat, fire management, surveying, and demographic research. 

Truckee Barberry: 

The Truckee barberry (Berberis sonnei) was listed as endangered in 
1979. The plant is a small evergreen shrub originally thought to exist 
only near the Truckee River in California. However, a 1993 study 
reclassified the plant and included it as part of a much more prevalent 
species. The Truckee barberry was delisted in 2003. 

Threats: 

The threat, at the time of listing, was that only one known Truckee 
barberry population existed. This population was located on private 
property.  

Role of Recovery Plan: 

FWS approved a recovery plan for the Truckee barberry in 1984. The 
objectives included protecting the only known population, surveying for 
other populations, and establishing new ones. Additionally, because FWS 
had only limited information on this plant's biology, the plan included 
actions for genetics research to clarify the relationship of the 
species to similar species, like the Berberis repens. These steps were 
critical to determining that the species was not unique but rather a 
part of a more common species. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

FWS only had expenditure information for the delisting process, which 
took 3 years and about $33,000. 

Uinta Basin Hookless Cactus: 

The Uinta Basin hookless cactus (Sclerocactus glaucus) was listed as 
threatened in 1979. The Uinta Basin hookless cactus is a spherical to 
cylindrical, spiny succulent that commonly grows from 2 to 3 inches in 
diameter and 2 to 6 inches in height. It occurs on rocky surfaces on 
river terrace deposits and lower mesa slopes between elevations of 
4,500 to 6,000 feet along the upper Colorado and Gunnison Rivers in 
western Colorado, and the Green River in northeast Utah. At the time of 
listing, FWS reported that there were approximately 15,000 individual 
plants. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that the primary threat to the Uinta Basin 
hookless cactus is the demand for energy development in its habitat, 
which is primarily BLM land and the Uinta and Ouray reservations of the 
Northern Ute Tribe. According to the recovery plan, demand for energy 
development increased dramatically around the time the species was 
listed in 1979, and then decreased by 1990 when the recovery plan was 
issued. However, FWS officials said that the demand has increased again 
over the last several years, and that significant oil and gas 
development is in progress;additional development within the species 
habitat is pending. Additional threats include other development for 
highways, housing, and commercial purposes; recreation; and trampling 
by livestock. The species is a desirable horticultural specimen and, as 
such, is illegally collected. 

Recovery Plan Role: 

FWS approved the Uinta Basin hookless cactus recovery plan in 1990. 
However, according to FWS officials, the recovery plan has not been 
fully implemented because it competes with many other species for 
funding. Needed actions outlined in the recovery plan include achieving 
a total population of 30,000 individuals, with at least 2,000 
individuals in a minimum of six separate populations; protecting land 
to provide for long-term, undisturbed habitat; and conducting taxonomic 
studies on the species. However, FWS officials stated that funding 
levels have only allowed for completing a taxonomic study. FWS 
officials report they have been involved in Section 7 consultations 
with BLM concerning oil and gas leases affecting the cactus, and there 
have been adverse effect determinations. FWS officials are currently 
working with BLM and oil and gas companies to minimize the loss of 
cacti due to energy development in its habitat. FWS officials report 
that the cactus could be delisted in 10 to 20 years, assuming adequate 
funding is received and habitat protection measures are implemented. 

Costs and Partnerships: 

FWS officials report that they cannot provide an accurate recovery cost 
estimate because comprehensive cost data do not exist. FWS estimated 
that, for the last 2 years, its field offices in Utah and Colorado have 
spent between $30,000 and $40,000 annually on the Uinta Basin hookless 
cactus and other plant species in the area, mostly for Section 7 
consultations with BLM and monitoring. FWS has also worked, on a 
limited basis, with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and some conservation 
groups, but did not have any expenditure information for those 
entities. 

Virginia Round-Leaf Birch: 

The Virginia round-leaf birch (Betula uber) was listed as endangered in 
1978 and downlisted to threatened in 1994. It was the first tree 
protected under the Endangered Species Act. The Virginia round-leaf 
birch grows to about 40 feet tall and has dark bark and distinctive 
rounded leaves. It lives for about 50 years, and produces large 
quantities of seeds about every 5 years--a survival strategy that 
discourages seed eaters. The birch needs continually moist, well- 
drained mineral-rich soil that is largely free of debris so seeds can 
reach the ground and germinate. It also needs open forest canopies to 
allow seedlings to get sunlight. The species was thought to be extinct 
until 1975, when 41 trees were discovered in the Cressy Creek area of 
Smyth County in southwestern Virginia. 

Threats: 

FWS officials report that most of the Virginia round-leaf birch 
population occurs on Forest Service land and that the primary threats 
to the species when it was listed were its reproductive characteristics 
and distinct habitat needs. For example, studies have shown that seed 
viability is significantly lower in the round-leaf birch than in other 
dark-bark birches in the Cressy Creek area. Reproduction is also 
limited by long distances between pollen sources. Periodic droughts and 
floods, and herbivory (mostly by deer and rabbits), are also threats. 
Additionally, in the 1980s, vandalism by collectors led to the loss of 
numerous individual trees--10 of the original 41 trees, 30 seedlings 
that had grown as a result of Forest Service recovery actions, and 81 
greenhouse seedlings grown by the National Arboretum. FWS officials 
report that the Virginia round-leaf birch does not currently have any 
imminent threats, however, due to its limited geographic range, it 
faces challenges such as drought and occasional flooding. 

Role of Recovery Plan: 

Most of the Virginia round-leaf birch population is located in the 
Jefferson National Forest in southwestern Virginia. According to FWS 
officials, the Forest Service approved a management plan for the 
Virginia round-leaf birch in 1976, and FWS approved a recovery plan in 
1982 with revisions in 1985 and 1990. FWS reported that several actions 
in the recovery plan have been especially effective for recovering the 
species--creating small openings in the canopy to allow sunlight to 
reach seedlings, removing plant debris from around the existing trees 
to allow their seeds to reach the soil and germinate, enclosing all the 
trees with chicken wire to protect them from herbivory, and, to stop 
vandalism by collectors, growing several trees in captivity and 
distributing seedlings to the public. Some actions taken by the Forest 
Service have also been important for the species, and were taken before 
the recovery plan was in place. Specifically, the Forest Service fenced 
the two mature trees that occurred in the Jefferson National Forest and 
conducted soil disturbance activities to encourage seed germination. 
FWS is awaiting the results of a status review of the species, which 
should be complete in 2006, before pursuing delisting. FWS hopes to 
begin the delisting process in the next 2 to 3 years for the species 
and have it delisted by about 2015. 

Cost and Partnerships: 

FWS officials report that they cannot provide a cost estimate for 
recovery expenditures because most of the recovery activities were 
completed in the 1980s and much of the documentation is no longer 
available. The Forest Service and the Virginia Department of 
Agriculture and Consumer Services, which listed the species as 
endangered at the state level in 1979, have led recovery efforts. The 
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provided funding for 
cultivation of birch seedlings for distribution to arboreta, botanical 
gardens, and the public. Other partners include the National Arboretum, 
which coordinated the distribution of seedlings to the public; various 
conservation organizations; universities; and private entities. 

[End of section] 

Appendix III: Comments from the Department of the Interior: 

United States Department of the Interior: 
Office Of The Secretary: 
Washington, DC 20240: 

Aug 14 2005: 

Ms. Robin M. Nazzaro: 
Director, Natural Resources and Environment: 
U.S. Government Accountability Office: 
441 G Street, N.W. 
Washington, D.C. 20548: 

Dear Ms. Nazzaro: 

Thank you for providing the Department of the Interior the opportunity 
to review and comment on the draft U.S. Government Accountability 
Office report entitled, "Endangered Species: Many Factors Affect the 
Length of Time to Recover Select Species," GAO-06-730, dated July 12, 
2006. In general, we agree with the findings. 

The enclosure provides comments from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service. We hope these comments will assist you in preparing the final 
report. 

Sincerely, 

Signed by: 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks: 

Enclosure: 

[End of Section] 

(360704): 

FOOTNOTES 

[1] A recovery plan is not required if the Secretaries of Commerce or 
the Interior find that such a plan will not promote the conservation of 
the species. 

[2] Both domestic and foreign species are listed under the Endangered 
Species Act; 
foreign species are those with current and historic ranges that occur 
entirely under the jurisdiction of other countries. 

[3] GAO, Endangered Species: Time and Costs Required to Recover Species 
Are Largely Unknown, GAO-06-463R (Washington, D.C.: April 6, 2006). 

[4] A DPS is a subdivision of a vertebrate species that is treated as a 
species for purposes of listing under the Endangered Species Act. See 
61 Fed. Reg. 4722 (Feb. 7, 1996). 

[5] See GAO, Endangered Species: Research Strategy and Long-Term 
Monitoring Needed for the Mojave Desert Tortoise Recovery Program, GAO- 
03-23 (Washington, D.C.: Dec. 9, 2002) and GAO, Columbia River Basin 
Salmon and Steelhead: Federal Agencies' Recovery Responsibilities, 
Expenditures and Actions, GAO-02-612 (Washington, D.C.: July 26, 2002). 

[6] A species may also be downlisted from endangered to threatened as a 
result of recovery efforts. The services must announce downlisting 
proposals in the Federal Register to solicit public comments on the 
action. 

[7] FWS reports that 2 of the 17 species delisted due to recovery were 
delisted because of a combination of recovery efforts and data error. 

[8] The act requires that the services conduct reviews of all the 
species protected by the act every 5 years to determine whether the 
species should be delisted, or whether the species' status should 
change from endangered to threatened, or vice versa. 

[9] See FWS, Recovery Report to Congress, Fiscal Years 2001-2002. 

[10] See FWS, Federal and State Endangered and Threatened Species 
Expenditures, Fiscal Year 2003. 

[11] See GAO, Endangered Species: Research Strategy and Long-Term 
Monitoring Needed for the Mojave Desert Tortoise Recovery Program, GAO- 
03-23 (Washington, D.C.: Dec. 9, 2002) and GAO, Columbia River Basin 
Salmon and Steelhead: Federal Agencies' Recovery Responsibilities, 
Expenditures and Actions, GAO-02-612 (Washington, D.C.: July 26, 2002). 

[12] A DPS is a subdivision of a vertebrate species that is treated as 
a species for purposes of listing under the Endangered Species Act. See 
61 Fed. Reg. 4722 (Feb. 7, 1996). 

[13] A DPS is a subdivision of a vertebrate species that, for purposes 
of listing, is treated as a species under the Endangered Species Act. 
See 61 Fed. Reg. 4722 (Feb. 7, 1996). 

[14] This listing was amended in 1970 to include the Antillean 
subspecies (T. m. manatus). Within the jurisdiction of the United 
States, Antillean manatees are found in Puerto Rico, the Virgin 
Islands, and occasionally in Texas. There are two separate recovery 
plans for the West Indian manatee, one for the Florida subspecies and 
another for the Antillean subspecies in Puerto Rico. 

[15] These programs also address the razorback sucker, which is another 
species we reviewed for this report. 

[16] Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and San Juan 
River Basin Recovery Implementation Program: Program Highlights 2005- 
2006 provides a summary of the programs, including a complete list of 
partners, total costs for implementing various elements of the 
programs, and detailed status information on the four species. 

[17] The Colorado River Storage Project is a multipurpose plan, 
undertaken by BOR in 1956, to control the flow of the upper Colorado 
and its tributaries, and to aid in the development of the upper 
Colorado River basin. Since the flow of the Colorado is erratic, this 
project was needed to maintain an even flow of water to the lower basin 
during dry years. A series of dams regulates stream flow, provides 
storage reservoirs, creates hydroelectric power, and irrigates both new 
and previously developed acreage. 

[18] These programs also address the Colorado pikeminnow, which is 
another species we reviewed for this report. 

[19] See footnote 4 for details. 

[20] See footnote 5 for details. 

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