Vol. 69, No. 193, United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), 50 CFR Part 17, RIN 1018-AI52, 69 FR 59996

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Klamath River and Columbia River Populations of Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)

Action: FINAL RULE

Effective:  11/5/04

Overview

This final rule is written to designate a critical habitat for the Klamath River and Columbia River populations of Bull Trout.  The critical habitat designation includes approximately 1,748 miles of streams and 61,235 acres of lakes and marshes.  The reason for this designation is that at the time of listing, there are only seven remaining non-migratory populations of bull trout, and the designation is mandatory pursuant to a court order.  The anticipated outcome of this designation by the FWS is that it will basically have no impact on the species because “in 30 years of implementing the Act, we (FWS) have found that the designation of statutory critical habitat provides little additional protection to most listed species, while consuming significant amounts of available conservation resources.”  69 FR 59996.

Background

-         Bull trout are normally found in headwater streams and are non-migratory