State Wants To Lead Bull Trout Watch Federal Government Asked To Delay Listing Fish As Endangered Species

Members of the Idaho congressional delegation want the federal government to go slow toward listing bull trout under the Endangered Species Act because the state is pursuing its own recovery efforts and could do a better job of it.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, the all-Republican delegation said Idaho could do, and is doing, a better job in protecting the fish.

“The decision to pursue listing is precipitous and unwarranted” because it usurps state efforts and ignores Idaho’s science-based effort to help the fish recover, the letter says.

The state has made “tremendous strides” toward protecting a fish that’s in declining numbers, undertaking more than 50 projects statewide.

“The state of Idaho is already implementing a comprehensive recovery strategy for bull trout that uses site-specific standards which are developed by local citizens and experts. Federal involvement at this point will not benefit the bull trout, but may work to discourage the state from its proactive approach to protection.

“It is likely that Idaho will be well on the road to recovery before the Fish and Wildlife Service even has a draft recovery plan in place,” said the letter, signed by senators Dirk Kempthorne and Larry Craig and representatives Mike Crapo and Helen Chenoweth.

The letter urged Babbitt to follow the lead of the National Marine Fisheries Service, which recognized that Oregon had come up with its own plan to help recovery of coastal coho salmon.

“We are positive that if you personally examine Gov. (Phil) Batt’s bull trout conservation plan, you will reach the same conclusion,” the letter said.