Crustacean that is unique to state can be found in 8 counties
By Matt Carter, STAFF WRITER
A fresh-water crustacean that's food for migrating birds is not in danger of extinction, federal regulators said Monday.
After completing a nine-month study, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials have decided not to add the midvalley fairy shrimp to the list of plants and animals protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Found only in California, the midvalley fairy shrimp has been found in vernal pools at 58 sites in eight counties, including Contra Costa and San Joaquin.
Two environmental groups petitioned the service in August 2001 to list the midvalley fairy shrimp as endangered -- one year after researchers formally identified the creature as a unique species.
The groups said vernal pools -- seasonal wetlands that often dry up in summer months -- rapidly are disappearing as new homes are built.
After further study, the Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that biologists probably haven't yet discovered all the places where the shrimp may live, and that much of the crustacean's known habitat is in areas that are off-limits to development.
Six new populations of the midvalley fairy shrimp have been discovered since April 2003, when the service ruled that environmental groups had presented "substantial evidence" that it could be endangered.
Protected sites
About 40 percent of the 58 sites where the shrimp is known to live are on protected land such as wildlife refuges or preserves, and another 24 percent are in rural areas not under immediate threat of development, the study found.
The Endangered Species Act provides some protections for the midvalley fairy shrimp where it lives side-by-side with other protected plants and animals. Those include two types of grass, Solano and Colusa, and four other species of fairy shrimp listed as threatened or endangered.
The Fish and Wildlife Service further noted that the Clean Water Act and California Environmental Quality Act also provide some protections for vernal pools.
The Northern California Home Builders Association welcomed the service's decision, saying environmental groups such as the Center for Biological Diversity were looking for new ways to oppose development.
"It would have added another level of uncertainty, and given opponents of housing another opportunity to appeal housing (approvals) and file lawsuits," said Paul Campos, an attorney for the association. "That seems to be (the Center for Biological Diversity's) reason for existence."
In Contra Costa County, Campos said the Home Builders Association, environmental groups and county planners are working on a Habitat Conservation Plan, which would protect large tracts of open space.
Habitat already destroyed
But environmental groups say 97 percent of all vernal pools already have been lost to urban sprawl, and that more protections are needed for the species that live in them.
"The most important thing that can be done is federal listing (under the Endangered Species Act), which requires identifying critical habitat and implementing a recovery plan," said Jeff Miller, a spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity.
Miller said Habitat Conservation Plans have a poor track record when it comes to protecting species.
"An HCP is icing on the cake if you can get a workable one, but we're certainly not going to hang our hopes on HCPs preventing animals from becoming extinct," Miller said.
The midvalley fairy shrimp rarely grows larger than three-quarters of an inch in length. Many people have never seen one in the wild or understand their role in the environment.
D. Christopher Rogers, a Woodland-based expert on fairy shrimp, said there are more than 300 species in the world -- 25 in California alone. The crustaceans are a "canary in a coal mine" species that can provide the first warning of environmental problems, Rogers said.
Each species is uniquely adapted to its environment, and the midvalley fairy shrimp may be the most rapidly maturing in the world, Rogers said. Capable of growing from birth to egg-laying adult in just three days, it "tends to exploit really shallow, flashy habitat. You tend to find it in habitats that don't pond as long as other vernal pools."
They are survivalists
To survive, fairy shrimp lay eggs encased in tough shells called cysts. The eggs can endure months or even years of drought before hatching when wet conditions return.
Because of their ability to filter large volumes of water, fish farmers are experimenting with fairy shrimp to increase the efficiency of their operations, Rogers said.
In the wild, fairy shrimp are a vital source of food for migratory birds -- a useful fact for duck hunters like Rogers.
"My favorite place to go for ducks is vernal pools, where the birds are just loading up on high-protein fairy shrimp so they can build up enough energy for the trip north," Rogers said.
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