BOISE, Idaho, October 25, 2002 (ENS) - An Idaho livestock company is working with federal and state agencies to help protect the southern Idaho ground squirrel, a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has entered into a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Soulen Livestock Company, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the Idaho governor's Office of Species Conservation to implement conservation measures for the southern Idaho ground squirrel. The ground squirrel, a federal candidate species, has experienced a decline in population throughout its range in southwestern Idaho in recent years.
Through the agreement, the parties will protect and enhance ground squirrel populations and habitat. Soulen Livestock will not allow shooting, trapping or poisoning of ground squirrels, and will allow agency personnel access to their property to conduct ground squirrel surveys, reintroductions and translocations.
In exchange, the USFWS issued a permit authorizing some impacts to southern Idaho ground squirrels as a result of Soulen Livestock's land use activities if the species is ever listed as threatened or endangered.
The conservation effort will occur over about 43,000 acres of Soulen Livestock's land in Washington and Payette Counties, Idaho, for the next 20 years.
"We saw two benefits from this project," said Margaret Soulen Hinson of the Soulen Livestock Company. "First, it was a good way to demonstrate how landowners can work with federal and state wildlife management agencies. We all need to do a better job of this."
"Second," Hinson continued, "through our agreement, the interest demonstrated by other landowners in similar agreements, and the increased interest in southern Idaho ground squirrels, we believe we can prevent the need to list the species as threatened or endangered. And that benefits everyone."
The southern Idaho ground squirrel was identified as a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act in October 2001. Southern Idaho ground squirrels occur only in southwest Idaho, and are found in a 518,000 acre area in the Weiser River Basin. Current information indicates that the species has been declining throughout its range since 1985.
Conservation measures implemented on private lands are important for the long term survival of the southern Idaho ground squirrel. About 85 percent of the known occupied ground squirrel sites are located on private lands, including ranches and farms. About 12 percent of the species' occupied sites are federally managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and three percent of the sites are on lands managed by Idaho Department of Lands.
"Fish and wildlife conservation today requires strong partnerships across many boundaries," said Bob Ruesink, USFWS Snake River Basin Office supervisor. "This work is accomplished in a wide range of geographic areas or habitat conditions with varied methods and results, but no one agency or landowner can do the job alone. Dedicated partners such as Soulen Livestock and the state agencies involved in this agreement can make serious strides toward species conservation.":
