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Home My WebLink About4.5.22 Board Correspondence - FW_ Western ridged mussel.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening attachments, clicking on links, or replying.. From:Paulsen, Shaina To:BOS Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Western ridged mussel Date:Tuesday, April 5, 2022 8:11:01 AM Attachments:SFWO DIP_western_ridged_mussel_Partners_20220331.pdf Please see Board Correspondence. Shaina Paulsen Associate Clerk of The Board Butte County Administration 25 County Center Drive, Suite 200, Oroville, CA 95965 T: 530.552.3304 | F: 530.538.7120 From: Aguilera, Amber <amber_aguilera@fws.gov> Sent: Tuesday, April 5, 2022 7:32 AM To: cbs@acgov.org; Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>; Carol.Huchingson@lakecountyca.gov; clerkoftheboard@countyofnapa.org; pcbs@countyofplumas.com; boardclerk@saccounty.net; cobreception@cob.sccgov.org; clerk@solanocounty.com; bos@sonoma-county.org; cobsupport@stancounty.com; boardclerk@co.sutter.ca.us; clerkoftheboard@yolocounty.org; clerkoftheboard@co.yuba.ca.us; Meyer-Shields, Elizabeth A <eameyer@blm.gov>; Lavrov, Nicholas <nlavrov@blm.gov>; Mata, Jennifer L <jmata@blm.gov>; Campbell, Vicki L <vlcampbell@blm.gov>; LESSARD, DREW F <DLessard@usbr.gov>; Kalkowski, Christie L <ckalkowski@usbr.gov>; Cordova, Daniel A <dcordova@usbr.gov>; rstefani@usbr.gov; Hunt, Shane D <shunt@usbr.gov>; Hadley, Elizabeth W <ehadley@usbr.gov>; tamara.gallentine.2@us.af.mil; christopher.reddin@colostate.edu; leslie.pena.1@us.af.mil; nancy.a.haley@usace.army.mil; Carlton, Christopher - FS <Christopher.Carlton@usda.gov>; Halstead, Brian J <bhalstead@usgs.gov>; jfurnish01@fs.fed.us; kevin.thomas@wildlife.ca.gov; Chappell, Erin@Wildlife <erin.chappell@wildlife.ca.gov>; Scott.Gardner@wildlife.ca.gov; Andrea.Buckley@cvflood.ca.gov; White, Heather@Parks <heather.white@parks.ca.gov>; ron.melcer@parks.ca.gov; kelly.hobbs@dot.ca.gov; northcoast@waterboards.ca.gov; info2@waterboards.ca.gov; info5@waterboards.ca.gov; jeff.henderson@deltacouncil.ca.gov; rypel@ucdavis.edu; kdhannan@ucdavis.edu; jeanette_howard@tnc.org; rkanz@waterboards.ca.gov Cc: Kong, Lauren M <lauren_kong@fws.gov> Subject: Western ridged mussel Dear partner, Please see the attached letter announcing the initiation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) status review (12-month finding) of the western ridged mussel (Gonidea angulata) to determine whether listing is warranted. The Service has been gathering and analyzing available information about the western ridged mussel to assist us in making a listing determination and we are contacting you to request additional information about the species. At this time, we expect the 12-month finding will be delivered to the Federal Register no later than September 30, 2024. We will provide a public notification of our 12-month finding and any future proposed rulemakings will include an opportunity for public review and comment. If you have any relevant information to share with the Service, please submit it to Courtney Newlon via email at courtney_newlon@fws.gov. All data and information submitted to us, including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative record. Thank you, Amber Amber Aguilera (she/her/hers) Listing Coordinator Listing and Recovery Division Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office Phone: 916-414-6626 Fax: 916-414-6713 amber_aguilera@fws.gov "In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), staff in the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office have implemented an aggressive telework schedule. At this time, we are responding to requests for information via email or phone as often as possible as we do not have the in-office capacity to support regular mail service. We appreciate your understanding." Reply To: 8185.1599 File Name: DIP_western_ridged_mussel_TS22- 0125.docx TS Number: TS22-0125 March 31, 2022 Dear Conservation Partner: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is responsible for identifying species in need of protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) (ESA). In 2020, the Service was petitioned to list the western ridged mussel (Gonidea angulata) range wide under the ESA by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. This species of freshwater mussel historically occurred in rivers and lakes across portions of the western U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California, as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia. In 2021, we made a determination that the petition presented substantial scientific or commercial information indicating listing of the western ridged mussel may be warranted (86 FR 40186), and following a national work plan, we are initiating a status review. In accordance with the Service’s National Listing Work Plan, the Service must make a 12-month finding (i.e., a proposed listing or a not warranted finding) for the western ridged mussel by September 30, 2024. In the event we find the western ridged mussel warrants listing, we will issue a listing proposal and simultaneously propose a critical habitat designation. To inform this decision, we will conduct a Species Status Assessment (SSA) using the best available scientific and commercial data to evaluate the species’ current status, threats and anticipated future condition. The SSA framework is an analytical approach that characterizes a species’ ability to sustain populations over time based on the best scientific understanding of current and future abundance and distribution, taking into consideration any threats, stressors, or conservation efforts that could influence or affect the species’ status. An SSA is grounded in conservation biology principles and is a transparent and explicit analysis based solely on the best available science. We complete the SSA before policies are applied or decisions made, which provides greater flexibility for us to engage with our partners and solicit peer review. The SSA generates clear, logical analyses that not only support our decisions under the ESA, but provide foundational, biological information to help guide species conservation. To ensure the Service has the best scientific and commercial data available for development of the SSA, we are seeking information on any of the following topics, as well as any other information available that may be relevant to our analysis: a) Distribution, ecology, and life history of the western ridged mussel, including habitat needs and requirements for reproduction, growth, nutrition, and dispersal; b) Survey data including counts and documentation of presence or absence; c) Changes in trend, distribution, and abundance of the species; d) Species taxonomy and genetics; e) Potential stressors to the species or its habitat; United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-2605 Sacramento, CA 95825-1846 Email: SFWO_mail@fws.gov f) Possible benefits and impacts (including economic impacts) of designating any specific area as critical habitat if the western ridged mussel is warranted for listing; g) Past, current, and future conservation actions or management practices that may benefit the western ridged mussel or its habitat. h) Projects planned or underway that may affect western ridged mussel, including what the environmental impact may be anticipated (per stream mile, etc.), financial impact (including any data to support these financial estimates), and/or delays if consultation with the Service was required (including quantification of such impact in time or cost). Information from within any portion of the species’ range is requested. Unpublished reports, habitat-related publications, or data that have not been included in the peer reviewed literature will be useful. If spatial and/or tabular data (along with supporting metadata) are available, please provide this information; however, we will accept information in any format provided. Although the Service will accept new information throughout the SSA process, we would appreciate your response by May 17, 2022, if possible, to ensure we have adequate time to consider the information during our Species Status Assessment. Information should be submitted to Courtney Newlon, the Service’s technical lead for this effort, in the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office (contact information below). All data and information submitted, including names and addresses, will become part of the decisional record for this package and may be made public. Resources: National Listing Work Plan: https://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/listing-workplan.html Listing Processes: https://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/listing-overview.html Species Status Assessment Fact Sheet: https://www.fws.gov/endangered/improving_esa/pdf/SSA_Fact_Sheet-August_2016.pdf If you would like additional information or have any questions about the western ridged mussel Species Status Assessment, please contact Courtney Newlon at (503) 231-6972; or via email at courtney_newlon@fws.gov ; or by writing to the following address: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office 2600 S.E. 98th Ave.; Suite 100 Portland, OR 97266 Thank you for your interest in the conservation of at-risk and threatened and endangered species. Sincerely, Michael Fris Field Supervisor