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Deborah Wisti-Peterson, Girl Scientist nyneve at u.washington.edu
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
Visit me on the web: http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/
<><><>Graduate School: it's not just a job, it's an indenture!<><><>


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 14:54:42 -0400
Subject: Assessment on Capture of Nestling American Peregrine
Falcons for Falconry

==============July 27, 2000 Chris Tollefson 202-208-5634


SERVICE RELEASES DRAFT ASSESSMENT ON CAPTURE OF
NESTLING AMERICAN PEREGRINE FALCONS FOR FALCONRY

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a draft Environmental
Assessment July 25 detailing its proposal to allow limited capture
of wild American peregrine falcons in the western United States
for use in falconry.

The proposed action, if approved, would allow the capture, or
"take" of up to 5 percent of the annual production of nestling
American peregrine falcons in the 11 states west of the 100th
Meridian, where populations are high. The States that would be
allowed to take peregrine nestlings are Alaska, Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.
The proposed action would continue to prohibit the capture, or
"take" of nestling juvenile American peregrines in other states,
where peregrine populations have not yet increased to the same
levels.

With more than 1,650 breeding pairs of peregrines nationwide,
productivity goals for the peregrine's recovery from the Endangered
Species list have all been met or exceeded. Maximum take of
nestlings under the proposed alternative in initial years would be
about 82 young. Allowing this level of take would still allow for
healthy population growth of about 3 percent per year under existing
conditions, according to Service projections. The management plan
allows take to be reduced or suspended if populations decline or
fail to meet growth projections.

"Falconry is an ancient sport, and falconers played an important
role in bringing the peregrine back from the brink of extinction.
This proposed action will protect the nation's peregrine falcon
population and ensure that the birds don't end up back on the
Endangered Species list, while providing falconers with
opportunities to continue their sport," said Service Director
Jamie Rappaport Clark.

The Environmental Assessment analyzed six separate action
alternatives that permit varying numbers of juvenile peregrines to
be captured from particular management groups. Alternatives range
from an outright prohibition on take, to analysis of the effect of
taking 5 percent, 10 percent, 15 percent and 20 percent of the
annual production of each Western state, and the effect of having
no restrictions on take beyond the existing falconry regulations.
After analysis and population modeling, the Service adopted take
of 5 percent of each state's annual production as the proposed
action.

Under the proposed alternative, states may allow capture of up to
5 percent of their annual nestling production, but are under no
obligation to do so. In addition, a state must have a breeding
population of at least 14 pairs before falconry take would be
allowed. As of 1998, Nevada, with 6 nesting pairs, would be the
only western state that did not meet this criterion.

The proposed alternative assumes a level of 20 percent annual
mortality for peregrine falcons surviving their first year, a
mortality level that is most likely higher than is actually
occurring in the wild. Given that mortality rate, allowing a 5
percent level of take would still enable the American peregrine
population in the West to reach approximately 6,438 birds in 15
years.

Although captive bred peregrines have been available for falconry
since 1983, wild peregrines have not been available due to ESA
restrictions, except in Alaska under certain circumstances.

The August 25, 1999 decision to remove the peregrine from the Federal
Threatened and Endangered Species List had the effect of allowing
take of wild peregrines for falconry, raptor propagation, scientific
collecting, and other purposes permissible under Migratory Bird
Treaty Act regulations. However, the Service has continued the
prohibition on take of wild peregrines except in very limited
circumstances. The prohibition will remain in place until management
plans governing take of peregrines from the wild are completed.

In 1970, the Service listed the American peregrine falcon as
endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969,
the predecessor of the current law. The peregrine population in
the eastern United States had completely disappeared, and
populations in the west had declined by as much as 80 to 90 percent
below historical levels. By 1975, the population reached an
all-time low of 324 nesting pairs in North America. The related
arctic peregrine also was listed as endangered, but was delisted in
1994. The banning of DDT made the recovery of the peregrine falcon
possible. But the protections provided by the Endangered Species
Act and the extraordinary partnership efforts of the Service and
state wildlife agencies, universities, private ornithological
groups, and falcon enthusiasts accelerated the pace of recovery
through captive breeding programs, reintroduction efforts and
the protection of nest sites during the breeding season. Similar
efforts took place in Canada, where the Canadian Wildlife Service
and provincial agencies took the lead in a major captive breeding
and reintroduction program.

Copies of the Environmental Assessment can be downloaded from the
Service's Internet site at:
http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/americanperegrines/draftea.html.
Public comments on the Environmental Assessment will be accepted
until September 23, 2000. Written comments may be submitted to the
Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia
22203. Comments may also be sent via fax to 703-358-2272. For
further information, contact the Office of Migratory Bird Management
at 703-358-1714.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife
and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the
American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National
Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses 525 national wildlife
refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management
areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery
resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The
agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered
Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their
conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that
distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on
fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

- FWS -

==============================
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Questions concerning a particular news release or item of
information should be directed to the person listed as the
contact. General comments or observations concerning the
content of the information should be directed to Mitch Snow
(Mitch_Snow at fws.gov) in the Office of Public Affairs.

==============================