New Habitat Designations Aim to Recover this Threatened Species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently revised the 2005 critical habitat designation for bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), a threatened species found throughout much of the Pacific Northwest and protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Approximately 18,975 miles of streams and 488,252 acres of lakes and reservoirs in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Nevada are being designated as critical habitat for the wide-ranging fish. In Washington, 754 miles of marine shoreline are also being designated.

“This action is the result of an extensive review of the Service’s previous bull trout critical habitat proposals and designation, as well as comments and new information received during the 2010 public review process,” said Robyn Thorson, Regional Director of the Service’s Pacific Region. “Our biologists worked hard to ensure the best science was used to identify the features and areas essential to the conservation of bull trout rangewide.”

“Bull trout depend on cold, clear water and are excellent indicators of water quality,” Regional Director Thorson said. “Protecting and restoring their habitat contributes not only to the recovery of the species but to the water quality of rivers and lakes throughout their range.”

Once plentiful, bull trout were found in 60 percent of the Columbia River Basin but now occur in less than half their historical range, with populations remaining in portions of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Nevada. In the Klamath River Basin, bull trout occur in 21 percent of their historical range. They were listed in1999 as a threatened species throughout their range in the lower 48 U.S. states.

Bull trout are primarily threatened by habitat degradation and fragmentation, blockage of migratory corridors, poor water quality, the effects of climate change and past fisheries management practices, including the introduction of non-native species such as brown, lake and brook trout.

The designation, developed by a team of federal scientists with input from peers outside the agency, is intended to provide sufficient habitat to allow for genetic and life history diversity, ensure bull trout are well distributed across representative habitats, ensure sufficient connectivity among populations and allow for the ability to address threats facing the species.

If we take steps now to protect the good habitat that’s left and restore what’s degraded, we’ll not only save and recover bull trout and other salmonids. We’ll be helping ourselves and leaving a legacy we can be proud of to future generations.

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