[PCA] FWS and surrogate species

[Stephen Rae]

This reminds me of the key species concept.  Compromises regarding a single species may result in significant issues pertinent to their associates.

S

Stephen P. Rae, Plant Ecologist-One Who Works on Mosses
Napa Valley
"Slow down!  It's the journey, not the destination."

> On Aug 21, 2014, at 4:29 PM, Addsum-Tony Frates <afrates at addsuminc.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> I've read some of the FWS literature on this topic, but am wondering why it won't just focus on doing its job and administer the ESA (which includes listing species and not trying to subvert or delay its own listing proposals).
> 
> We simply need to protect the ecosystems of threatened and endangered species.
> 
> What is being proposed does not sound like modernization to me, but more like avoidance and/or becoming significantly side-tracked.
> 
> No doubt the identification of a surrogate species could be useful under certain circumstances, but I suspect very often not it would not even be applicable.
> 
> 
> Further, from 2011:
> 
> http://calwatercenter.org/images/11_01_14_A_Critical_Assessment_of_the_Use_of_Surrogate_Species_in_Conservation_Planning_paper.pdf
> 
> See the end of the abstract:
> 
> " . . . conservation biologists demonstrated that the surrogate concept is generally unsupported by ecological theory and empirical evidence. Recently developed validation procedures may allow for the productive use of surrogates in conservation planning, but, used without validation, the surrogate species concept is not a reliable planning tool."
> 
> 
> As with some of the other more recent FWS policies/rules/regulations including PECE analysis and the "significant range" policy fiasco, we do not seem to be going in the right direction.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tony Frates
> Salt Lake City, Utah
> 
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