Climate Change Drives Possible ESA Listing
Dangerous Precedent Could Be Established for Many Species
8/12/09
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is considering placing the American pika, a relative of the rabbit, on the Endangered Species List. The listing would represent a dramatic expansion of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by linking such listings to concerns over climate change. Pika populations typically rely on packed snow to provide protection from the cold wind that is prevalent at the high altitude mountain regions they live in. Some researchers are arguing that warmer temperatures due to climate change are resulting in melting snow and a lack of protection from those winds causing the pikas to freeze to death. A petition by the Center for Biological Diversity to list the pika began the review process. If the FWS moves forward with the listing, the American pika would be the first animal in the continental United States placed on the Endangered Species List due to the issue of climate change. The decision to list the pikas follows on the heels of the May 2008 ESA designation of polar bears as threatened and enhances the concerns raised by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) over that listing. As previously reported, the USSA opposed the listing of the polar bears as many of its populations are not only stable but increasing. The USSA has maintained that the listing was politically driven and based on a 50 year projection of what could happen as a result of global warming - essentially a pre-emptive listing. While the pika is not traditionally hunted, the precedent established by this along with the polar bear listings could be used on any number of other species that have healthy, sustainable, and huntable populations due to long range concerns over climate change. “The ESA was never designed to become a weapon in the global warming debate, stated USSA president and CEO Bud Pidgeon. “We are watching this decision very closely and recognize that this is the first step that could pose serious problems for sportsmen in the near future.” The decision on the pika’s listing is expected from FWS early in 2010.
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