Post by Deinobrontornis on Jan 2, 2012 22:15:53 GMT -5
Rare fox may get protection after sighting in Sonora Pass
The Sierra Nevada red fox population has dwindled to only about 50, prompting a proposal to protect them through the Endangered Species Act.Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Dana M. Nichols
By Dana M. Nichols
Record Staff Writer
January 01, 2012 12:00 AM
SAN ANDREAS - A rare fox caught on camera in 2010 near the Sonora Pass will be considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday.
Until recently, biologists thought the Sierra Nevada red fox was extinct in most of its historic range, which extended through the Sierra Nevada in California and the Cascade Mountains in Oregon to the Columbia River. Only two small populations near Mount Lassen were known to exist.
Two summers ago, however, remote cameras detected three Sierra Nevada red foxes near the Sonora Pass.
"There are about 50 of these beautiful animals left, eking out a living in about 4 percent of their historical range," said Justin Augustine, a spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity.
The center petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider the Sierra Nevada red fox for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Such listing would make it illegal to kill the fox and open the way for efforts to protect the fox's habitat.
Listing the fox as either endangered or threatened could interfere with motorized tourists.
The area near the Sonora Pass where the foxes were photographed is near a new trail that gives snowmobiles access from the Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area to Highway 108 just east of the pass.
Discovery of the fox prompted officials in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to modify the route of the snowmobile trail as well as take other measures intended to educate visitors to the area about the species.
The Center for Biological Diversity raised the issue of off-highway vehicle use in its petition to Fish and Wildlife.
The federal agency said the scientific information in the petition prompted it to "conduct a more detailed examination of the species."
A written statement by Fish and Wildlife also said the agency has not decided whether the fox should be given Endangered Species Act protection.
The Sierra Nevada red fox is one of 10 subspecies in North America. It has an elongated snout, large ears, slender legs and body, and a bushy tail with a white tip. It is generally smaller than other red fox species, the Fish and Wildlife Service said.
Contact reporter Dana M. Nichols at (209) 607-1361 or dnichols@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/calaverasblog.
Source: www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120101/A_NEWS/201010308/-1/A_NEWS14
The Sierra Nevada red fox population has dwindled to only about 50, prompting a proposal to protect them through the Endangered Species Act.Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Dana M. Nichols
By Dana M. Nichols
Record Staff Writer
January 01, 2012 12:00 AM
SAN ANDREAS - A rare fox caught on camera in 2010 near the Sonora Pass will be considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday.
Until recently, biologists thought the Sierra Nevada red fox was extinct in most of its historic range, which extended through the Sierra Nevada in California and the Cascade Mountains in Oregon to the Columbia River. Only two small populations near Mount Lassen were known to exist.
Two summers ago, however, remote cameras detected three Sierra Nevada red foxes near the Sonora Pass.
"There are about 50 of these beautiful animals left, eking out a living in about 4 percent of their historical range," said Justin Augustine, a spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity.
The center petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider the Sierra Nevada red fox for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Such listing would make it illegal to kill the fox and open the way for efforts to protect the fox's habitat.
Listing the fox as either endangered or threatened could interfere with motorized tourists.
The area near the Sonora Pass where the foxes were photographed is near a new trail that gives snowmobiles access from the Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area to Highway 108 just east of the pass.
Discovery of the fox prompted officials in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to modify the route of the snowmobile trail as well as take other measures intended to educate visitors to the area about the species.
The Center for Biological Diversity raised the issue of off-highway vehicle use in its petition to Fish and Wildlife.
The federal agency said the scientific information in the petition prompted it to "conduct a more detailed examination of the species."
A written statement by Fish and Wildlife also said the agency has not decided whether the fox should be given Endangered Species Act protection.
The Sierra Nevada red fox is one of 10 subspecies in North America. It has an elongated snout, large ears, slender legs and body, and a bushy tail with a white tip. It is generally smaller than other red fox species, the Fish and Wildlife Service said.
Contact reporter Dana M. Nichols at (209) 607-1361 or dnichols@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/calaverasblog.
Source: www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120101/A_NEWS/201010308/-1/A_NEWS14
